I take a deep breath. I’m not giving in.
When we’re alone again, I want to pull away, but this time, he pulls me into him until my body is flat against his and his arms are firmly gripping my waist.
“What are you doing?” I look at him from under my eyelashes.
His jaw ticks. “Sending a clear message to anyone who is looking at you that you're mine.”
I chuckle, and his eyes narrow. “What does that mean, Gabriel? What does being yours mean? Because I refuse to be treated like a piece of property, and maybe until now, I let you. I thought I wasn’t alone in this and we could try to make things work, but Iwasalone. You have armor that you're not ready to lower, so I will ask you again, what does being yours mean?”
I wait for the answer. And wait. I inspect his face, searching for any emotion that will give him away. His jaw ticks, his expression changes, and when I’m sure I won’t get any answers, I shake my head, disappointed, and push against him. He lets go, and I take a step back and turn away from him. My eye catches the waiter’s, and I walk in that direction, away from Gabriel. I take two sparkling drinks and gulp one in one go. Placing the empty flute on the first table I see, I walk around the room, trying to find Clara. I need to see a friendly face.
A man appears beside me, preventing me from continuing my search. “Aren’t you a sight to behold?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.” I try to make this as short and polite as I can and walk past him, but as I take a step to my right side to pass him, he steps in front of me again.
“Now, now. How would you know if you're interested if you haven’t heard what I have to say?”
“I don’t want to hear it. Now, please, leave me alone.” Once again, I try to walk away, and he stops me.
“You little bitch. Don’t you know who I am and what I can do…”
“Careful, Adkins. I would not continue if I were you.” A raw, low voice appears from behind me, and my body shivers. “This woman you called a little bitch is my wife.” Gabriel places himself between me and the man, and I need to take a step to the side to see that he’s in his face. “You're going to apologize.”
Adkins opens his mouth. “I’m sorry.” His voice shakes, and he tries to step away from Gabriel, but Gabriel backs him to the wall.
“That’s not good enough,” he says with his jaw clenched. Before I can blink, two security guys appear. “Escort Mr. Adkins to my office. I’m going to have a chat with him.” He pulls back from the man, but before stepping away, he levels him with a look. “And be careful not to make a scene. You don’t want to attract attention to yourself, do you?”
The man straightens, and without saying a word, he follows security.
Gabriel’s hand wraps around my wrist, and he pulls me with him as he follows where the man is escorted.
twenty-six
Gabriel
She’s a vision, the wet dream of every man in this room. I could see it from the moment she entered. I, too, couldn’t take my eyes off her, but I was too busy apologizing to our newest partners for Salvatore ditching him and this party. All the while, I was trying to ignore Salvatore’s partner’s daughter’s attempts to seduce me. When batting her eyelashes didn't work, she kept on touching me. I pulled away, but she found a way to keep me still. In the end, I let it go because Valentina entered the room and the men’s eyes were on her, and all I could think about was how to end the small talk while I silently cursed Salvatore in my head. Eventually, I excused myself with a clear message that I needed to see my wife. The daughter was shocked, but I didn’t stay to see her reaction because I saw red. Valentina was dancing with a guy I vaguely remember as an employee in the finance department.
She was smiling and dancing until I broke that up and had her by my side.
I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her to my side to let them know she's mine; she belongs to me.
I glare at every man who looks at her; I don’t even care who they are, not even our business partners. I don’t care when a growl escapes me, and I mark Valentina as mine when one of them with few brain cells joins us for small talk. The need to mark her as mine in front of them all is against everything I believe; it goes against the vow I made to myself, and Valentina is here to remind me of that with her demand.
“What does it mean to be yours?”
I look at her, and for a split second, I almost let the truth slip. I almost tell her what she wants to hear. But I don’t. I can’t.
Even thinking about opening my heart again feels like stepping into a trap. I know exactly how hard it can break, and I’m not convinced I could take the fallout this time. I’m not ready to hand her that kind of power. I’m not ready to let her replace the demons I’ve spent years learning to survive. And I’m sure as hell not convinced I’d survive it if I did.
“So, I will ask you one more time, what does being yours mean?”
I wish it were easy, swapping one pain for another. I wish I were a better man, could take her feelings into consideration, and the way she looks at me like I will pluck the stars from the sky... It should be easy, but it isn’t, so when she pulls from me, I let her. I let her walk across the room. At first, I don’t follow until she gets further away from me. My legs do their work, and I go after her without even thinking, staying behind her and glaring at any man who thinks he can look at her. Until one man doesn’t get the message. Even when she politely says she isn’t interested and tries to bypass him, he doesn’t let her.
Adkins.
That sleazy bastard. Of course he would be here. He thrives at these functions, looking for an easy target to take home. But not this one.
“You little bitch. Don’t you know who I am and what I can do…”
