Page 10 of Fanged Desire
I rolled to my knees, curved my spine, torso lifting toward the ceiling, and leaned all the way back until my head touched the floor behind me. My chest rose and fell with controlled breaths, core engaged as I held the pose, knowing exactly how it would look from her vantage point.
Hunter’s silence was palpable, but I didn’t need words to know what she was thinking. The air in the room was charged, electric, and I reveled in it as I slowly brought myself back up, legs curling beneath me. I stretched my arms above my head, tilting my head slightly to catch her gaze, eyes half-lidded with carefully crafted temptation.
With one final, slow movement, I pushed myself onto my hands, toes pointing to the ceiling, before slowly lowering one leg in a controlled split. The demonstration was as much about strength as it was about flexibility, making it look easy when it was anything but.
Finally, I brought myself down and edged toward her. "Flexible enough for you?"
Hunter leaned back and said nothing for a long moment. Her eyes darkened as I inched toward her, and though her posture was relaxed there was a strain in her body that belied the calm facade.
"More than enough," she murmured, her voice a little more rough and husky than before.
And yet, despite the closeness, despite the undeniable pull, she didn’t move an inch. She didn’t push. She let me set the pace, and something about that restraint made my heart race even faster.
“Tell me,” I said as I settled into a rhythmic motion, swirling circles in the small space, “how familiar are you with the patrons of Micere?”
Hunter’s eyes darted to mine for a moment, before sliding away again. “Familiar enough to know not to trust any of them.”
Interesting. Potentially useful. Pity her lips were so distracting.
“And what about you?” I asked, rounding the sofa to dip my head near her shoulder. “Can I trust you?”
Hunter kept her eyes straight ahead of her, but her next question caught me off guard.
“What do you see when you look at me?”
I paused, stopping directly in front of her again, my hand resting lightly on my hip.
I tilted my head, studying her for a moment before responding. “I see someone who doesn’t like to give too much away. Someone who’s seen enough to know when to keep their guard up.”
My lips twitched into a sly smile. “But you’re still here, aren’t you?”
Hunter’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, her fingers tightening slightly on the armrest of the sofa. “Maybe I’m just enjoying the company.”
I smirked and stepped closer. “Maybe. Or maybe you want something more.”
She leaned forward, her voice lowering as she matched my gaze. “And what doyouwant?”
I paused, and the air rippled with shockwaves. My smile faltered for just a moment. I hadn’t expected her to turn the statement back on me.
It made me feel exposed, caught out. What did I want? I wanted to close the distance between us.
I could feel the urge pulsing through me, a magnetic pull almost impossible to resist. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t let myself get too close. I had worked too hard to get where I was, and crossing a line with a client – no matter how tempting – could ruin everything.
Hunter tilted her head until her face was inches from mine. Charcoal-dark eyes and fathomless pupils, sloped nose and a jawline sharp like the edge of a cliff. Her brow arched as she waited for an answer, a smug smile curling her lips. She won this round.
I pulled back abruptly and retreated to the opposite sofa, breaking the moment before it could go too far. The tension snapped immediately, leaving us both more breathless than we had been before.
We sat in silence for a moment, the unspoken energy crackling in the air between us like a ricocheting gunshot.
I thought I should probably say something, do anything other than stare at her from across the small space. But before either of us could muster a word we were interrupted by a loud banging on the door. A moment later Ethan burst into the room, freckled face pale and frantic.
“Kinsley,” he gasped, pupils blown wide with panic, “we need you. It’s Clara – she’s out cold.”
My stomach dropped, and a moment later a cold calmness descended. I gave Hunter one last, fleeting look and a breathy apology, before following Ethan out the door.
Chapter 5
Hunter
