Page 44 of Red Dragon’s Heart

He turned back and grabbed her shoulders, a fiery-eyed terror in the night. “I had a life,” he said. “Such as it was. For the first time ever, I had a place to belong. I was part of something, and somebody loved me. That little girl loved me. And now it’s gone, and I can never get it back, and it’s all because of you!”

That stung her. “I told you, I didn’t make that serum! And I didn’t shoot you with that bolt. I’m trying to make it right. Why do you keep blaming me?”

“Because I have to! If I stop hating you—”

He let go of her so suddenly her knees almost buckled, and turned away. “I’d better go to my cell now. Before I hurt someone.”

She knew she should let him do that—let him lock himself in until his rage wore off. But the thought of him alone with his pain made her heart hurt. She reached out and caught his arm before he could leave.

“If you stop hating me, then what?”

Very slowly, he tilted his head and looked down at her hand lying on his arm. “You need to let go of me now.” His voice was a low growl, and the heat of his bare forearm felt like it was burning her hand.

“Why?” It came out a whisper.

He still didn’t move a muscle. “Because if you keep touching me, I’m going to put you up against that wall and kiss you until you can’t stand up. And then I’m going to sweep you up and carry you downstairs to my bed and fuck you until all you want to do is scream my name.”

Now he turned his head and stared straight at her, his eyes still glowing in the dark. “So if you don’t want me to do that, you have three seconds to let go and back the hell off.”

“Zak—” She couldn’t look away. She couldn’t let go.

“I warned you.”

And suddenly she was up against the parapet, Zak’s arms around her like bands of iron, his mouth on hers in a punishing kiss, his body pressing up against her so tightly she could barely breathe.

And it was glorious.

Heat surged through her, making all her nerve endings tingle. Her arms had already wrapped themselves around his rigid muscles of their own accord, and she opened her mouth to his blissful assault, tangling her tongue with his as he ruthlessly explored her.

His hand was at the back of her neck, wrapped in her hair, pulling on it just hard enough to send erotic chills down her spine.

She moaned softly, her body begging for everything he’d promised her, and more.

He was already hard, as if the desire had been building in him so long that it only needed a second to surge through him. He rolled his hips on hers, grinding his shaft between her legs, hitting her sweet spot and making her whimper.

His mouth moved to her neck, kissing and biting and swirling his tongue over the bitten spots in almost-pain turned to pleasure.

“You’re mine,” he murmured in her ear. “My captive.”

And he swept her into his arms and headed for the stairs.

Chapter 20

Maddie had no idea how Zakerek managed to get her through the hatch and down the ladder while still doing amazing things to her with his mouth.

She didn’t care, either. It was like his touch flipped a switch inside her, and all she wanted was more of him.

She could feel him on the edge of losing control, and somehow that just made everything hotter. Once they were in the elevator, he had her up against the wall again, one hand holding her locked wrists above her head, the other ripping her shirt open, buttons scattering across the floor.

While his mouth moved down her neck, alternating kisses and tiny bites, his hand was up underneath her bra, hot on her breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers and shooting heat lightning down to her core.

He followed the lightning, undoing her jeans and shoving his hand down the front of them, his fingers finding her slit and stroking it.

Oh, God, she wanted more.

The elevator doors opened and they stumbled to the bed, tearing at each other’s clothes, oblivious to everything but the wild heat between them.

When they got to the bed he lifted the remains of her shirt and bra over her head and shoved her jeans down her hips. She got his partway down before he picked her up and tossed her on the bed, pulling the rest of her clothes off and throwing them aside.