Blood Always

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I wanted to experience whatever it was Matteo had to offer, and I hated myself for it. Unfortunately for me, my own self-loathing wasn’t enough to keep me from inviting the lion inside my den. Without a word, I unlocked my door, feeling his stealthy presence stalk behind me. OceanofPDF.com Chapter 8 Matteo She was two minutes from being late. I was almost glad she hadn’t been there when I arrived. It gave me the opportunity to witness her unguarded response when the elevator doors opened. Not that there was much reaction to witness. You had to be keenly observant to pick up on the slight flare of her nostrils. The flash of hunger that lit her eyes. The swell of her chest on a shaky breath. There was an energy between us that flared to life when we shared the same space. It pulsed and crackled, surging each time our bodies drew nearer. In the empty hallway, our silence spoke far louder than any words could have. It echoed with temptation. Whispered sweet seduction. Take me. Touch me. Own me. I had to fist my hands in my pockets to keep from pressing her against the wall and shoving myself deep inside her. Those shapely legs quivered to wrap around my waist. Her full breasts begged to be squeezed. And her lips. God, her lips. Perfectly plump for sucking. Everything about her was an aphrodisiac. She was made for me. Her chemistry was the perfect complement to mine, drawing us together like a magnet to metal. Call it pheromones or whatever you like, but there was something intangible that bound us together. Something inconceivably strong that had sunk its devilish talons deep inside us. I’d come to her place with a purpose, or so I’d told myself. That purpose hadn’t been s*x, but the second my eyes raked over the soft contours of her body, I could hardly remember my own name, let alone my purpose for being there. The black wrap dress she wore accented all her luscious curves, a simple tie holding the outfit in place. It practically demanded I yank the thin piece of fabric and expose the exquisite package underneath. I didn’t care how long it had taken her to do her hair and makeup; I wanted to make her filthy. Release her upswept hair and f**k her until the long strands bunched with tangles. Smudge those red lips with her f**k-me lipstick. Give her so many orgasms she cried black mascara tears. My gut twisted with desire, blood rushing south, until nothing was left for brain function. I was dangerously turned on. My desire for her was lethal, but I wasn’t sure which of us was most in danger. This was one big f*****g mistake. She left the door open in invitation but didn’t look back. I was faced with a moment of demarcation. A before and after. If I walked through that door, our trajectory would alter irrevocably. From enemies allied by a strategic marriage to … what? Something dark and consuming. Something that tasted like obsession. I was a f*****g i***t for thinking I could delve into her psyche and resurface unscathed. i***t or not, I followed her inside. She tossed her small purse on the counter, turning to lean her hip against the black granite. “I found a dress.” Her voice was liquid s*x, raw and carnal. “Surprisingly enough, I think you’ll approve.” Her lips twisted with a wry grin, and the hint of a giggle escaped. I closed the distance between us, narrowing my eyes. “You’ve been drinking.” Her eyes shone with the telltale glassiness of intoxication. Jesus f*****g Christ. I hadn’t thought she could get any more tempting, but Maria loose with alcohol was more than I could bear. A bolt of lust burst down my belly and ricocheted into my c**k, making it swell to the point of pain. If she thought a little alcohol in her bloodstream was going to deter me, she was sorely mistaken. “I’m not trashed, just a little tipsy. I had to do something to get me through the hours and hours of gossip and giggling and girlie s**t. And it’s not even over. Now, I have to spend a whole weekend with them, but at least we’ll be in Vegas, so it won’t be totally awful.” She rolled her eyes and started to turn away, but I caged her with an arm on either side of her and pressed my throbbing erection against her core. She gasped in a breath, drawing my eyes to her lips. Her perfectly parted lips. “What the f**k are you talking about?” I desperately tried to remain focused. She was distracting me with words, and it was pissing me off. The only thing I wanted to hear was her screaming my name as her p***y milked my c**k dry. “Bachelorette weekend. Giada’s organizing it—I think she said we leave in two weeks. I don’t know. I didn’t really listen.” Her gaze had been concentrated on my chest where her nimble fingers toyed with the buttons on my shirt. Laying her hands flat against my chest, she peered back up at me coyly. “Vegas isn’t so bad, lots to see … and do. Last big fling before the wedding and all.” She had a death wish. That was the only reason I could come up with for why she would intentionally antagonize me. We didn’t know each other well enough for me to know if she was joking or if she actually planned to f**k some random stranger in Vegas. The possibility made me rabid with anger. Flames licked at the sides of my face. My teeth ached from the pressure to crack. Somewhere in her alcohol-induced haze, she registered the change in my mood. The pulse point in her neck surged to a fluttering beat, and her pupils dilated from the sudden awareness of the danger she was in. She was a butterfly trapped in the confines of my fist, unable to see her way out. “Was that some kind of joke? You think it’s funny to tease me about f*****g other men?” My voice wasn’t just guttural, it was positively feral. Maria’s eyes blinked rapidly in a fight for sobriety. “I wasn’t … I don’t know what I was doing. But what does it matter? It’s not like we’re in love.” That was it. With just a few simple words, she pressed the trigger and detonated my temper. I spun her around, gripping her arms with bruising strength, but only for a second. With the instinct of a well-trained fighter, she dropped her legs out from beneath her, tumbling me forward. When my grip loosened, she yanked away and did a forward roll, snatching the comb from her hair the second she righted herself in a defensive stance. It was wicked sharp on one end, designed intentionally to be more than a mere hair accessory. Her wavy hair cascaded around her face, almost black in the dim light of her apartment.