“Because I won’t let him ruin you,” I say.
“Why?” she asks.
I move toward her and grab her hips, pulling her curvy body against me. “Do you really need to ask that question, Gurin?”
Her tongue darts out over her bottom lip. “Where are you going to get two million dollars?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“My brother would pay him,” she says.
“It’s my mess to fix, Nat, not yours.”
She bites her bottom lip. “I don’t understand why you’d given in to a guy like him?”
“Because I have to protect you,” I murmur, my lips an inch from hers.
Her breathing labors and then I kiss her, tenderly. She must know by now that this isn’t just a game, even if started out as one.
She pushes me away suddenly, shaking her head. “Why didn’t you just let me do as he said?”
Rage prickles over my skin. “You mean suck that son of a bitch’s dick?”
She nods. “How’s it any different from what you forced me to do?”
I clench my jaw, the mere idea of Natalya even touching him like that, making my skin feel tight over my flesh. “Because you are mine, Nat.” I reach for her again, but she dodges me.
“You don’t have any claim on me or a say in what I do.” She places her hands on her hips, glaring at me through narrowed eyes. “You are the one who needs to make it up to me.”
“Are you saying you want to be whored out to Finn Murphy?”
Her chest hitches as if I’ve hurt her, but she shakes her head. “I’m saying you have no say in what I do in my life.”
I realize that if I want to make amends with her, forcing this issue isn’t the way to do it. She’s punishing me for being an asshole, but I can’t honestly believe she wants to become Finn Murphy’s whore.
“I want to protect you,” I say, moving forward.
“Protect me from yourself, then.” She turns away, making the rage bubble over the edge.
I grab her wrist and yank her into me, staring down at her.
Her breath comes out in a rush as she looks into my eyes. “Elias.”
“Quiet,” I growl, my hands moving to her hips and clawing at them hard. “I want forgiveness from you, Nat, but I’m not the kind of man you can walk over.”
Her lips purse together, but her breathing is coming hard and fast. Those beautiful brown eyes are dilated with desire, even as she tries to fight what this is between us.
“You belong to me and no other man can touch you. Do you understand?”
Her eyes narrow. “I understand that you are a hypocritical asshole.”
I clench my jaw. “Let me handle Finn. Let me do this for you.”
That softens her gaze as she sighs heavily. “If it gets out, my entire family could die,” she mutters, fear in her voice.
“I won’t let that happen. I promise, Nat.” I cup her face, knowing that I would do anything to make this right. “I will do whatever it takes.”
Her eyebrow arches. “Whatever it takes?”