“Did you come here to let me go, then?”
The way he glowers at me from under thick lashes answers my question with a resounding ‘no.’
“Didn’t think so.” I cross my arms. “You can’t keep me locked up forever.”
His blue eyes flash with determination. “And I can’t let you go either.”
“Then what the hell are we supposed to do?”
“It’s easy. Accept that you’re my wife, that you’re having my children, and that there is nothing in this entire goddamn world that will change that. Ever.”
I scoff. “Nothing about what you just said is easy. It’s noteasyto accept the fact that you’ve been manipulated and deceived by the man you love.”
He steps forward, and I take a step back. I don’t trust small distances between us. It makes it too easy for the constant pull between us to take over. Even through anger and hurt, my body still yearns for him. My blood still sings for him. I hate it. No matter how hard I try to make it stop, it doesn’t wane, not even a little.
No matter how hard I try to stay strong, it’s impossible to steel myself against the emotions he so easily evokes in me, especially when those intense azure irises pin me with such intensity I can hardly breathe.
His shoulders straighten as he slips his hands in his pants pockets. “I won’t lose you, Leandra. I don’t care what I need to do to ensure that.”
“Stop.” I clench my jaw as tears threaten to show weakness in my armor. I don’t want him to see anything other than anger when he looks at me.
He moves closer, and I instinctively look away, afraid the walls will crumble.
“Look at me.”
“No.” My chest constricts.
“Leandra. Look. At me.”
“I can’t.” A tear escapes as I turn my back toward him. “I can’t look at you because it hurts too much.”
I close my eyes for a second, and he’s behind me, his presence wrapping tightly around my shoulders, squeezing the oxygen from my lungs. My skin burns for his touch. My lips yearn for his kiss. And my soul weeps to be rid of the hurt so I can do the one thing that feels more natural to me than breathing…lose myself in his arms.
He leans down, brushes his cheek against my hair, then inhales deeply. “God, I miss you, stray.”
A whimper escapes me, my heart screaming as my insides coil up. There is no battle as cruel and gruesome as the fight that rages between one’s head and heart. Two pieces of yourself wanting nothing more than to destroy each other. And no matter which part wins, the other will die. Either way, you will lose a piece of yourself.
“It’s been too long since I’ve had you.”
“It’s been days.”
“Hours feel like eons.”
I cry when he wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me against him, and I swear to God I want to die. Smelling him, feeling him, loving him—it’s killing me. It’s tearing me apart, pulling me in two different directions, and I’m afraid I’ll never be whole again.
“Stop fighting me, Leandra.” His hand slowly travels down my hip, fingers teasing along my pants’ waistband, his touch disarming me so easily. “Stop denying me what I crave.”
“Never.” A tear laps down my face. “You hurt me.”
“You’re fucking hurting me now.” He rolls his hips, and I let out a breath feeling the stiff length of his cock pressing against my lower back. “You feel that? I’ve been this hard for you for fucking days.”
“There are ways to get rid of that by yourself.”
“You think I haven’t tried?”
His hand slips inside my pants, and I suck in a breath, leaning back against him, the warmth of his body instantly fogging my mind. I’m hyperaware of every hard curve of his body, every ripped muscle under his shirt, and it’s fucking with my self-control.
“No matter how many times I make myself come, I can’t stop wanting your cunt.” His hand dips lower and drags a finger through my slit, groaning into my hair as he inhales deep. “Jesus, stray. I want inside this pussy of yours.”