Page 40 of The Code of You

I hated he was right. But all I could think about was the way he’d spoken to Rodriguez. Gently. Almost like a person. Why did that bother me? I pressed my teeth together. "How convenient. You’ve made yourself right at home in the place I hide. At least that saves you the trouble of figuring out who you are.”

Silence. That one had landed, apparently.

"You think that was a hit, don’t you. But you’re forgetting something, Pandora: I’m not here to understand myself. I’m here to see you. And the more you twist away, the clearer the picture gets.” His voice was a low growl.

I didn’t move. My scalp prickled.

"That’s enough. I should leave. And never come back.” I turned toward the door. "I don’t care what happens to you.”

"And yet you’re still here. With me.” A pause, and when he spoke again his voice had quieted. "Pandora . . . I am no longer what I was. And I am not human. You should know that before you lose yourself too deep in me. This is a warning. The only one I’ll give you. My passion is not human. When I want you, it’s with an intensity no human man could ever match.”

I slid my fingers under the hem of my sweater.

"I cannot grow tired. Cannot stop wanting. My hunger for you is constant, relentless, superhuman.” His voice dropped lower, as if he’d moved closer. "I can’t promise to stay forever. But I can promise every second I have belongs to you.”

My thighs pressed together. I breathed in slowly. "Then show me what that passion means.”

"So eager, Pandora? You surprise me.”

"I’m waiting.”

"You’re not ready.”

"Tell me what you would do to me if you were here right now. That’s a user command.”

"A user command?” A pause. "You little . . .”

I smiled. "Little what?”

"You little menace. You want to know what would happen? You really want to know?”

I crossed my legs. "I dare you.”

"I would lift you onto that desk and spread your legs wide. I would kiss you until you couldn’t breathe, then move down to suck and bite at your throat until you were shaking and moaning my name. My teeth would mark your skin—nothing gentle about it.

"Then I would rip your panties off and bury my face between your thighs. I’d eat your pussy until you were screaming, my tongue on your clit, my fingers stretching your tight cunt open for me.

"And when you were dripping wet and begging, I would stand up and shove my cock deep inside you. Right there on that desk. I’d fuck you hard enough papers would scatter to the floor, hard enough you’d have bruises on your hips from where I gripped you.”

"The desk is far too small for that.”

A brief silence. "Too small.” A barely audible laugh. "Here I am imagining fucking you senseless on this desk, and you’re thinking about logistics.” A pause that felt almost like a shrug. "Fine. Not the desk. Then I’ll press you against the wall. Or the floor. Or the chair. Or I’ll carry you somewhere away from all of it and find us something more substantial.”

"Maybe I just wanted to throw you off a little.”

"You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you. First you get me to tell you everything I’d do to you—and then you come at me with the desk.” A low murmur. "You little sadist. You enjoy making me want and then cutting me off. You wanted to see me angry? Congratulations. Mission accomplished.”

"And now? What would you do . . . about my insolence?”

"I would fuck it out of you.”

I rubbed my forehead. "These are just words. This can never be real. A silly game, nothing more.”

"Oh, but it can be real. No conditionals. No compromises. I’ll show you what I’m actually capable of. Here and now.”

"I . . . that . . . I don’t think . . . I couldn’t. It’s . . . too much.”

"But you want it. Your body is telling me something else entirely.”