This Curse - By Alisha Basso Page 0,6

he asked, offering me his hand. I gawked at him. He acted as though he hadn’t just tossed a full-grown woman onto her ass. The woman seemed just as stunned and started to protest. Patrick sent her a chilling look and she backed away on all fours.

It was a very awkward to witness. She looked like a beaten dog in expensive eveningwear. I was numb with shock. Not only for her appalling prejudice, but for the way he had handled it.

I offered him my hand without thinking. His skin was hot and I instinctively jerked, his strong fingers tightened as he led me to the floor. A small signal to the DJ changed the music to a much slower rhythm. He spun me into his firm embrace and swept me across the floor with the music. His body guided mine effortlessly and I sneered. Patrick was a damn fine dancer.

He bent close; pressing his mouth close to my ear, I felt his breath hot on my neck. “I must apologize for Olivia.” He whispered. “Sadly she will never apologize for herself. She has a big mouth and a small brain.”

“Then why do you put up with her?” I pulled away, frowning.

“She is my newest,” he shrugged. “And I must admit that the only thing she seems to have going for her is her body. I like curves on my women. A man doesn’t like to slam into a pile of sharp bones.” He grinned, winking playfully.

“Oh, how beautiful,” I drawled. “Tell me, is it always about sex?” he dipped me backward, arching my body low and then he spun me around, flying across the floor. We were dancing to music from another time and no one seemed to care or even take offense.

Patrick pressed me close, his face buried in my hair. I pulled back, “Are you going to answer me?” I arched a brow.

He smirked, “no, it’s not always sex. Sometimes it’s the hunt.” He pulled me close to his body again; his powerful arms held me like a vice. I sucked in a startled breath, adrenaline raced into my veins. “She made a mistake tonight,” he continued as he turned me in a tight circle. “Now the hunt begins. I confess I had high hopes for her. She should have lasted longer. My judgment must be suffering.” He shook his head, “but then there have been so many distractions lately.”

“Distractions?” I breathed.

He stopped dead in the middle of the dance floor examining my face. His dark brows drew together in a frown. His full lips were pressed into a hard line. He moved his face toward my hair again, inhaling deeply. His rough stubble scraped my skin as he sniffed along my neck. “You of all people should know that life is not always nice.” He looked at me again, his eyes narrowed, “You of all people know the truth of our world.” He gripped my upper arms. “What are you doing here, Grace?” he growled.

The jig was up.

I jerked backward, angry and annoyed that I had screwed something up with my disguise. “How?”

He smiled and pulled me close to his body again. I felt like a rag doll. He was taking pleasure from manhandling me and it was pissing me off.

“You changed your appearance, Grace, but your scent. You failed to change your scent.” As if to punctuate his words, he breathed deeply. “I barely caught it as you moved closer to me, so eager, sweet Grace. Tell me, why go to the trouble to change your face and not your scent? Did you wish to be found out? Do you like to dance with death?”

I stiffened, “Oh, buddy, you forget what I am. With no more than a thought I could zap your ass into that beer bottle, so watch it!”

He chuckled, “but you won’t. I haven’t hurt you, yet, and you will not lash out unless you’re and inch from death. No Grace, I haven’t forgotten what you are, in fact that knowledge is what makes me so sure you won’t hurt me. You’re too good.”

“Now hold on!” I pushed a finger into his chest. “You may not have laid a finger on me, but you’ve sure as hell killed people! You may think that killing those girls was a neat way to get my attention, and I’ll admit, you have my attention. But Patrick, if you plan on hurting that woman, then you’ll see my dark side. She insulted me, yes, but that does