Page 86 of Split or Swallow

Leo stood unsteadily, grasping the table for balance. Tem had never seen him drunk like this before, and she hated the sight.

Tem jerked her head at the hourglass. “Are you going to turn that over?”

Leo tapped a single finger on the sculpted metal.

“If I turn it over, will you take off that dress?”

Maybe it was her anger at Vera. Maybe it was the way Caspen had cut off their connection without consulting her. Or maybe it was the realization that Tem couldn’t control even the smallest thing in her life right now. Either way, Tem had had enough.

“You can’t just have whatever you want,” she snapped.

Leo’s face slid into a smile as he saw he had finally forced a reaction from her.

“Maybe not,” he said quietly. “But I can certainly imagine whatever I want,” his eyes traveled slowly down her body as he stepped toward her. “Whenever I want it.”

By the look on Leo’s face, Tem knew exactly what he was imagining. She felt herself blushing, and forced herself to suppress it. Why shouldn’t he picture what he’d never have?

“Imagine all you want,” she said. “I’m not taking off this dress.”

The corner of his mouth twitched.

“Yet,” he whispered.

He was standing so close Tem could count his eyelashes. He had a tiny scar on the bottom of his chin. She could smell his cologne, which was rich and musky, like cigars smoked outside during summer.

She expected him to try to kiss her, but he didn’t. Instead he just stood there, far too close, watching her.

“You know,” he said, his voice barely a murmur. “You can imagine whatever you want, too.”

She should punch him in the face. But Tem was finding it hard to think straight—finding it hard to remember why she was resisting him in the first place.

“I don’t want anything from you,” she said.

Leo smiled, as if he knew it was not quite the truth.

“So, so difficult.”

“You like it.”

Leo looked her straight in the eye.

“I do. But that doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate it forever.”

“Excuse me?”

“I have to eliminate two girls tonight, Tem. Why shouldn’t I eliminate you?”

“Because you’d never see me again.”

He shrugged.

“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. I’m getting a little tired of my cock being permanently hard whenever you’re around.”

Tem’s mouth fell open. Leo chuckled softly.

“Don’t tell me that surprises you.”

Tem didn’t know what to say. Leo placed one hand on the door behind her head. He leaned in, whispering his next words right into her ear: