Page 36 of My Sunfall

My cheeks heat. “I’ll figure it out.”

“No, you won’t.” His hand slides from my jaw to my throat, not squeezing but asserting enough to let me know who is in charge. “Because you’ll have two choices, cara mia. Either you come back to Boston and live like the princess you were born to be, or”— he gestures lazily at the cottage, his mouth brushing over my ear—“you let me give you—us— this, our future.”

“There is no us,” I grit out, even though I know he has a point about my capacity to buy this place. It’s clear that it must be above what I could afford despite the remote location. And I refuse to ask Father for help or use my trust fund. It’s blocked until I turn thirty anyway, or until I get married, so the point is moot.

As if sensing my hesitation, Lucas wraps his arms around me and kisses my forehead. Then he rests his chin on top of my head and rumbles low. “Let me give you this. Let me give you everything.”

Anger and panic war inside me, I waver for a beat. But then anger wins.

“No!” I push him back heatedly. “Buy it if you want, I don’t care. What are you even imagining? That we’d be living together as friends?” I sneer while he glares at me, chest heaving and jaw grinding. “I won’t be living here or anywhere with you.”

With that, I brush past him and all but run out of the door. Outside, Ayden is leaning against his sedan. He straightens when he sees me, and I step closer. “Hey, would you mind driving me back to town, I forgot that I have an…uh. appointment.”

He frowns and sends a confused look toward the door from where Lucas is emerging with blazing eyes.

“I’ll drive you, cara mia,” he grinds out between clenched teeth when he reaches us.

“Oh no, honey,” I reply with a fake smile, “don’t worry, Ayden will drive me back. You go on with your…day.” Or better, with your life.

Ayden looks from me to Lucas. “Um, well that won’t be a problem, I’ll just go back to check the windows and lock the door.” He walks up the steps to go back inside, and Lucas snatches my arm to whirl me around to face him. Then he grabs my shoulders and stares me down, fury written all over his face.

“I’ll drive you. It’s non-negotiable.”

I start to protest but he pulls me flush against him and murmurs darkly in my ear. “I have a gun in the car, I won’t hesitate to shoot him, or any other asshole you’ll ask to drive you.” He leans back to lock eyes, and I see the resolve there.

Shit, he is serious. My stomach drops and my breath catches in my throat.

Ayden comes back out and looks at us with uncertainty. Lucas grins brightly at him as if he didn’t threaten to shoot him seconds ago.

“Ayden, I’ll take my wife back to town. You go back to the office and get the paperwork ready. I’ll join you there. We’re buying.”

Ayden’s eyes positively glow with dollar signs, and he skips to his car and drives off with a jovial wave.

I stand rooted to the spot for a second, disbelief making my heart thunder. But then I pull myself together and stomp to Lucas’ SUV.

He did not just call me his wife. He’ll buy my house.

Maybe if I am quick enough, I’ll find his gun before he catches me and I’ll shoot him to become his widow.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chiara

I jolt awake with a gasp when the mattress dips next to me. Before I can move, hard arms encircle me from behind to plaster me against a broad chest. I register his cologne even before my brain is fully awake.

“Lucas!” I shout. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

“Hello, cara mia,” he says, nuzzling my neck, causing goosebumps to erupt all over my skin. He wraps his big body around me, unhurried and self-assured.

My heartrate eventually slows and I wiggle to try to get away from him. “How did you get in? I engaged the security chain.”

He chuckles, low and dangerous. “Did you really think a puny chain on that ridiculous door could keep me from you?” He slides his hand up and encircles my throat, squeezing hard enough to immobilize me.

I go rigid. The scent of his cologne is wreaking havoc with my senses, I want to turn around and bury my nose in his neck, I want to push him away and run. All my training hadn’t prepared me for this overwhelming overload of my senses.

But I can’t give in again. It feels all too good to be held by him, and it would be only a matter of time before my heart opened to him again and I would foolishly hope for something that didn’t exist. No, if I give in now, I won’t survive him. I have to fight him.

I curl inward, expecting him to follow and wrap his body around mine. And he does. I snap my head back so fast it connects with his jaw. He lets out a startled grunt as his arms loosen from around me. Taking advantage of his surprise, I break free and roll away toward the edge of the bed, hoping that the darkness will give me an advantage. But before I can let myself fall off the edge of the bed, he grabs my arm to yank me back to him. I let out a yelp and try to disengage by kicking and flailing, hoping that it would make him loosen his grip. But he catches my wrists and rolls me on my back to settle himself over me, hips pressed between my thighs. His weight pushes me into the mattress, and I am suddenly trapped and breathing hard. He shifts and the bedside lamp comes on. After blinking a few times to adjust to the light, I look up into his eyes, and a cold chill runs down my spine. They are pitch black and merciless as he is pinning me with his stare. He looks so feral my breath catches in my throat and my heart starts hammering against my ribs. My throat constricts.