Page 108 of Claimed At First Sight

Mialina

The sensible part of me regrets letting those words escape my mouth.

Mamma lets out a soft gasp while Aldo’s eyebrows shoot upward, but I don’t dare look at Maximo.

I turn and storm out of the room without looking back.

My pulse pounds angrily as I head upstairs, fury burning beneath my skin. The entire mansion feels too suffocating and full of men who think power entitles them to make decisions for everyone else.

Footsteps follow behind me.

Merda.

Of course, he couldn’t let it go.

Refusing to turn around, I speed up, rushing through the upper corridors, but the footsteps behind me never falter.

A firm hand closes around my arm, pulling me to a halt just as I reach the hallway outside my room.

Dammit.

I gasp as Maximo turns me and backs me against the wall beside my bedroom door. He plants one hand beside my head, towering over me in the dim hallway light. His dark eyes lock onto mine.

“You will not talk to me like that again. And you will not walk away from me while I’m speaking to you.”

The sheer audacity of him sends another wave of fury crashing through me.

I shove against his chest, but it’s like trying to move a brick wall. A tall, broad-shouldered, infuriatingly handsome brick wall.

“I’ll do whatever I want,” I seethe.

“Clearly. That’s part of the problem.”

My frustration boils over. “You do not control me.”

His jaw tightens. Then his free hand comes up and catches my chin, forcing me to look at him. The gesture should annoy me.

It does annoy me.

It also makes me painfully aware of just how close he is.

Heat radiates from him, his scent surrounding me. All of my carefully maintained indignation suddenly has competition.

Apparently, my hormones have picked a side.

I hate that.

I hate it even more because the closer he gets, the harder it becomes to ignore.

He studies me, entirely too focused.

“While you are in my city,” he says quietly, “your safety is my responsibility.”

My stomach flips. Frustratingly, not because of the words.

No, it’s his intensity. The feeling of being the sole focus of a man capable of dominating an entire room without raising his voice.

“I’m not yours to command.” Unfortunately, my voice comes out way too breathy.