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I would preserve that sweet innocence, despite the circumstances that had brought her into my home.
Her father had changed her world when he’d decided to abduct Valentina. The blame for ripping Sofia out of her easy routine lay entirely with him. Not me.
I never would have claimed her for myself if Caesar hadn’t forced my hand. As long as I kept her safe and well cared for, I didn’t have anything to feel guilty about.
“Sofia,” I said, more loudly.
“Go away,” she groaned.
Definitely not afraid, I noted with amusement.
“I’m not going anywhere. It’s time to wake up, florecita.”
Suddenly, she flung the covers off with a gasp. Her wide, luminous green eyes met mine. For a moment, she simply stared at me, her lips parted in shock.
I decided to give her sluggish brain a minute to wake up and process her situation.
“What are you doing here, Mateo?” she demanded with surprising vehemence.
My brows lifted. “You’re at my house. Don’t you remember what happened yesterday?”
Before I could worry over whether or not the drugs I’d given her had messed with her mind, she snapped at me.
“Of course I remember!” She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing. “I mean, what are you doing in here? I was sleeping. And you just barged in without knocking.”
My lips curved, the small smile surprising me. I supposed she wasn’t aware that I’d slept beside her all night. My presence hadn’t disturbed her at all. I found her easy trust charming.
“I don’t think it would have made a difference if I’d knocked,” I remarked. “You wouldn’t have woken up. Do you always sleep this heavily?”
She shook her head, her curls swaying in wild disarray around her lovely face. “It doesn’t matter if I wouldn’t have woken up. You don’t just come into a girl’s room without an invitation. No invitation means no boys allowed.”
An involuntary chuckle rumbled from my chest. She pouted in response.
Fucking adorable.
“I’m not a boy,” I informed her. “And this is my house. I don’t have to wait for permission to enter any room.”
“Don’t you understand anything about privacy?” she spluttered. “Get out!”
“We talked about this last night, belleza. You have to earn the right to privacy. Did you really think I was just going to let you wander around unsupervised? Until I know you’ll behave, I can’t let you out of my sight. I won’t give you a chance to try to escape. And if you do try, I don’t think you’ll like what will happen when I catch you.”
She threw up her hands in exasperation. “I wasn’t trying to escape. I was sleeping. You don’t have to watch me when I’m asleep. Obviously, I wasn’t trying to go anywhere.”
“Obviously.” I smirked at her. “Now, get out of bed, Sleeping Beauty. You need to eat breakfast.”
“What are you, my warden?” she demanded, displaying far more fire than she had last night. Apparently, I’d poked the hibernating bear, and she was not at all pleased about it.
I shrugged, unapologetic. There was no point lying to her. “Kind of.”
Her mouth opened and closed a few times, and her tanned cheeks took on an angry flush. “Are you saying I’m your prisoner? Seriously, Mateo?”
She sounded as though she truly didn’t believe I was capable of holding her hostage. I found her reaction…kind of sweet. Most grown men were terrified of me. Then again, they were fully aware of my capacity for violence. Despite her changed circumstances, Sofia was still cocooned in her falsely safe worldview. This delicate little flower was speaking to me with more raw ire than anyone had dared in a long time.
My smirk widened to a grin.
“Is this funny to you?” she railed.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “Surprisingly, it is. I assumed you’d be skittish this morning. Maybe crying. Instead, you’re yelling at me.”
Her cheeks colored a deeper shade of red. “I’m not yelling!” she insisted, her voice elevated to a much louder volume than usual.
“All right, then. You’re not yelling. Maybe you’re yowling at me. Like an angry little kitten. Kittens are usually angriest when they’re hungry, you know. You should get out of bed and have breakfast with me.”
She slapped her palms down on the mattress, fuming. “I’m not having breakfast with you!” she declared hotly. “You know what? I’m not doing anything with you.” She got to her feet and stormed toward me, every line of her willowy body drawn with defiance. “I’m going home.”
My smile dropped to a stern frown, and I stepped to the side to block her path out of the bedroom. My fingers curved around her shoulders, holding her in place with little effort.
She shoved at my chest; a tiny bird beating its wings against the confines of its cage.
I slid one hand to her nape, cradling her slender neck in a careful grip. I didn’t bother trying to restrain her flailing arms. She wasn’t hurting me, and she’d tire herself out long before I so much as broke a sweat.
