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He paced the living room for a second, his hand rubbing across his jawline before he met my gaze. “To check in.”
“A text would have sufficed.”
“But a text can conceal a lie. A look can’t.” He scanned my face with his intelligent eyes, like his brain was a supercomputer that could pick up every finite detail. “I apologize if my behavior frightened you.”
“Frightened me?” I asked incredulously. “You disgusted me. You stomped on some guy’s head until there was nothing left. And I’m the one responsible for it.”
“He’s the one who fucked with me, and he’s the only one responsible. All you did was confirm what I already knew. Whether you testified or not, I would have killed them.”
“Then why did you make me go through that?”
His eyes steadied before they shifted back and forth between mine. His look was subtle, but not subtle enough to hide the tiny glimmer of remorse. “So my men know that I’m always fair. I always do my research. And I always carry out a sentence that fits the crime. But you’re right. I shouldn’t have put you through that.”
My arms tightened over my chest.
“It won’t happen again.”
“You won’t make me testify?”
“No. But I’ll make sure you’re out of the building before I act.”
I looked away in disappointment. “I feel like one of your men.”
“You are one of my men.”
“I was okay with it up until now. I’m sentencing people like a judge.”
His eyes scanned my face again.
“I don’t want to be in that position again. And no, you can’t pay me more to change my mind.”
He gave a slight nod as he conceded. “I respect your wishes.”
“Thank you.” I rubbed my arms like I was cold, even though I kept my apartment at a toasty temperature. Without a man to warm my sheets and light my body on fire, the thermostat had to work a little harder.
After he stared at me for a while, he drew close, crossing the distance between us until he was right up against me. It was the closest he’d ever been, just inches away. His scent came into my nose, the smell of fresh snow on the cold ground.
I drew a slow breath, my body ice-cold but on fire at the same time.
He held his stance and stared, looking into my face like he was waiting for a sign.
“Are you going to kiss me?”
He stared for a long time. Let the silence linger like he thrived on tension. He had prominent cheekbones, a naturally stern face, a jawline my fingers ached to stroke, a little bit of stubble down his neck that looked coarse to the touch. “That was your chance to say no.” His hand slid into my hair and cupped the back of my neck before he pulled me to him, tilting his head so his lips could land against mine.
My actions were involuntary. My arms moved over his broad shoulders and circled his neck, and I arched my back just as his arm slipped around me to pull me close. His kiss was the perfect reflection of his personality. It was hard, domineering, almost oppressive because he took the lead in every way imaginable. His body had a lock on mine, the kind that didn’t have a key.
He was a good kisser.
I liked it.
Didn’t want it to end.
But…
It wasn’t right.
I had to pry myself away from him and pull back.
