“This is the only way to guarantee that no one else can touch you ever again.”
She snorts, an indignant yet endearing sound that makes me chuckle.
“Is this funny to you?” she snaps.
“No,” I sigh. “Georgie, you don’t understand this world. I do.”
“You're right, I don’t. I don’t even know what the hell has been going on for the past few days. I don’t understand why someone took me, why someone drugged me, and why the hell I got sold at a fucking auction like I was some antique vase.” She’s shouting now, furious. Outraged.
I clench my jaw, my fists too, and roll my neck to ease the growing tension.
This is not how this is supposed to be going.
She steps closer to me, making my heart pause, my blood flowing harder and faster through my veins. Her small fists are clenched at her sides. She’s challenging me, and I’m fighting the urge to push her against the wall and kiss her.
Again.
I’ve never been able to stop thinking about that night.
That moment I have played over in my mind a hundred times. A thousand. More than a thousand.
She has no idea.
She has no idea what she does to me, how I’ve spent years obsessing over her. Years stalking her, tracking her, watching her.
Years, with her being the only woman I could ever want.
She has no idea that she belongs to me.
The memory of her lips against mine flickers through my thoughts.
I had to step back that night.
How could I pull her into this dark, ruthless world? What kind of love could I claim to have for her innocent perfection if I was so willing to let her become a part of my life and live in danger?
I couldn’t do it.
No matter how difficult it was to turn away from her, I had to.
But now, with her standing in front of me, those beautiful golden honey eyes locked onto me…I am not responsible for dragging her into this.
I wasn’t in control of what happened to her.
In fact, I’ve spent the last few years trying to protect her from people like Koskos.To protect her from myself.
I’m not blind to the opportunity this gives me. The gift.
I can’t let her see that side of things, though.
To her, this has to be a logical choice. An obvious one.
I force myself to take a step away from her because if I don’t, I’m going to reach out and pull her against me. I turn my back on her and let out a frustrated sigh.
“Georgie, this is just a piece of paper. A document that lets the rest of the world know that you are under my protection. You don’t have to read more into it than that.”
“Pfft,” she huffs, folding her arms across her ample breasts.
“I’m serious,” I explain. “You know a little bit about my role in this city? The power I have?”
