“Arsehole.” I turn around about to curse Levi, too, but I’m transfixed by the slow, but clear lighting of his eyes.
The black has dissipated and is now replaced by his usual hooded expression.
He’s jacket-less and tie-less. The first few buttons of his shirt are undone as if he couldn’t bother to do them. Under the lights, his tanned skin contrasts against the white shirt. Due to his fight with Jerry, he has dust all over him and two bruises against his cheek and collarbone. His right shoulder is drooping to the side like he can’t keep it upright.
Even in his dishevelled state, he still looks every bit the gorgeous bastard.
“For the record, I don’t need you to defend my honour,” I say with mock sarcasm and push past him to the exit.
He winces.
Walk away.
Walk the hell away.
“I don’t like it.” Levi’s voice stops me in my tracks.
I slowly turn around to face him. “You don’t like what?”
“When others touch you.”
My lips part, not knowing how to respond to that.
He takes the decision away when he strides in my direction and looms over me like a damn wall.
“From today on, you won’t let anyone touch you.” He says the words like he has every right to.
“Let me think about that...” I mock. “Decree denied, your majesty.”
“Astrid,” he growls, his hand clasping around my arm. “You don’t want to fight me on this.”
I’m momentarily stunned by the way my name rolls off his mouth in that slight raspy tone.
It’s the first time he says my name, and there’s something disturbingly intimate about that.
“As if I’m allowed to fight you on anything else?” I ask.
“You are.”
“I am?”
He’s taken me by surprise too many times in one night, it’s starting to give me whiplash.
Is this another game?
His arm shoots forward and surrounds my waist in a steel hold. I don’t get to react as he yanks me towards him, flush against his chest.
His hard muscles flatten my breasts and I can’t help the way they tighten against the material of my shirt and jacket.
Both my hands push at his shoulders, even when my insides liquefy at his warmth.
“Fight like that, princess.” He pushes my legs apart with one leg and settles his thigh between my sensitive ones until an unmistakable bulge pushes into the hollow of my stomach. “Do you see what your fight does to me?”
Smothering heat flushes me from head to toe as I stare up at him with widened eyes.
He’s... hard.
For me.