Page 126 of Hunter

“For pissing me off,” I said, looking back over my shoulder at him.

One eyebrow raised at that. “Okay, you’re going to have to fill me in on that, princess. Before I left, everything was okay. And now you’re saying I pissed you off? What did I do?”

Instead of denying it, he was asking me. He was validating my feelings. That should have made him the perfect man for me, but so many things weren’t adding up. I didn’t know how to connect this image of him to the image I was slowly forming in my head.

The image of the monster in my nightmare.

I shook my head. “Where were you?”

“Ah,” he said, as if that answered everything. “Are you feeling neglected, baby?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “No. I just want to know where you were. What is it that you do?”

I could see a shutter coming on his face. I knew he wouldn’t tell me anything even before he opened his mouth.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I already told you,” he said calmly. “I’m a contractor.”

“Working such odd hours?”

“I have very demanding clients.”

I shook my head. “Don’t lie to me.”

He stepped closer to me.

I looked at him with wide eyes. I knew the moment he touched me, I would be done for.

I took a step back. He kept coming forward.

My eyes bulged out, practically begging him to stay away from me.

He didn’t listen. He walked toward me until he had me back up against the wall.

He placed two large arms on either side of me, trapping me against his body.

“Don’t,” I whispered.

“Do you think I’m lying? Why do you think I’m lying?”

I opened my mouth, to say what, I didn’t know.

The truth was, I didn’t have any reason to distrust him. This was pure instinct without any evidence to back it up.

He cupped my cheek.

Check. Mate.

I lost.

My eyes fluttered shut when his thumb started to swipe back and forth against my bottom lip.

“Look at me,” he said softly.

I shook my head.

“Ryleigh, look at me. Please.”

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