I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. "What don't you understand?"
"When does the wanting stop, Luna?" he whispered. "Will I ever be able to get you the fuck out of my head?"
I stared up at him in surprise, my pulse pounding in my ears. This dangerous, enigmatic man had turned my world upside down from the moment he entered my life. And now here he was, laying his soul bare before me.
"Tristan..." I breathed.
He cupped my face in his large hands, his eyes intense on mine and his thumbs stroking my cheekbones. "Tell me you feel it too,bambolina. Tell me it's not just me."
I opened my mouth to respond, my heart hammering against my ribcage. But before I could get a word out, he wrapped his fists in my hair and kissed me.
CHAPTER11
Tristan
Ifelt her need for me in the way her body surged into mine, even as I sensed her hesitation under my lips, and both set my blood on fire. Her hands flew to my chest, searing my mutilated skin right through the thin material of my black dress shirt. Her fingers curled into fists, gripping my shirt to keep me close as she tried to push me away, her lips parting on a moan of denial as she let me in.
A shudder ran through my body. It had been so long since I tasted her.
I wanted to rip off our clothes and bury myself so deep inside her she would taste it when I came. But now was not the time or the place.
With a ragged groan, I bit her bottom lip in frustration, the coppery taste of her blood sweet on my tongue as I allowed her to push me away.
My lungs ached for air as Luna broke the kiss and backed away from me, her blue eyes wide with hunger and uncertainty. The rise and fall of her chest matched my own ragged breaths, and I could sense the war raging within her—the desire to give in to me battling against her instinct to flee—because it matched my own.
I took a step toward her, my body drawn to hers, craving her touch, her taste, her everything. But I forced myself to stop, to remain still, though every fiber of my being screamed at me to close the distance between us and claim what was mine.
I watched as she gingerly touched the wound on her lip, her eyes wide in disbelief as she stared down at the drops of blood.
Without a second thought, I reached out and took her hand in mine, drawing her fingers to my mouth. Slowly, deliberately, I sucked each one clean, savoring the taste of her. The near animalistic urge to claim her, to make her mine, surged through me once more. I wanted nothing more than to crush my lips against hers again, to devour her until there was nothing but my name on her tongue.
But when I bent to take her mouth again, she jerked her hand from my grip and put more distance between us. "Stop."
I hesitated, but only for a moment.
"NO," she said, turning her face away.
I drew back, my eyes devouring her perfect features.
"I'm not coming with you," she told me. "If that's why you're here. I'm not going back to that cell, Tristan."
"Luna…" Instead of what I was about to say, my fists tightened at my sides.
Isn't this what you want? For your life to go back to normal?
Yes.
NO.
I need to let her go. As soon as her brother is able, they'll be gone, and I'll never have to see her again.
But she's MINE.
"What's between us is…" She looked around, trying to find the words in the paintings hanging on the wall. "It's powerful," she finally finished. "And I know I was the first person you'd ever been with freely, so I'm sure for you it seems like no one else will ever be able to take my place, but there are a lot of other women out there, Tristan, who would happily cut off their arm to be with a man like you and live in this world."
"I don't want someone else. I want you. It's only you, Luna." My voice was strained as the truth forced its way out. This world, my world, wasn't safe for her, and she was right; she'd be better off without me. But I would never want another woman.
She shook her head vehemently, then lifted her chin. "No, Tristan. I know what you want, and it's not happening. I'm staying here with Logan. And when he's well enough to leave and Gino has been taken care of, I'm going with my brother." She glanced toward the dining room where the meeting was finishing up.
