Page 186 of Maddening Fixation

I struggled, twisting against his grip, but it was hopeless.

His strength dwarfed mine.

With one hand, he gathered both of my wrists together and pinned them above my head against the wall.

My pulse thundered in my ears.

The vulnerable position sent another wave of panic through me.

The scars in my stomach now lay exposed.

Romeo simply looked.

His eyes traced every uneven line with unsettling concentration, as though committing them to memory.

For the first time since our forced marriage, there was no anger in his expression.

No contempt.

Only an unreadable stillness.

Then...

Something shifted.

It was so fleeting I almost convinced myself I’d imagined it.

A tightening around his eyes.

A flicker that resembled regret...

...or perhaps recognition.

Hope stirred before I could stop it.

Did he remember?

Did he finally see the truth?

The moment vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.

His features hardened once more.

The walls came crashing back into place.

Whatever emotion had escaped him disappeared behind the familiar mask of cold indifference.

And I realized, with a quiet ache in my chest...

That even if his heart had recognized something...

His pride never would.

Still holding me captive, Romeo lowered his head and pressed a surprisingly gentle kiss to the valley between my breasts.

I rose onto my tiptoes, a fresh wave of shock rippling through me.

My cheeks burned with humiliation and unwanted heat.