Chapter Eight
Kat let out a loud sigh as she paced her living room.
It turned out Dean made for a far more annoying companion than Bradley.
Where Bradley tended toward silence—sometimes loud, judgey silence—Dean commented on everything. He was friendly and seemed comfortable, but that led to him being far too invasive.
He’d asked about her work, had tried to follow her into her studio, had been a shadow with an endless string of commentary.
Worse?
Kat couldn’t settle. Each time she tried to breathe, she could only think about those bodies. They’d died becauseshehadn’t given Jerry what he wanted. If she only…
“Knock it off,” Dean said, his voice coming from right behind her and making her jump.
Kat set her hand over her chest, her heart pounding hard. “You don’t need to sneak up on me.”
“I didn’t—you were just distracted by whatever nonsense is going on in your head.”
“It isn’t nonsense,” Kat snapped.
“You sure? Because the way you’re frowning says you’re thinking about something unpleasant, and I’m pretty sure I can take a guess at what.”
“So you think you know me?” She crossed her arms and glared.
Yet…that little exchange helped. The back and forth distracted her, made her feel alive in a way she’d missed.
“Yeah, I do. Now, sit your ass down before you wear holes in your nice new floor.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
Dean lifted one of his dark eyebrows, the intensity of his gaze increasing. There really was no way of pissing off a Dom faster than behaving like this, and it gave Kat a delicious shiver down her spine.
Yes.This was what she craved, that wonderful feeling of defying expectations, of someone who gave enough of a damn to fight her.
Because being hated was far better than being ignored.
“Don’t play games with me, Kat.” Dean didn’t look away, didn’t soften his words or meaning.
“I’m not playing.”Of course I’m playing.“I just don’t need some overgrown bully telling me what to do.”
Dean didn’t react at first, that calmness to him terrifying in the best way. He leaned back, against the bar of the kitchen, his gaze far too smart. Dumb people were easier to manipulate, but smart ones? They saw through her tricks.
Though, that had its benefits… Sometimes playing with fools got boring.
“Overgrown bully? You sure didn’t feel that way when I had my fingers inside you.”
Heat burned at Kat’s cheeks, but she kept her composure. “Orgasms are cheap magic tricks. They can make someone think anything.”
“Cheap, huh? Boy, you really are a brat, aren’t you?”
“Me?” Kat rolled her eyes. “Not at all. It’s not my fault that men think they’re scarier than they are.”
The chuckle he let out was dark, and Kat suddenly remembered why she’d never played with him before. Dean was theexactsort of man who did it for her. He was funny, sweet, but with a harder edge beneath the surface that she wanted so badly to bring out. He might be what she enjoyed, but that was why she’d avoided him.
“Oh, Kat, you are difficult.” He advanced on her, forcing Kat to step backward until she hit the wall and couldn’t go any farther. He continued until he stood just in front of her, his blue eyes staring down into hers. “So here’s the deal—are you pushing me because you’re needy and want some attention?”
Kat gulped. She did this so she didn’thaveto say anything, so she didn’t have to ask for things she doubted she’d get anyway. Why then did Dean insist on her having to actually say anything?