Sweet fucking hell, I wanted to bury my face in her throat, lick her from ankle to chin, until she had completely saved me.
I wanted to save her too. Save her from the hardness that was turning her brittle.
"Do you really think this is the best idea?” I asked. “A stakeout at the dumpsters, waiting for Sheshem to show up like a rabid raccoon? Maybe we could go patrol the Strip, check out a show, search the wax museum for evil,” I teased, trying to inject some levity into our tense mission.
Miranda shot me an irritated glance. “We stick to the plan. It’s not about what’s fun, Xander. It’s about what works.”
I raised an eyebrow, a challenging smirk playing on my lips. “But what if I have better ideas? Something less... dumpster-divey?”
Her response was firm, unwavering. “We’re not improvising. I’ve mapped this out. We follow the plan, Xander. No deviations.”
I probed further, testing the boundaries of her resolve. “Ever think your plans are a bit... rigid? There’s a whole spectrum between dumpster diving and going off-script, you know.”
Miranda's tone turned defensive, her words laced with an icy chill. “Rigid keeps us alive. And I don’t recall your improvisations ending well last time.”
Softening my approach, I said, “Hey, I get it. Control feels safe. But sometimes, a little chaos can be our ally. Trust me.”
“It’s not about trust.” Realizing she’d raised her voice, Miranda closed her eyes and took a calming breath before continuing. “It’s about minimizing risks, now shut up and be patient.”
So that was a no on getting her to relax around me. But we were stuck together for the foreseeable future, so I had time. For once, time was an element in my favor.
Miranda may be a no-nonsense badass, but I knew her vulnerabilities, her fragile humanity even if she wanted to deny she possessed any weakness.
Whenever she spoke of killing a god, a frenetic kind of desperation entered her eyes. She’d hadn’t achieved her goal yet and it was killing her.
The more she reinforced her walls of protection, the more she tried to expunge her vulnerabilities, the more delicate she became.
I’d be fucking damned if I let her crack. Or if she does crumble, I’ll either be the one to put her pieces back together, or better yet, I’ll be the one to make her fall to pieces, my tongue between her thighs, pushing her over an edge so pleasurable she forgets anything and anyone other than me.
Fuck. If I didn’t get myself together, I’d end up sporting an obvious hard on. And she might get the idea I get randy over trash.
As if sensing my shift in focus, Miranda turned toward me.
She licked her lips slowly, maybe even nervously. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” My voice was husky even to my own ears.
“Like you want to devour me.” Her brows were pinched in a frown, but her breath hitched. My little badasslikedthe idea of me eating her up.
“Would that be so bad?” I asked, taking a step closer. Miranda started to step back but stood her ground at the last second, letting me invade her personal space.
A ray of streetlamp light sliced across her eyes, turning the deep, fathomless dark of them into the color of honey. The pressing dry heat also had her covered in perspiration, making her warm brown skin glow and sing like a siren. The song beckoned me to slide my hands over her muscled, toned arms,into the dip of her tank top to find the generous swell of her breasts.
Instead of answering, her lips tightened. I groaned. It only made me want to cover her mouth with my own and coax that beautifully full mouth apart.
Something about my thoughts must have broadcasted on my face because Miranda’s eyes widened, and her hands pushed against my chest as if to keep me at bay. But the beast in me was taking over, and I wasn’t sure if anything could stop me now.
Right then, I knew nothing could stop me. I was going to kiss her so deep, so thoroughly, I wouldn't stop until she was dripping between those thighs.
Chapter 5
The Beast
Dipping in, I tasted her sweet breath. She didn’t move away. Tingles swept across my lips and pressure built in my cock. I was millimeters from heaven again.
A crash boomed from nearby, and both of us jumped back. Before I registered what happened, Miranda charged off in the direction of the sound.
My instincts kicked in and I followed her, pushing through the narrow alleyway. The smell of garbage intensified with the sickening stench as we neared the source of the commotion.
