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His face hardens immediately, the ice facade returning.
“There won’t be a next time, Ella. Climbing down those narrow rock stairs was incredibly dangerous and stupid. I’m tempted to put you over my knee and give you a spanking you won’t forget so you never put yourself in such danger again.”
My eyes fly to his. He wouldn’t, would he? And why did the threat of a spanking actually turn me on? I’ve clearly read too many kinky novels.
“Let me make one thing very clear to you,” he says, his eyes piercing mine, still not an ounce of warmth to be found in their depths.
“There’s no point in running from me, Ella…ever.” He pauses to let his statement sink in. “You canneverget away from me. I will always find you,” he promises.
And I have no doubt he’s speaking the truth. The convictionin his voice finding an echo in my soul.
“There’s nowhere on this earth you can hide from me. I would journey the entire world to bring you back.”
The severity of his words sends icy shivers down my spine. It’s a side of Gualtiero I only caught glimpses of when he’s been on the phone to someone. It’s never been directed at me.
My face turns ashen. For the first time since meeting him, he instills a deep sense of fear in me.
I always knew he was capable of it. Hadn’t I thought he screamed danger right from the beginning?
The veins on my neck must beat a visible pulse beneath my skin. Gualtiero touches it, resting his fingers on my pulse point for a few seconds, never taking his cold eyes from mine.
He’s quiet for a few moments, his gaze drifting off into the distance as if contemplating. When his eyes meet mine again, fire has replaced the coldness.
Hot and cold, fire and ice… he changes so quickly, it gives me whiplash as he joyrides with my emotions.
How do you deal with someone like him and stay sane?
At the moment, fear is winning out, and I realize it’s how he keeps people in line—fear and intimidation… and sadly, it’s working exceedingly well.
“Your life is aligned with mine now, Ella. The sooner you accept this, the better off you’ll be. You can’t fight the inevitable.”
Can’t I?
I’m sure he wants me to believe that. But I don’t want to.
I need to be away from him, need a break from all the madness. So, I slowly get up and leave to go for a walk in the garden.
I’m surprised Gualtiero isn’t following me and just lets me go. I guess he knows I can’t disappear. There’ll be cameras all over the place, monitoring my every move. Under lock and guard, I’m trapped here for the foreseeable future.
When I return to my suite, Gualtiero is gone, and all remnants of dinner have been cleared. I let out a sigh of relief. I really had enough of him for one day.
I go into my wardrobe to find something to sleep in. I prefer to sleep in a t-shirt and sleep shorts, but of course there are none.
Instead, only skimpy chemises and babydolls fill an entire draw.
Great.
They’d entice any man, but the last thing I want to do is give Gualtiero more reason to desire me.
After a frustrating search, I pull on a deep lavender nightdress. It’s skimpy but at least it’s long and covers my lower half completely.
I curl up on the bed and pull the blanket over me, needing to hide away from the world.
My defiance is in full force. I won’t cower.
Of course, he’d tell me that running is futile. He wants me to believe he could find me anywhere, so I’ll accept my fate and live happily ever after with him.
He’s dreaming.
