in a hoarse whis

imple in his cheek. He crossed his legs and rested a hand on his k

in

in front of

e a ton of bricks and I moved back as far as I could go into t

shook my h

s obviously amused. "Oh, yes," he drawled as

o be kidding

ve to be him

ude myself that this had to be

is hair, brushing back a few loose strands th

in his langu

ld be behaving in fro

iou

it! I wouldn't owe anyone working in the royal branch of the federal government. A lot of them were c

n court a few times, ripping cl

e, and I thought I had finally achieved inner pea

en know about this? Or had he been keeping tabs on me? Wh

your predicament. Imagine my surprise upon learning of your demise. The poor thing sold out by her own enterprise." He returned the pack into a compartment besi

smoke, and this bastard knew it too. This wasn't the fir

and in this? Then he

e smell reached me, clogging my nostrils for a good three seconds. I would have swiped at my nose if I could, but my han

the h

e dissipated. I grimaced. That could have been open since the mom

grin as though he had read my

extended his ci

t him. "I ha

I wanted to add but d

want to have any hope. That was dead with

ain at my rejection a

all the way and dump me outside the city. I can fi

s stare as the smile remained on hi

d feeling about th

it, hadn't he called himse

but I possibly couldn't see what he would need

rked, his dimple deepening. "You really expect me

me?" I gritted out and then forced a tight smile. "Isn't it ironic to

you very, very, much," he said slowly and in a taunt

had always gotten on my nerves. He had been using that to

tting furiou

me?" I

s cigar with the forefinger. His smile w

on forgetting it. I smiled, rememberin

federal dog, along with how I licked the

his eyes held a sort of depth that I couldn't look away from. He wa

as he tugged at the metal clasps that were my restraints an

e owned by the federal