Page 26 of Hunt Me

Well, I suppose that’s fair. I’m not used to secrets in my culture and my community, but in spite of his fluent ASL, it’s obvious he’s not part of it. And everyone is entitled to their own business, even if it kills me because I want to know every single thing about him.

I take a breath, then slide half a step away from him, and his frown deepens as he watches. His eyes flick down to my hands, rising up as I lift them to say, ‘You left me. Ass out. Waiting. You didn’t come back.’

‘I know.’

My jaw clenches. ‘Why?’

He tilts his head slightly. ‘I had good reason.’

I purse my lips, and his eyes flick down to them. The air thickens. I feel that heat well up inside of me. It isn’t anger at all. It’s lust. Pure, unrestrained, impossible to mistake.

‘Reason?’ I ask, my brows lowered. ‘Another secret?’

He takes a step closer, his chest nearly brushing mine. Oh, fuck. ‘Cat,’ he says and then adds, ‘Sick.’

My eyes widen. ‘The one you caught?’

He nods, and my shoulders slump.

‘They okay?’

He shrugs. ‘Maybe. See-see.’

Shit, that’s not good. I reach out and graze my fingers against Arhe’s sternum, my hand then landing flat on his chest. His body trembles at the touch, but he doesn’t pull away. Heturns his head down, tipping it to the side like he’s basking in the feeling of my hand on him.

It’s then that I notice he has earplugs that look a lot like hearing aid molds in his ears. They’re very thick and probably block out most, if not all, sound.

‘Loud?’ I ask, and he nods as his gaze flickers back to mine.

‘Don’t like loud. Hurts.’ He grimaces with the sign.

My hand slips away from him, but he reaches out, hesitates a moment, and then pulls my palm back to his chest. His heart beats steadily under my hand, but the air between us is anything but that.

It’s thick, hot. Unbreathable.

Nearly unbearable.

I inhale deeply, my lungs expanding, and then his fingers curl into mine, and he tugs me forward. We’re centimeters apart. His breath ghosts over my lips, and his chest trembles against mine with his heavy exhale.

One of his hands threads into my hair and tugs gently, forcing my head back, exposing my neck. His nose runs along my collarbone, inhaling me. And then I feel the scrape of his teeth against my Adam’s apple.

I let out a soft moan, and his hand clenches around mine. He still hasn’t let go.

I don’t think I want him to. My resolve not to bend over for the man who left me vulnerable and alone in the cemetery has crumbled to dust at a single touch. There’s something about him I can’t resist, and I find myself pushing into his grasp, tilting my head more so he can taste the sweat on my neck.

His teeth sink deeper into my throat, almost like he’s trying to consume me, and pain erupts under my skin.

He must hear the small sound I make in protest, and he releases his bite. He doesn’t let me move though. His hand stays tight in my hair, keeping my neck vulnerable to him, and hiseyes aren’t on mine. They’re locked on my neck, where he must have left a mark, and he looks hungry.

Then he leans down, and his tongue is there, laving against the bite, making my entire body shiver.

Fuck, I don’t know why I like that so much.

He moves up my neck to my chin and cheek, and his warm breath hits my skin until he’s hovering right over my ear. His teeth scrape against the lobe, and as he bites down, a rough gasp escapes me.

He pulls back and loosens his hand in my hair, allowing my eyes to meet his. The black of his pupils consumes almost all of his irises, and I’m sure mine are the same.

His tongue peeks out, wetting his lips, and then he reaches up and brushes a thumb across my mouth.