Page 185 of Maddening Fixation

A small, involuntary sound escaped my lips before I could stop it.

His breathing grew quieter.

Without warning, Romeo spun me around again.

The movement was so sudden that a startled gasp escaped my lips before my back slammed into the wall with enough force to knock the breath from my lungs.

I barely had time to recover before he stepped into my space.

His piercing green eyes swept over me, lingering on the torn fabric hanging from my shoulders before settling on my chest.

My bra was now fully exposed, the shredded remains of my top offering little protection.

Heat flooded my face as I realized exactly what he was looking at.

This wasn’t the first time I’d caught him staring.

After I had pushed him out of the path of the bullet the night before...

At the altar, when he sliced his hand with his blade...

There had been fleeting moments when his gaze had lingered.

But this was different.

Now there was nowhere for me to hide.

Every inch of me felt painfully vulnerable beneath the weight of his attention.

Then his gaze drifted lower.

It stopped on my stomach.

My entire body stiffened.

The jagged scars stretched across my abdomen—raised, uneven lines that had faded with time but would never disappear completely. They were ugly. Permanent. A map of the night I’d nearly died pulling him from that lake all those years ago.

Before I could think, instinct took over.

I crossed my arms over my stomach, desperately trying to hide them.

Heat rushed into my cheeks.

Shame settled heavily in my chest.

I had always hated those scars.

Not because they reminded me of pain...

But because they reminded me that I had sacrificed everything for someone who never even knew it had been me.

Romeo’s eyes narrowed.

Without a word, he reached for my wrists.

“No...” I whispered, trying to pull away.

He caught them effortlessly.