Page 157 of Hellbound

She listened to his receding footfall before she hastily plunged her hand into the frigid trickling fountain in the corner. Anything to scrub the taint of his flesh from hers.

She rubbed it raw with the hem of her opposite sleeve.

“Perimeter check.” Bohdan’s breath puffed in the cold. She hadn’t heard him approach.

She stiffened, then rolled her shoulders. “Nothing unusual here.”

He hummed and turned to face her, studying her. The garden felt considerably smaller.

“So, the killer didn’t show.” He may as well have been commenting on the weather.

“I’d prefer it to stay an uneventful evening.” She kept her gaze on the tree line beyond, anything to keep from meeting his eyes.

“Valdren seemed to have a productive one.” His tone was lilting. Amused.

She gritted her teeth. “He was drunk. He’ll forget.”

She would make sure of it.

“He kissed your hand.”

“Is there a need to remind me?” She cut a sidelong glare at him.

The corner of his mouth tilted. “Did you prefer mine?” The question was soft, but it cut like a blade.

Her jaw tightened.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Her tongue found the back of her teeth. “One was unwanted. The other was performance.”

“Is that so?” His head tilted, body leaning in close.

She refused to move. Refused to give up precious ground.

“I don’t believe you.” His voice was soft, dangerous, as he grasped the iron filigree spikes on the fence by her side.

“Why would I care either way.”

He hummed, silk over steel. “You have a tell when you lie.”

Her mind blanked.

“Your jaw squares, just a little.” His lambskin-gloved hand reached up slowly.

She couldn’t stop him. Not without confirming everything he said.

“Just slightly.” He traced the underside of her jaw to the point of her chin. “Like you’re holding something back with your teeth.”

But she had to say something to defend herself.

Her heart hammered like an animal willing to gnaw its own leg off to escape.

“So then, it was a lie.” His eyes roved over her face, with the patience of someone who knew the answer and wanted to torture her.

Her stomach lurched, like taking a step in the dark and missing completely. It settled into a disturbing heat that radiated from her chest, outward and upward until it consumed her throat, her face.

“You prefer me.”

Shhhhk.