Surprise flickered to life in his eyes. “As cold as your murderous family.”
“I am leaving. This meeting is over.”
I had taken two steps before he caught up with me. One muscled arm, barely hidden by the pristine white shirt, caught me around the waist and lifted me back into him, holding me there with my legs swinging.
“But it’s not over, Sophia. Do you think I would let you just walk out on me again?”
His mouth was so close to my skin that it moved the hair away from my throat.
“I am not going to be your mistress, Matteo. I wouldn’t even agree to be your wife,” I screamed it at him. My legs were kicking uselessly, but it didn’t matter how much I struggled, because he didn’t loosen his grip.
“You are a piece of shit and I hate you.”
“Good, because I hate you as well.” Chuckling, he turned and headed toward another door, taking me away from the safety of the hallway and the brother I was going to punch.
“But that doesn’t stop this. It doesn’t change it. Luckily for you, I’ve always wanted you in my bed, even when I hated you, and I know you feel the same. When you have calmed down and we are home in New York…”
Panic gripped me.
New York? I couldn’t go to New York. I couldn’t. My child was here in London.
“I’m not going. Let me go, Matteo.” I tried and failed to keep my voice level. The last thing I wanted was for him to realize something was up.
So far, he hadn’t dug too deeply into my life here, and I needed it to stay that way.
He couldn’t find out about Lily.
“I can’t go with you, Matteo. Please. My life is here.”
“You mean your little job in the bakery and your rent? I’ve already paid out your contract. Your roommate won’t be short on the rent. Everything is arranged.”
“But I haven’t agreed.” More and more panic was rushing through me. It made my breath come in pants and my heart race in a way that it felt like I was going to pass out.
“Your brother agreed. The deal is done. You are mine, Sophia. Just like you always promised you would be.”
I froze, unsure whether I had heard him right. “Gio would never—"
Only he would. He was desperate. And desperate men did horrible things.
“Please, Matteo.”
“No, Sophia,” he said before I could even finish the sentence. “The answer to whatever question is no. Don’t waste your breath asking it.”
“I just want…I need to say goodbye to someone and—"
Spinning me around he gripped my chin cruelly. “I thought you said there was no man in your life Sophia. Was that a lie? Are you still a liar like you were six years ago?”
“I don’t…just get off.” Again, I struggled against him. And his hand tightened, sliding from my chin to my throat and squeezing. “Get your hands off of me.”
Even as I said the words , heat flowed through me. The kind of heat that mirrored the fire in his eyes. Matteo was looking at me like he wanted to devour me.
Or kill me.
I wasn’t sure which one.
And it didn’t seem to matter to my body.
I wanted him. Even after all this time and all the things he had done and said I still wanted him and I hated myself for it.
