Corrupt Vows （Preview）
Nico Russo
“Am I that gross?” I ask.
She stiffens as confusion creases her brow.
“What?”
I flick a glance down her body before staring into her gorgeous brown orbs.
“You keep wiping your hands like I’m dirty. Are you afraid you’ll catch something if you get too close?”
I try to keep the aggravation out of my tone, but it leaks through in the lower registers and emerges as an angry rumble.
“No, that’s not—”
I crowd her against the wall. The fear in her eyes feeds the beast in my soul.
“You should be. I am dirty. Dirtier than a piccola principessa like you could ever handle, so don’t touch me unless you’re ready to get filthy. Capisci, little girl?”
Her audible swallow pulls my gaze to her throat. My heart pounds against my sternum and heat pulses at the base of my spine as I study the frantic beat of her pulse along the delicate column of her throat.
She doesn’t balk at my condescending tone or bristle at my insulting choice of words. Instead, she squares her shoulders and meets my stare.
“I understand, so go wait in the foyer.”
The strength in her voice astounds me. With a few simple words, she wrecks every preconceived notion I have of her.
She’s no longer the shy little girl running around in pigtails, nor is she a fragile trophy to break and consume.
She’s an obsession.
One I can never have.