bright eyes, at the dark powder she had streaked across them that resembled a mask. Perhaps it was one, a method of concealing her identity, but that didn’t feel quite right to him. It struck him that her reason for wearing it was psychological. The makeup was more like a shield for her—a method of protecting herself. Did she wear it to make herself appear more imposing to others? Or was it because it brought out the gold in her eyes when they glowed, giving her a dangerous vibe?
Or perhaps it was a dash of everything, including his first thought—that she wanted to hide who she was.
“I will not ask what you are if you tell me your name.” He held back his smile as she frowned at him.
“Why?” She slowly raked her gaze down him, pretending to be curious about him too, when she was blatantly anticipating his next move.
Or sizing him up for hers.
“Because you want to remember it when you kill me?” She launched at him and they tangled again, and again he pulled his punches, couldn’t quite bring himself to hurt her. She grabbed him by the front of his jacket and snarled in his face, “Newsflash, buddy, I’ll be the one killing you.”
“I only asked because I like to know the names of my enemies.” Although, her threat to kill him did have the fire she ignited in him blazing hotter. He blamed the darkness. It was trying to steal control and that part of him always took pleasure from pain, from violence.
Hartt managed to get hold of her again.
She kneed him hard between his legs.
He grimaced as pain shot through him, but didn’t double over or grunt in agony, something which made her look most dissatisfied.
When she tried to strike him while he was recovering, he grabbed her arm and twisted her, shoved her away from him and almost sent her toppling down the side of the mountain. She skidded on the snow as she leaned backwards, fighting for balance and to stop herself pitching forwards into a roll down the mountain. A muttered ripe curse burst from her lips as she landed on her backside in a deep patch of fresh powder that covered her lower half. She was on her feet again a heartbeat later and storming towards him, kicking snow in all directions as the wind whipped her scarlet hair around her face and her eyes flashed like fire.
“If I beat you, you will tell me your name.” He was done giving her a choice in the matter.
She launched at him, but he was ready for her, took the blow to the chest and reared back so she leaned forwards. Tipping them both off balance. He hooked his right leg around hers, seized her upper arms and twisted with her.
She landed hard in the snow, all stunning blood-red against white that roused his hunger to bite her again.
Hartt landed on top of her, was quick to shift his legs so he sat astride her hips and seize hold of her shoulders to pin her.
Admiration shot through him as she still didn’t give up. Even with his full weight on her, she struggled like a wild thing, kicking and clawing, forcing him to pin her harder. He shifted his feet, hooking them over her shins to stop her from kneeing him in the back. A mistake. She bucked against him instead, rubbing him in a way that had the temperature of his blood soaring to that of the sun.
Sweet gods.
She was temptation incarnate, driving him mad, all sinful curves and fire he knew would only scorch him if he got too close to her. It was impossible to concentrate as she writhed beneath him, rousing hungers he shouldn’t be feeling, needs that were seemingly beyond his control.
The wind howled across them, flecked her hair with snow that was a stark contrast to the flames that flickered in her irises, a blaze that snared him and had him moving before he was aware of what he was doing.
He caught her wrists, stopping her from battering him, and leaned over her, pinning them to the ground above her head.
Bringing them closer together.
“Give up and give me your name. I will let you go if you do.” He didn’t feel the cold bite of the wind as he stared down at her, as he pressed closer to her.
She stilled, her eyes enormous now.
She didn’t believe him. It was right there in those striking eyes of