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“Fuck you! Just get off me!”
When Reggie tried to shove his hand under my dress, something happened; his body jerked away like he was a ragdoll, the scene straight out of an action movie. Then I realized what was going on. The mysterious, sexy man I’d seen before had kicked in the door. He’d tossed my date against the wall, one massive hand now curled around Reggie’s throat. In the other he held a big, fat knife that put the one I was carrying to shame.
I jerked up, doing everything I could to catch my breath. The moment was surreal, some unknown hero bursting into a room and eliminating the monster. Except who the hell was this guy? I slid off the bed, moving away from them by several feet, the cold chill still coursing through me like a blast of Antarctic air.
Even my father’s soldiers weren’t as strong as this… hero. Several strange sensations pulsed through me as the savior slammed Reggie’s body twice more. I was surprised my attacker wasn’t broken into several pieces by now.
For the first time in probably my entire life, I had no idea what to say. I remained frozen, the scene unfolding in front of me as if watching the delicious movie, rooting for… which one was the bad guy in this situation? Then I heard a growl, one so deep and husky that a tingle of excitement coursed through every muscle in my body. My mouth was suddenly dry, my nipples more sensitive than they’d been before.
Whoever my savior was, I had to say he was without a doubt the best-looking man I’d ever laid eyes on, especially up close. The light from the other room hadn’t done him justice. He was magazine gorgeous, romance cover perfection. He was dreamy, the kind of perfect rogue male who fulfilled fantasies. Suddenly, I couldn’t care less what he had planned to do with Reggie. In fact, I might give him some ideas of my own.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s not nice to try and take advantage of a helpless girl?” the hulking mass of a man asked, his deep voice like taking a bite of my favorite sinfully dark truffle, sending a pulsing wave of vibrations sweeping through me. However, the look in his eyes was nothing but a serial killer on steroids.
I was able to blink away the haze from listening to his voice. When my mind finally started working again, I was instantly incensed.
Helpless. Did he just call me helpless?
He obviously had no idea who I was. The one thing my father had insisted on was teaching me how to handle weapons. I could shoot a peanut shell off a traitor’s head at two hundred yards away. Okay, so maybe I was exaggerating a little, but I certainly wasn’t helpless.
“Who the fuck are you?” Reggie demanded, snarling as he pummeled his fists against the stranger’s chest. It was like good ole Reggie was hitting a brick wall, agony bursting across his face with every hit.
“Do you really want to know?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m your worst nightmare.” The stranger shoved the tip of his blade under Reggie’s neck, twisting and turning it until my date whimpered like a little boy. “It’s time I teach you a lesson, one I hope you’ll never forget.”
“Please. Please! I was only having fun!”
“Fun?” the hero barked. “Picking on a beautiful woman isn’t fun, but I’m happy to show you exactly what true entertainment really is.” He took a few seconds, sliding the tip all the way down Reggie’s chest to his groin then rolling it back again, sliding the tip against Reggie’s jugular. “I like to carve things.”
Holy crap. The man should be in the movies. Even I was terrified. What if he was serious? What if… No, that couldn’t happen. I dared to take a few steps closer. Suddenly, a whiff of the mystery man’s aftershave rushed into my system, heating my core.
At least Reggie was terrified, his face turning bright red. The guy appeared to be serious. It was obvious he was well trained, almost as much so as the men my father employed. A tiny prickling of fear remained furrowing in the back of my mind. Had this man been sent here for something other than the party?
My father had warned me there were always enemies waiting for the right moment, a single weakness in order to attack. While I’d heard stories, horrors of battles, blood pooled in restaurants and barber shops, and lives destroyed by evil and greed, the only time I’d ever been a witness to any such tragedies had been the one time on my birthday. Other than that, always protected. Always watched.
But not now.
The gorgeous stranger threw me another look, sinister and reeking of the violence he desired. The wafting scent of his masculinity rushed into my senses, deep forests and exotic spices mixed with a generous helping of danger. Every time he spoke, the gruffness of his voice floated over me, lulling me into a crazy moment of security. He wasn’t screaming. He wasn’t overt in most of his actions, but the quietness about his threats was more terrifying than the bastards who enjoyed the sound of their own voice.
My throat was tight, so much so I rubbed my hand across it, a weakness he noticed, his nostrils flaring. I’d given away my unbridled attraction to him, the hard thumping of my pulse, the intense fluttering of my heart. I forced myself to look away, but not before I caught the stranger’s drifting gaze as he undressed me with his eyes. Instead of feeling repulsed, I reveled in the tingles dancing all the way down the length of my body.
“Please. Please! Don’t torture me,” Reggie continued to whine. I couldn’t help but notice that his entire body was shaking. A part of me was thrilled the asshole was getting a taste of his own medicine.
“My methods of torture are reserved for those who have the strength to put up a fight. You’re not that man. Let’s just call this providing motivation,” the stranger said as he grinned. I noticed his angular jaw and high cheekbones, longing to bask in the hard piercing of his eyes.
What was wrong with me that I found a violent man so attractive?
“I always wanted to be a motivational speaker. Let’s see how I do and what I need to work on,” he continued with a throaty, sensual chuckle.
When he laughed, the sound was raw, pure evil. He was in total control, enjoying tormenting Reggie with his own technique. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind I had to make this stop.
“Just let him go,” I said gruffly. Nothing good would come out of this.
The stranger slowly turned his head in my direction, his upper lip curling, his heated gaze like the blast of a furnace. He exuded danger and darkness as well as more sensuality than any man deserved. He was much larger than I’d originally thought, at least six foot three, his muscles straining against the tight confines of his suit. He was even more mesmerizing up close, his intense eyes piercing mine, only his were the hardest, cruelest eyes I’d ever seen. His expression was just as powerful, the look on his face creating tremors.
I wasn’t exactly afraid of him. I was in awe, my body’s reaction just like before at the bar. A sense of knowing passed through me, although that was impossible. Did I know him from somewhere? I’d remember someone like him.
