Play with the Phantom (Midnight, #2)

by Amanda Richardson

“Tell me,” I murmur, stepping even closer, our bodies nearly flush. “Tell me that you don’t want me, right here, right now, and I’ll step back and watch you walk away.” Her breath hitches. I reach up, brushing my knuckles along the side of her throat, feeling her pulse jackrabbit. She’s so responsive to my touch. Always has been. It’s addictive, watching the way she reacts under my scrutiny. I’ll never get enough of it. “Tell me, Ari,” I whisper. “I’ll give you as much time as you need. I’ll stop the letters, the texts. I’ll wait. Because while it’s fun to toy with you, I want you to be all in. I need you to be. Because I am. I want this, and you, forever. I decided before I even met you. So…” I arch a brow, waiting. “That’s not fair,” she whispers, eyes flicking between mine. “You, standing here, looking like…” She swallows, her delicate throat bobbing. “Like I said, I’m not a patient man,” I tell her, my voice a dark purr. “But I don’t do halfway,” I finish, my voice low, steady. “If you want safety, if you want easy—you already had that. With me? It’s every ugly and real thing. It’s chaos and passion. It’s heavy, but it’s real. I want all of you, and not just the polite or palatable parts. I want every breath, every bruise, every broken piece you try to hide. I want it all.” I pause, my thumb brushing her pulse again, savoring the frantic beat beneath her skin. Just knowing my words are having an effect on her… “I’ll wait,” I murmur, softer now, but no less certain. “Bu...