The driver stopped a block from where Monroe was having her lunch. Slamming the door after getting out, I had started toward the café when I got a text from Ugo saying she was walking straight toward me.
I moved between two buildings and waited. Moments later, she passed by where I was standing, and I merged in with the crowd behind her, following her several yards behind as she window-shopped on the walk back to her hotel.
Hungrily, my eyes drifted over her, aching to touch her. What I wanted more than anything was to scoop her up and hide her away from everyone but me. Keep her protected from all the evil that polluted the world and live off her sweetness for the rest of my life. I’d been fighting with myself to do just that since she was sixteen and I’d started looking at her as more than just the precious girl I watched over.
Now that she was legal, and she’d pushed me until I was climbing the walls of what was left of my sanity, I would do just that. It was what she wanted, what she’d been begging for in New York. If I’d given in and taken her with me then, I wouldn’t have suffered through the hellishness of the past few days, not knowing where she was.
As she walked ahead of me, my eyes were drawn over and over again to the sway of her hips in those tiny shorts. Every time I tried to tear my gaze away, it was to see some other fucker with his eyes locked on that delectable ass, and I wanted to put my fist through their faces. Break their eye sockets and make it impossible for them to look at my precious girl ever again.
Monroe slipped into a shop, and I hastily followed. I watched as she drifted from one clothing rack to another, before picking up a few items and walking toward the back to try them on. I stayed out of sight until she entered a changing room stall, keeping my gaze lowered when the saleswoman walked past me to assist another customer.
Putting my hand on the thin, wooden door, I rapped my knuckles against it lightly.
“Just a sec.” Monroe’s sweet voice reached my ears, and I released the pent-up breath in my lungs at one of my favorite sounds.
From the other side of the door, I heard clothing rustling, and my body hardened more, imagining the material of her clothes caressing her bare skin. I balled my hands into fists to keep from knocking the door down and getting to what I so desperately wanted to hold and touch.
Finally, the door began to swing inward, and I pushed my way inside before she could see it was me.
“What—” She broke off abruptly when she lifted those gray eyes, and our gazes locked. “G,” she breathed, tears instantly spilling over her lashes.
“Precious,” I growled her name, unable to keep the anger out of my voice. “Don’t you ever fucking run from me again.”
Despite the tears still filling her beautiful eyes, she glared up at me. “I came here to get over you, not to have you chase me. I’m done waiting for you.”
“Bullshit.” I backed her against the wall, cupping her luscious ass in my hands through the thin denim material of her shorts. “Lie to yourself all you want, but don’t lie to me, Monroe. Why else would you come to Italy, of all places? You wanted me to chase you. Take you.” I lowered my head, breathing in her scent as I touched my lips to her exposed neck. She shivered against me, tilting her head to the side to give me better access. “Make you mine,” I rasped against her soft flesh.
“No,” she whimpered, denying what we both knew was the truth. “That might have been what I wanted when I went to New York, but you proved that was an idiotic idea. I get it,” she sobbed, and when I lifted my head, it was to find her eyes clenched shut. “You don’t want me. I won’t bother you ever again.”
“Not want you?” I choked out. I thrust my lower body against hers, spearing her against the wall with the hardness of my cock alone. “I am dying for you, precious. I can’t breathe right now because it fucking hurts not to be inside your tight little pussy. I want you so damn badly, I can’t think past how perfect it will feel to slide between these thighs and lose myself inside you for hours.”
“Then do it,” she dared, opening her eyes, her nails biting into my forearms as she clutched at me. “Right here. Right now.”
“No.” Lifting her, I twirled us away from the wall. “Because you’re more important to me than a quick fuck against a damn dressing room door.” I turned her so she was facing the door and opened it. “Let’s go.”
“But I’m not done…” I met her stubborn gaze, and her mouth snapped shut for a moment. “That dress is really pretty, and it looked good on me.”
“I will buy you a hundred other dresses. Later. For now, I need to get you somewhere safe.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re as bad as my dad.”
I took her purse off the back of the stall door then caught her hand, entwining our fingers. “Keep rolling those pretty eyes, and see if it doesn’t get you spanked.”
Pausing in the doorway, she purposely looked up at me and daringly rolled her eyes again. A pained groan tore from me, and I lowered my head, touching my lips to her forehead. “You’ll regret that later,” I vowed. “Let’s go.”
A sly little grin teased at her lips, but her gaze went longingly to the dress hanging on the wall behind me. Muttering a curse, I grabbed it and walked her to the sales counter. Tossing some cash down along with the dress, I waited impatiently for the woman to fold the pretty garment and place it in a bag.
“Can we go now?” I bit out.
With a happy nod, Monroe stepped up on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “Thank you,” she murmured softly.
“Fuck, precious. Don’t you know I’d give you anything you want?”
Her eyes turned sad. “Even if what I want the most is you?”
“Whatever you want, Monroe. Even if it’s me.”
Chapter 5