“He has good taste.” She adds. “I’ll be sure to tell him.”
She grabs a handful and holds them in her palm, so Brutus can have more. And he does. The dog who wouldn’t take a treat from my own hand for six months cautiously has his fill.
“Don’t feed my dog that crap.” My sharp tone makes his ears prick. He stops eating and cocks his head. “He’s on a strict raw food diet.” I suddenly feel the need to defend my outburst.
Carina dusts her palms together and looks away. “When can I leave?”
A laugh rumbles in my chest, her request absurd. “Leave?”
“Yeah, leave,” she repeats, her amber eyes narrowed. Her face contorts, anger mixing with frustration. “I thought you were the big guy around here, haven’t you got the security footage from the jazz bar yet?”
I don’t entertain her efforts to rile me. “You can leave when I give you permission to do so. And that's not today.”
She bounces to her feet like a jack-in-the-box and stomps toward me until there’s only a flimsy blue box separating us. The carnage of a fiery sun kisses her loose hair and a reckless storm brewing behind her glare.
“You got what you wanted, didn’t you?”
My brows tug together and I stare at her, focusing on the thin scar on her plump upper lip. “What did I want,little liar?”
“To fuck me,” she snarls. “That’s what this is about, isn’t it? Your rotten fantasy to claim credit for fucking the virgin. We both know I didn’t kill your father. So I can only assume I’m here for your entertainment?”
I laugh darkly. “I thinkyouwere entertained when I fucked your tight little cunt.”
Her jaw clamps shut, and she hisses behind clenched teeth. “You’re pathetic.”
My hand is on her neck like a bullet, steering her to the edge of the pool. “Don’t ever call me that again.” She fights against me, clawing at my chest with her nails. The scrapes only make me feel alive. I roll my shoulders and tip her backward. “You saw what happened to Diego when he stood up to me. That bastard liked to call me pathetic when I was a kid. Don’t think for one second I’ll offer you mercy the next time you say it.”
She whimpers when my nostrils flare and I tighten my grip, pressing against the cartilage in her throat. From behind, a low growl catches in the light breeze. I glance over my shoulder to find Brutus hunched on all fours, head low, warning me. Something uncomfortable squeezes my insides—it’s guilt.
I let go and wait for her to straighten. She rubs her neck and swallows, her gaze locking with mine. “Are you telling me I'm a prisoner again?”
That's exactly what she is. A slave on my tight leash until I’m finished with her. “You can leave at any time.” I lie.
Her brow creases and her sugary lips pout. “What’s the catch?”
“I’ll easily track your movements, kill anyone who tries to help you, and then I’ll punish your disobedience.” A smug smile dances at the corners of my mouth. I love watching her pupils flare. There’s a hot thrill to it. “When I’m done with you, and only then, will you be permitted to walk free.”
“I hate you!” In the second it takes her to scream at me, she darts sideways and catches me completely off guard.
Tiny hands butt into my ass and I’m propelled forward. As I fall, I quickly encircle her wrist and drag her into the pool with me.
I come up first and spit out the mouthful of chlorine flavored pool water I inhaled on the way in. Beneath the choppy surface, she thrashes wildly before suddenly bursting into the morning air like a sexy mermaid and sucking in a deep breath. She sweeps inky strands away from her serious face and blinks rapidly.
We face each other in a silent impasse. My dick is like stone, the towel is nowhere near me to cover it. Not that I would. I’m not ashamed of being a red-blooded male.
See-through cotton showcases her pebbled nipples. The devil doesn’t wear a dress, she wears my own damn shirt. Her chest rises, not out of fright or anger, but something much more toxic.
A desire to fuck.
She takes a deep breath. My eyes are all over her. I observe every visible prickle and slight shiver. She’s aroused. I know by the flush to her cheeks and mindless tap of her lip.
After a heated second, she swivels away and paddles to the mosaic steps. The quick retreat wrenches my senses back to where they belong. I’m in control, not mylittle liar.
I plunge under the water and swim toward her as a starved predator. When she clambers onto the bottom step, I set my feet down, grab her hips, and yank her into my chest. Her shocked gasp makes me feel bad to my bones. Despite that, it’s a fucking buzz.
“If you leave the compound, Iwillfind you. My men are everywhere,” I growl into her ear from behind, loving how she fights against me.
When her ass bangs into my throbbing dick, it gets her full attention. She freezes. Goosebumps rain over her arms and her head falls back to my shoulder. Together we breathe—deep, heavy breaths.