Kinda like me.
Her eyes glazed over and she felt a pain in the back of her throat as she held back the tears that threatened her. Making herself hard to get seemed to be enticing his little game and want of her. A thought crossed her mind. If she offered herself up, maybe, just maybe, he would get bored. Elizabeth glanced down at her fingers, her knuckles red from gripping the railing.
Just get through tonight, and get your ass to Jared. It will all be better once you are with Jared.
Why she felt comfort over a man she had only met over the Internet was beyond her understanding. Maybe because he was the only man that had ever truly given a shit. The revelation that her parents had sent her into the arms of the beast squeezed at her heart.
Closing her eyes against the light breeze that teased at her flesh, she tried to forget the heat that closed around her as he came to a stop right behind her.
“No one tells me no, or kiss my ass.” He seemed irritated.
Good. He needed to be knocked down a few pegs. The annoyance in his deep baritone voice made her lips curl up at the corners.
“Yes, well, maybe it’s good for you,” she snarked.
“It’s not, trust me. It just pisses me off, and when I get pissed off bad things happen in the world.”
She felt the heat of his breath against her exposed neck. His arm wrapped around her waist and he pulled her against him.
“Yeah, I gathered that,” she mumbled.
He exhaled rather loudly. The air against her skin made her want to purr with pleasure. Everything about the man exuded sex, sexy, lust, and fuck me now. Elizabeth clenched her teeth and fought hard to not give in.
Maybe giving in will get him off your back.
The large hand that pressed possessively against her belly slithered to her hips and he spun her around quickly, grasping her hand in the sudden movement. She felt dizzy and out of sorts. Her lips parted on a protest but he pressed his finger against the seam and lazily ran the callused pad against her bottom lip. Her breathing became labored and she felt the tremble as it traveled the length of her body.
“Let’s not fight,” he whispered. The pleading in his voice nearly had her fooled—nearly. “Look at me.”
She allowed her gaze to travel from his chest, up his throat, where his Adam’s apple bobbed with his throat contracting on a swallow. Then her eyes locked with his. Tonight they were light, welcoming. When she pissed him off they got dark. Something inside her wanted to keep them light and him pleased.
God, don’t go insane now.
The fingers of his other hand danced over her cheek as he nearly cooed at her.
“Let’s have a nice lunch. Get to know one another. We are rather stuck, aren’t we, sweet one?”
She gulped. Literally, she felt and heard the sound when she swallowed down her own spit. Fuck, this asshole was good.
“If you were really like this, you would win,” she confessed.
He tossed his head back, that full-throated laugh booming throughout the halls of the vineyard.
“But this is me.”
He took her hand in his and started to guide her away from the railing. Down a few short halls and onto a terrace that still kept the valley in sight but had vines of grapes on trellises overlooking the beauty that lied to her in this moment.
“No, it’s not you.”
He stopped moving to turn towards her. His eyes looked upon her, curious, with that panty-melting grin that made her take a step back, but he nudged her back into his body. “You are evil,” she whispered. Her voice trembled on her words. “You are the definition of what people fear under their beds. Why kids can’t leave the closet door open at night. You are the reason women can’t walk alone on a darkened street. There is nothing about this that is real. It is a joke, a mirage in the dry, desolate desert that is my fucking life.”
She wanted to sob. Curl up in a ball and give in and just end this all right now. How the fuck was she going to beat him?
His hand gripped the back of her neck and yanked her in close. She sucked in a breath, her gaze darting to meet his as she leaned in close. Asmodeus’s lips glazed over her cheek, her eyelids, down her nose.
“So melodramatic,” he purred.
Elizabeth tried to get free of his arms, but he held fast.
“I want to leave,” she whimpered.
Oh, lovely, sound more weak and off your game.
His fingers fisted in her hair. He gave a firm yank and it arched her neck and brought her chest flush against his. Asmodeus flicked his tongue out over her lips, his voice low. The deep timber kicked up her heart rate as he punched against her ribcage.
“You see, I don’t want to leave. I actually want to eat your pussy, while you’re spread out on the dinner table for me and screaming. I want the owners and tourists to watch this. I want people to see me fuck you—hard. I want the world to know I own you, and you’re MINE!” He snarled the last word.