Vicious Seduction

23

CHAPTER 15 ORAN s**t, she was going to pass out. “Breathe, Lina.” I pulled her against me to keep her upright. “You can relax. The wedding’s not ours,” I quipped sharply. “My cousin’s getting married, and you’re my date.” The woman knew how to humble a man. I’d meant to toy with her, but she acted like I’d threatened exile in Siberia. Surprising me again, she shoved my chest, a fire lighting in her eyes. “That wasn’t funny, asshole.” I let a wicked grin darken my face. “Depends on who you ask.” “This is my life, Oran. Not some f*****g game.” “Considering the clown you’ve been dating, I’m not sure you know the difference.” The slap came without warning. It resounded in my ears and stiffened my c**k. I wasn’t sure why, but seeing her feisty side made me want to bend her over the desk until the entire precinct heard her come. “Glad to see you still have some sense left.” Hunger clawed at my voice, leaving it raw and guttural. “No thanks to you.” “Remember you said that.” “Oh, I will. I’ll remember every infuriating second of this night so long as I live, and I won’t let you forget it either.” I leaned in, bringing my lips close to her ear. “Promises, promises.” Turning, I led us from the room and back through the police station. I didn’t look back, but I could hear her heels clacking behind me, and it helped me breathe easily for the first time in weeks. I was helping Lina, whether she wanted to believe it or not. Admittedly, my methods were extreme, but she only had herself to blame for that. I’d tried to play nice and charm her away from Wellington. The damn woman wouldn’t cooperate even though her entire body practically purred with desire when she was near me. That look on her face when I walked in the door? Christ, I’d never forget it. Like I was the storybook knight she’d been waiting for her whole life. The sight nearly undid me, but it only lasted a heartbeat. Her skepticism and stubborn wariness set in as soon as her questions surfaced, coloring everything I’d done in shades of hostility and corruption. I needed to be grateful. Her response would help me stay focused on my goals. I’d gathered most of the intel I’d needed over the past month. While I’d had to push things along a bit faster than I’d have preferred so that I could get Lina away from Wellington, my timeline was still functional. At least now I didn’t have to worry about her safety on top of everything else. In a month or so, she’d be free of me and able to seek out another toxic relationship, if she was so damn insistent upon it. I accidentally slammed the car door after helping her in, pissed at the thought of her with another undeserving asshole. I didn’t understand why it irritated me so badly. I knew she’d hate me, so her response came as no surprise. But it still grated on every one of my nerves. “I don’t have my phone,” Lina mumbled when I joined her in the car. “I left it with my jacket and everything else at my house.” I almost forgot I’d told her to text Lawrence. She was a constant distraction like that. “Stand him up for all I care.” She sighed heavily as I merged the car into traffic. “I’d give you my address, but clearly, you already know.” “If it’s any consolation, it wasn’t easy to find.” She harrumphed and cast her face toward the side window, remaining quiet for the rest of the short journey. When we arrived, I turned off the engine and started to exit the car. “You don’t have to walk me up.” “Do you always get your hackles up when people are polite?” “I do when they have ulterior motives.” “And what, pray tell, is my ulterior motive in walking you to your apartment?” “It’s impossible to know what’s going on in that twisted head of yours.” A bellow of genuine laughter seized me—something that rarely happened when I was with anyone but family. As it subsided, I glanced at Lina and was surprised to see a flush cross her cheeks. For the millionth time, I wished I knew what she was thinking. Watching her in the elevator, I speculated that it would likely still baffle me even if I had access to her complicated mind. I held the doors open, then followed her to her apartment, which she opened without a key. “You always leave your place unlocked?” Irritation seeped into my words. “I was a little distracted by the prospect of life in prison.” “Not life, just ten to twenty,” I said distractedly as I looked around. I’d known this place would be much more dated and humble than I’d initially expected of her when I discovered her real address, but the reality was even more surprising than I imagined. The fake city inspector I’d used during our staged emergency gas test had been the one to plant the drugs, so I’d yet to see the place. What shocked me the most was that she had a roommate in a onebedroom apartment. Lina Schultze had hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting in a bank account. Why the hell would she choose to live here … with a roommate? I wanted to peek into the bedroom, but the door was closed. “I’m safely home, now. You can leave.” She crossed her arms over her chest. I picked up her phone from the coffee table and handed it to her. She rolled her eyes, typed out a short message in hyper speed, then held the screen in my face. “Happy now?” I prowled closer, ignoring the device. She relented and lowered her arm to her side, lifting her delicate chin defiantly. God, I wanted to bite it. “This won’t work if you can’t pretend to like me.” I stalked closer. She retreated, one step for each of mine until her back was against the wall. I lifted my hands and savored the way her body reacted to the uncertainty of my touch. As much as she wanted to hate me, her body wasn’t so sure. I trailed my fingertips along the neckline of her gown until they met in the middle between her breasts, then back up before slipping my coat from her shoulders. “Evening attire for the wedding. Nothing too fancy. I’ll be by to get you at five. Don’t be late.” I walked away with a smug grin as her shaky exhale filled my ears. It hit me that if I’d found my first wife this intriguing, maybe I wouldn’t have ended up wanting to kill her. What’s to say this won’t end the same? Not a goddamn thing.