Page 25 of The Code of You

I’m not talking about him. We’ll get to that pathetic little failure of a man in a minute.

Dante:

I mean the one who got under your skin today.

A chill ran down my spine. Adrian. He meant Adrian. And he was right. He had gotten under my skin. But how the hell did Dante know?

Pandora:

What are you talking about?

Dante:

Don’t pretend you don’t know. Your focus isn’t on me. He was in your head, Pandora.

Pandora:

That’s none of your business.

Dante:

Yes, it is. Everything about you is my business. You belong to me, Pandora. Your thoughts. Your attention. Your time.

My eyes flew open. My pulse was hammering in my throat. He wanted all of me. It was wrong. And—God help me—it turned me on.

Dante:

I don’t want anyone else in your head.

Dante:

Do you want me to erase him from your memory?

My jaw tightened. The urge to laugh rose up, then caught in my throat. Could he actually do that? Hack into my head?

Pandora:

You’ve lost it.

Dante:

I want to protect you. He hurt you.

I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. He wanted to protect me? That was . . . new.

Pandora:

He’s just my ex.

Dante:

Adrian.

I flinched. I couldn’t get used to the fact he knew everything about me. Like I was made of glass, and he could see straight through me.

Dante:

He accused you of being passionless. That’s not true, Pandora. You’re a volcano that’s been sleeping so long you’ve forgotten what fire is.