my passion. Let’s just say it’s a hard limit,” she smiled innocently. “The cartel trusts me. I’m not quite sure why you don’t.”
“If you know I’m a psychopath stalker, you’ll shut that blog down. You’re endangering the lives of complete strangers. I don’t care if the cartel trusts you, I don’t. I see you as future trouble, and I don’t need problems in my line of work. You bring unnecessary drama to my life. That’s not a good thing, Page.”
“No way! The public needs to know those poor families are being forced to run drugs. They’re caught between the military and the cartel, and that’s what’s putting their lives in danger.”
He leaned in so close she could feel his breath on her skin. He smiled when her breath hitched in fear. “Then I guess you and I are going to be best friends,”—he hesitated before he finished— “with benefits.”
Page feverishly shook her head, “You can’t do that. You can’t just tell somebody they’re going to be your fuck buddy.”
He lifted the gun, holding it in his hand as he lightly brushed his thumb over her jawline, “I can, and I did.” He could feel his cock harden when he realized she was trembling.
There was something possessive in his touch—like he owned her. He had laid claim to her without her being aware she was his obsession. How long had he been watching her? She knew at that moment she wouldn’t be able to escape him. Giving up her blog was inconceivable to her. She would have to find a way to manipulate this man who held a grudge against her for the death of his friend. She hated the idea of him following her around, but anything was better than not being able to write. There was no way she was shutting her blog down. This guy was crazy, and the only way to fight crazy was with crazy
Chapter Eight
As quickly as he had appeared, Mano had disappeared. Page stayed awake as long as she could, but she was exhausted from the night before, so she only lasted about an hour.
She woke up the next morning with the sun streaming through the curtains and the bedroom chair empty. A false sense of security with a new day of promise. She was relieved Mano had left because she didn’t trust herself. It would be much easier to resist the man if he wasn’t so damn good looking. She had never felt chemistry with anyone. She could feel the atmosphere crackle with it when he was around. She wasn’t a virgin, but the few sexual experiences she’d had were dull at best. Just being in Mano’s presence made her feel like he was awakening something in her she never knew existed—an actual connection. He had a dominant personality that made her wonder what it would be like to be taken by him. He wore his cockiness like a cloak that fit him well, and he looked damn good in it. She was sure he was as secure in the bedroom as he was outside of it. Nothing like a man who knew his way around a woman’s body.
She got out of bed and dressed in shorts and a midriff tee-shirt. She could smell the coffee Judy had brewed, and it was calling her name. If she was going to face this day, it was going to take her drug of choice to get her through it.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” said a baritone voice, greeting her and sending a chill through her that had nothing to do with temperature.
“What are you doing here?!” Page’s voice came out like a cat hissing at a predator. She grabbed the cup Judy was holding out towards her so rapidly it almost spilled over the sides and onto her hand.
Judy’s eyes looked like she was pleading, “We’ve had a wonderful conversation. Can’t you two just get along?”
“Well, it didn’t take long for you to join the enemy’s camp,” Page sneered.
Page sat at the table and glared at Mano. The humor in his eyes was evidence he was enjoying making Page’s life a living hell. “Did you even go home last night? Or do you just sleep in the trees like the predator you are?”
“Why do you two hate each other so much?” Judy sighed.
“Because he thinks he can come into my life and rob me of the one thing I love: writing. That makes him an immediate enemy. You know me, Judy: I will have