With my decision firm, and my weaker instincts locked away, I slide out from under his arm, making sure not to wake him. The wooden floor is cool beneath my bare feet as I crouch to gather my clothes. My hands quiver, betraying the calm I’mtrying to hold on to as I gather myself. Still, I manage to get dressed and run a hand through my hair when his gravelly, sleep-heavy voice slices through me.
“Anna.”
I don’t turn to look at him. “Go back to sleep. I’ll see myself out.”
I can feel his eyes on me as I bend to slip on my heels. “You’re leaving already?”
“Yes.”
“Stay.” He speaks in a voice that makes it clear it isn’t a question; it’s a command.
My heart stutters, but I force myself to turn and make it clear that we’re done. “It was one night, Landon. That’s all.”
He pushes up against the headboard, the white sheets pooling at his waist, sunlight spilling over the breadth of his shoulders. “That’s all?”
“Yes.” My voice doesn’t waver, but my stomach does.
For a moment, he just stares at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. Then, almost too casually, he says, “Let me make you breakfast.”
I shake my head. “We don’t need to make this beautiful.”
His lips twitch, not in amusement but in restrained anger. “It doesn’t have to be ugly either.”
“I really need to go.” I gather my courage, telling myself that I just can’t let last night become something more, no matter how much he begs.
He throws the blanket aside and rises to his feet in all his naked glory, making my pulse falter, but he doesn’t close the distance between us. Instead, he pulls on his sweats, something I’m secretly grateful for.
“So that’s it?” he asks. “You’ve made up your mind and won’t even give us a chance? After everything, after last night, you’re just walking away as if it meant nothing?”
“When you signed those divorce papers, Landon, something in me shattered. A part of me stopped believing in chances.” My throat burns, and I add, “I have stopped trusting you.”
His eyes narrow, hurt flashing in them. “So I have to live forever with one mistake? Is this your way of punishing me?”
“This isn’t punishment. This is my way of protecting myself from you.”
That’s all it takes for him to close the distance between us. He pushes me against the wall, his both hands bracing on either side of my head, caging me in.
“I can accept that trusting me is hard. But don’t you dare tell me you don’t feel a damn thing, and don’t you even think about saying last night didn’t touch a part of you that should’ve made you know we’re far from done,” he growls, his breath hot against my cheek.
Every nerve in my body sparks under the sheer force of him. My pulse hammers in my ears, begging me to give in. My lips part on instinct, my body betraying me as I lean in slightly into his warmth. But just then, self-preservation cuts sharply through the haze.
“Stop,” I say, my chest tight. “Don’t you dare tell me what I feel. Last night didn’t change a damn thing.”
He leans in, his mouth hovering a breath away from mine. “Bullshit.”
I shove at his chest, and he stumbles back a step. My heart claws against my ribcage, but I force my voice to remain steady. “Believe whatever helps you sleep at night. But this…” I gesture between us. “It’s over.”
Not wanting to prolong the torture, I turn to pull the door open but his voice stops me. But I don’t turn.
“Anna, don’t forget you’re mine,” he says, each word laced with determination. “You always were. And even if you walk through that door, you’ll still be mine.”
“I’m over you, Landon.” I say as my fingers tighten around the doorknob, my knuckles aching. And the ache only intensifies when he’s behind me, so close I can feel his heat from his body crawl up my spine. I squeeze my eyes shut, my whole body trembling with the urge to turn back.
“You can hate, and swear you’re over me, but I’ve seen the way your pulse races when I’m close to you. Deny it all you want, sweetheart, but your body remembers what your pride refuses to admit,” he breathes before his hand clamps onto my waist and spins me into him. His mouth crashes against mine, desperate and possessive, his fist tangling in my hair, stealing the air from my lungs.
I tear myself away, tears burning my eyes as my palm cracks across his face before I even realize I’ve raised my hand. He doesn’t say a word, but I do.
“You can’t keep doing this,” I cry out.
