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Even though he stops moving, he keeps his fingers inside me. As if trying to stay connected to me a little bit longer. To possess me a little more.
I open my eyes to find him watching me. His gaze is illuminated with triumph, but also with a gentler emotion… something dangerously close to affection. He releases my wrists to brush the backs of his fingers along my cheek, and I resist the urge to lean into his touch, to soak in the rare show of tenderness from him.
“Now that I’ve caught you, I intend to keep you, Callie.”
A shiver passes through me at the possessiveness in his voice. In his vow.
I can't help but feel a mixture of excitement and uncertainty as his words sink in. The intensity of his gaze and the sincerity in his voice leave no room for doubt about his intentions. My heart races in my chest, and I find myself captivated by the depth of emotion swirling in his eyes. It’s dark and potent, like him.
His fingers continue their gentle exploration along my cheek, tracing a path that ignites a trail of warmth in its wake. While his other fingers remain deep inside me. I lean slightly into his touch on my face, unable to completely suppress the longing that blossoms within me. Even so, I fight it.
Too much is at stake. My heart, for one thing.
“You can’t keep me, Hayden.” My protest sounds weak to my own ears, but I keep my expression firm. “I don’t belong to anyone. Not even you.”
His hand leaves my cheek as he slides it into my hair, grasping the nape of my neck to tilt my head back. Unable to look anywhere else, my gaze collides with his. Icy blue meets a warm amber.
Determination meets rebellion.
“You belong with me.Tome.” He brings his face so close to mine that the tips of our noses brush one another. “You can fight it all you want, but we both know it’s pointless. What’s happening between us is inevitable, and I’ll do everything within my power to get you to accept it.”
Chapter29
Calista
There will be no morerunning or escaping. At least, not tonight.
Hayden made sure of that by carrying me to and from the car, as well as securing the child lock feature. I sit with my head leaning against the headrest and my eyes closed. Right now, I can’t bear to look at him, at the devastatingly gorgeous man who swept into my life like a hurricane. He’s pulverized the emotional barriers I built when my father died, and my heart sits at the center of everything, like a trophy waiting to be claimed.
Or crushed.
Is it possible that he used the word “possess” because he means to keep me close in a way that he doesn’t understand just yet? Knowing bits of his childhood, it’s possible Hayden isn’t familiar with how to function in a healthy relationship. Especially one that involves heightened emotions such as desire, jealousy, and uncertainty.
I may not have much experience, but I’m certain I’m further along in that regard. Even so, I recognize this for what it is: he’s desperate to have me.
Is this some impulsive decision that he’ll regret in the morning? Or is this something that’ll last more than a few hours? Perhaps a few weeks? At the cost of my body and my secrets.
Hayden’s made it clear he wants both.
The constant push-pull, hot-cold from him frays my nerves. I never know which version of himself he’ll choose to show me. The tender lover? Or the violent, overprotective man who thinks to keep me safe through controlling me?
Even so, I enjoy both sides of him.
Just as the Earth needs both the day and the night, the light and dark, so do I.
We pull up to a high-rise tower, steel and glass gleaming under a full moon. In minutes, we’re inside the elegant lobby, with me in Hayden’s arms. Again.
“I can walk,” I mumble, not wanting the man at the front desk to hear me. He’s already looking at me with keen interest. Is it because I’m barefoot and disheveled? Or due to some other reason?
“Your feet are bleeding, Callie.”
I look at Hayden, soaking in his profile while he strides toward the elevator. “They are?”
He nods, his jaw clenched. The tension in his body spreads, and his arms grip me tightly. I frown, unable to guess why he’s irritated with me.
“I didn’t mean to stain anything. I hope you’re not upset about something I wasn’t even aware of.”
He stops in the middle of the grand room to look down at me. I nearly shrink back at the fury etched into his features. “You think I’m angry about the interior of my car?” he asks.
