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I reached out and touched her cheek. She didn’t flinch away, but her muscles did tense like she wanted to. I saw her suppress a grimace.
But her eyes said something else.
“It means that you’re right about the way I look at you. You’re right that at night it’s hard not to break into your room and pull the blankets off you nice and slow like unwrapping a present. It’s hard not to touch your skin and make you feel good, since right now I know you aren’t. It’s hard not to take away that pain.”
“You’re the source of that pain. You realize that, right?”
“Maybe yeah, maybe not. But I’m doing my best to make it easy on you. And I can do so much more if you let me.”
She didn’t move as I stepped closer. I felt my heart beating fast.
“You can’t just do one nice thing for me and suddenly I forget everything else.” She stared into my eyes. “I haven’t forgotten.”
I moved my hand back along her cheek and toward her hair. “And yet you’re still standing here.”
“Maybe I want you to come closer so I can hit you again.”
“I’d love to see you try.” I smirked a little. “Maybe I’ll like it.”
She stared into my eyes and when I dipped my lips down to kiss her, she kissed me back with a hunger I hadn’t expected. She took a sharp breath in through her nose and her lips and tongue met mine like sparks flying off a sheet of metal. I grunted, gripped her hair, turned her and pressed her against the counter.
Her breasts pushed against my chest and my other hand moved onto the small of her back. I pulled her hips closer against mine. My heart hammered quick rhythms in my chest and I bit her lip, made her gasp a little bit.
Fuck it drove me wild.
She pushed her hands against my chest and pulled back with gasp. “Owain.”
“What?”
“Please.”
I stared into her eyes. She didn’t need to say it. I released her hair but didn’t step back. She took a couple deep breaths then slipped away from me, her cheeks bright red. I turned to stare as she walked to the kitchen door and lingered there.
“This doesn’t mean I like you,” she said, not looking back at me.
I knew she couldn’t meet my eyes right now.
“Yeah? What’s it mean then?”
“Nothing.”
She left the room and went up to her room.
I stood there, half hard and trying to get myself under control. The girl was under my skin and I knew it, and still couldn’t do a damn thing about it. I wanted her, and now that I’d gotten my first taste, however small, I couldn’t turn away.
I needed more. And I’d get it.10LeighThe bodega was a run-down corner shop with a faded Pepsi poster in the window and bright yellow sale signs. Owain leaned across the car and nodded toward the front door.
“Your palace.”
I frowned at it. “Doesn’t look like much.”
“That’s because it’s not.”
“You own it?”
“Been my little spot for a few years now.” He paused and put a hand on my thigh. “The Jackals know about it.”
I nodded and felt his hand on my skin. I felt a shiver run down my spin but I refused to look at him, even though the ghost of that kiss from the day before still buzzed on my lips and tongue.
It was like I lost my mind. I don’t know why I did it, why I pushed that conversation, why I chased him back inside. I could’ve let that nice gesture be what it was, nothing but a nice gesture, and yet I couldn’t help myself.
The bastard drove me crazy. He pissed me off one second then made me want him the next. I didn’t know if it was a game he played just to tease me, or if he didn’t realize the way he jerked me around.
It was still stupid. Kissing my captor. My business partner.
The man that got my brother killed. That threatened to do worse to my mother.
Handsome or not, he was still a demon.
“So I’m just sitting in the back all day?”
“There’s a TV. You’ll be entertained.”
“Sounds boring.”
“At least you won’t be actively pushing drugs, right?”
I snorted. “Not yet, at least.”
He chuckled and pulled his hand away. “Come on. Let’s go meet Sander.”
“Who?”
“Guy who works here.” Owain opened his door and got out.
I followed. The front door was covered in cigarette ads. The inside smelled like stale coffee and spilled beer. The shelves were jammed with generic products, and there was a small section for produce and meat products. It was a tiny grocery store, and I knew local people probably treated it that way. There weren’t big chain places all through the city like out int he suburbs, and people had to find what they needed at their local corner spots.
