“Don’t kill any of them.”
The voice echoes through the space like thunder. My heart stops for a split second, then starts pounding like it never has before. I tell myself it’s the drug.
Tony releases me, and I collapse to the floor. Everyone’s eyes are fixed on the man standing in the doorway. I can see fear etched across their faces. That’s the effect Prince Matleon has on people.
His men flood the restroom, delivering brutal beatings to the bastards. I watch everything unfold, keeping my gaze away from the man at the door, whose eyes remain fixed on me.
He is so tall and broad, his frame occupying almost the entire doorway. He hasn’t stepped inside, yet the restroom feels smaller, the air almost stolen from it. I’m suffocating. Around me are the cries of men, but all I can hear is the relentless thump of my own heartbeat.
The mere presence of this man makes the effect of the drug intensify.
His men drag the badly beaten fuckers out of the restroom, leaving only him and me.
He comes closer to me with slow, steady steps. I clench my jaw, still not looking at him. He bends down and picks me up without saying a single word. I keep my face turned away, but his warmth and scent engulf me, worsening my condition. I clench my fists, nails digging into my palms, the pain helping me stay sane, keeping me from giving in to the physical urge to wrap myself around this man I hate the most and beg him to help me.
He carries me to a black car, sets me on the back seat, and closes the door. I roll down the window, hoping for some relief, my head spinning badly. I rub my thighs together, almost moaning and crying from the mixture of pleasure and ache.
I force myself to sit still when he opens the door on the other side and sits beside me.
“Here.” He extends his hand, two pills resting on his large palm.
I take the pills, my fingers curling around them on his hard, rough skin. I want these hands on me. The drug is messing with my head badly. There’s no chance in this life I’d ever want this man to do anything like that to me if it weren’t for this fucked-up state, where all I can think about is having this unbearable ache taken care of.
“I want—” I bite my tongue to stop myself from saying you.
“Water,” I manage to say through labored breaths.
He hands me a bottle. I open it and swallow the pills, then return the bottle. My eyes wander over his relaxed posture, his elbow is resting on the windowsill, head leaning on his knuckles, his gaze fixed on me. I don’t try to decipher his complex expression—it changes anyway. Now, he’s smirking.
“You want me to help you?”
I narrow my eyes. “What gave you this wrong idea?” I say, my voice sounding nothing like my own.
My heart rate has calmed a bit, my breathing easing. The effect of the drug is fading, now, I just desperately want the ache between my thighs to subside quickly.
“The way you’re checking me out is too obvious,” he replies.
I roll my eyes and turn toward the window. The car started moving after I took the medicine; we’re on the highway now. The cool night air fans my face, easing the discomfort. I lean closer to it, inhaling deeply.
“Thanks for today,” I mutter, not looking at him. I hate looking at his face, or at him.
“Who are you thanking?”
“You.”
“Then do it while looking at me. I don’t accept Wi-Fi thanks.”
I close my eyes, ignoring him. Bitter memories tied to the man sitting so close overwhelm me, his scent of myrrh and incense smoke filling my senses. I want to bury those memories, but in his presence, they refuse to stay hidden, scorching my already burned heart againand again.
Epilogue (Obsession He Craves)
Alexander
I watch the images on my light screen. For how long can a person’s mistake haunt him, reminding him that he fucked up once? Ask me.
It’s been almost nine years since she ran away during childbirth. I didn’t bother spending much time finding her, because Abigail had always had a soft spot for that child. She wanted to give her a chance, for the baby’s sake.
And what does she do with that chance? She hires some local goons and tries to attack my daughter. My four-year-old princess.
