Page 27 of Bound By Blood

Carly’s nose wrinkled in disgust and denial. “That’s because you don’t think I can take care of myself. You think I’m some fragile girl who hasn’t seen how dark and deadly the world can really get.” She took a threatening step toward him. “I assure you, I am not fragile, and I sure as hell am not some weak girl. I’ve seen darkness, asshole. I’ve lived it. You and your world do not scare me, no matter what you say and how much you threaten me with it.”

Landon tipped back his head and laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Right. You claim you are not weak or fragile, and yet, you didn’t do shit to stop me that night in the alley. You were easy pickings for a vampire like me, and there are vampires who are worse than I am about their prey. You would never survive, and I will not be responsible for your death. Until you can admit that you can’t do this alone, that you can’t face my world alone, you need to stay the fuck away from me.”

She ground her teeth, counting backward in her head to calm herself down. When she was finished, she said, “So, instead of preparing me for it, you go sleep with some random girl? Why?”

In a flash, Landon crossed the distance and grabbed her jaw roughly. He slammed her against the side of the building, the brick dragging against her shoulders. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but it was enough to show her how easily she could be caught off guard.

He ground himself against her, his erection pressing to her core, and a soft moan escaped her lips. “You think I want to sleep with her?” he growled. “Do you think I like the smell of silicone? The only reason I’m here with her is to fucking distract myself from you. You . . .” His gaze flicked over her face. “You plague my every fucking thought, and I can’t fucking breathe. I can’t fucking stand it.”

His eyes darkened when her breath hitched in her throat. She swallowed thickly, at a loss for words. He continued, “I should have killed you when I had the chance. Maybe then I would be able to sleep at night.” He released her neck and took a step back.

She could still feel the heat from where he touched her, even with the space between them. She swallowed again, partially because of his words and partially because his touch twisted her insides.

She took a shaky breath before saying, “But you didn’t. You couldn’t. Don’t you want to know why? Don’t you want to know why we’re drawn to each other? Because I assure you, you plague my thoughts too.” She refused to tell him how much. Doing so would make her more vulnerable than she wanted to seem.

He threw his arms up. “Of course I want to know why, Carly!” He dropped his arms back to his sides and clenched his fists. “But I also want to live. If my father found out that I even knew about Kata, he’d kill me. It doesn’t matter that I am his only son. That’s what you don’t seem to understand. Or maybe you do, and you just don’t fucking care, I don’t know. But until I can find another way for us to speak to Kata without my father learning about it, and you, the vampire is off limits.”

Carly shrugged a little. “So, if you found a way, you’d take me with you?” The threat of his father didn’t bother her.

Through his nose, he sighed in frustration. “That was always the intention.”

“Could have fooled me,” she murmured.

He continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “Whether I like it or not, our lives are intertwined. And we need to find a way to break it. The only one who can help us do that is Kata.”

She crossed her arms and shivered a little. Did he truly want to be rid of her so badly? The thought hurt more than she cared to admit. Now that he was in her life, she couldn’t fathom it only being temporary. She needed him like air. Why couldn’t he just feel the same?

“Fine,” she eventually whispered. She looked away from him and down the dark alley. It was almost too painful. She wouldn’t force him to want her. She wouldn’t beg. If he wanted to be rid of her so badly, whatever. “What’s the plan?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet,” he admitted softly. “I’ll let you know when I do. Until then, my date is waiting for me back at the bar.” She whipped her head back to him, but he was taking a step in her direction. Gently, he brushed his fingers down her cheek. “Just try to stay out of trouble until I figure it out.”

As he headed to the door, she uncrossed her arms in disbelief. “That’s it? You’re just going to fuck some girl?” Jealousy rose thick in her chest, threatening to choke her.

He looked over at her and cocked an eyebrow. “Would you rather I fuck you?” Fuck, yes. “I have to get you out of my mind somehow, Carly.”

Her chest heaved, the jealousy churning with anger. Her cheeks flushed with it.

He cocked his head to the side. “And that’s why you came here tonight too, isn’t it? To find some man to distract you with his fingers, with his tongue, and maybe his cock?”

With her nostrils flared, she looked down at her heels and whispered, “I was forced to come here because I could barely function.”

A beat passed where he said nothing. “Seems like we have that in common then.”

She returned his gaze, and damn it, tears were welling in her eyes. “Then why are we fighting it?”

He searched her face. “Honestly? I don’t know anymore.” His voice had gone low and husky, and he made no move to step further toward the door.

Her tongue darted out to lick the corner of her lips, and his eyes tracked the movement. Before she could overthink it, she crossed the distance between them. He didn’t move as she approached. She gathered herself to her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. With that one sensual touch, feelings blossomed throughout her body. Goosebumps rose over her skin, and her heart started skipping a different beat.

She pulled away, even though she didn’t want to, but she had something she wanted to say. “And if I said that I didn’t want you to fuck her?”

Landon’s eyes darkened to the point where his pupils took over his irises, and she shivered as his breath fanned across her face when he said, “Is that really what you want?”

“Yes.”

His body shuddered as he released another breath. “Fine. Then I won’t touch her.”

She let out a breath of air she hadn’t known she was holding. “Thank you.”