Tears of Betrayal

For a moment, we don’t move, and with fascination, I watch as the blush deepens on her skin.

Yeah, she’s definitely attracted to me.

Her hands slide down my chest to my abs, and her touch makes my cock stir, but then realization flashes over her features, and she yanks back, pressing herself against the counter.

“Move,” she hisses, glancing to the side to avoid making eye contact with me.

Having her cornered is one hell of a turn-on. It’s like this woman calls to every predatory part inside me. She makes me want to hunt. To chase her until she’s so weak she can’t fight back anymore. It’s fucking exhilarating.

The corner of my mouth lifts as I take a step backward.

Ariana shoots me a glare and begins to walk away, but then she stops and coming back, she reaches past me, grabs the box of cereal, and starts to make breakfast for herself.

I prepare a cup of coffee for myself and sipping on the warm liquid, I lean back against the counter, watching Ariana eat.

“Stop staring at me,” she mumbles around a mouthful of Fruit Loops.

I tilt my head, the corner of my mouth lifting again.

She lets out a huff and scowls at me while she swallows the bite, then she says, “Just because you’re hot, it doesn’t mean anything. You have a shitty personality.” She begins to scoop up another bite, then adds, “Oh, let’s not forget you kidnapped, hurt, and degraded me, so don’t get any funny ideas. Being an asshole is not an attractive quality for me.”

Ariana takes another bite of her cereal, and when my smirk grows, her glare darkens.

She’s working hard to keep her defenses up. I wonder what it would take to break down her walls.

Deciding to test the waters, I set down my cup and slowly move closer to her. She tenses, a guarded expression tightening her features.

When I’m only a couple of inches from her, she puts the spoon down in the bowl and gives me a look of warning. “Stop it.”

“What?” I murmur, dropping my voice low on purpose.

Her cheeks instantly flush, and even though she tries to harden her glare, her breaths speeding up tells me she’s affected by me. I’m just not sure if it’s fear, desire, or both.

When only an inch separates us, our eyes lock. Ariana swallows hard, and then she presses her palm against my abs, trying to shove me as she takes a step back.

“Stop whatever you’re doing. It makes me uncomfortable,” she says with a slight tremble in her voice.

“Does it?” I ask, tilting my head. “You didn’t look uncomfortable when you were practically eye-fucking me in the gym.”

The deepest shade of red seeps into her cheeks, making it look like she just ran ten miles. Because of her fair skin, she’ll never be able to hide her emotions.

The next second, her finger jabs at my chest, and she actually takes a step toward me as she snaps, “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not interested in you at all.”

Grabbing hold of her hand, I yank her right against me. Our bodies instantly melt together as Ariana lets out a startled gasp. Her eyes dart up to mine, her lips parted as her breaths rush over them. And fuck, it only makes her more beautiful.

Anticipation zaps between us, and I feel as a tremble ripples through her. The attraction grows at the speed of light, making me turn rock hard.

I’ve never had this happen with a woman before, and it makes me really look at Ariana. She’s much younger than me, but that doesn’t matter. Even though she’s afraid of me, she still fights back.

My eyes drift over her face, her chin held high and her hazel eyes alive with a feistiness that demands my respect.

And it all grabs my attention like nothing has before in my life.

Leaning down until my mouth brushes against the shell of her ear, I take a deep breath of her. Her scent makes my muscles tense as if they’re getting ready to pounce. “Yeah? You sure about that?” I whisper, my voice low and predatory.

As I pull back an inch, I see confusion flash over Ariana’s features. She yanks her hand free from my hold, and darting around me, she flees up the stairs. I hear a door slam on the second floor.

Letting out a chuckle, my lips curve up.

Well, that’s interesting.

ARIANA

Holy crap, that was intense.

Running to the room that’s nothing short of a chamber of torture, I slam the door shut behind me, and then stare at it with a pounding heart.

My stomach is still spinning like crazy, and my skin is alive with tingles.

Having Demitri’s body pressed hard against mine had my emotions all over the place. I felt everything but fear, which is a huge worry for me.

Because I should fear him.