Page 82 of Claimed At First Sight

His knee brushes mine as he angles himself more toward me, one arm settling along the back of the sofa. The tiny contact clings to my skin like a brand.

I watch as his other hand begins tracing a deliberate path up my arm.

My breath falters. Shivers race over my skin, and of course he notices, but there is no smug smile to be found this time.

He takes my chin gently between his fingers and turns my face toward him.

My throat goes bone dry.

We’re eye to eye.

Still, I lift my head stubbornly and hold his gaze, refusing to be intimidated… or seduced.

God. His eyes.

Golden flecks burn through the deep brown and I get completely lost in them.

Heat unfurls low in my stomach. My eyes betray me and drift down to his mouth.

“Admit it,” Maximo murmurs, his eyes darkening to near black as his thumb brushes along my jaw. “You feel this pull between us.”

His voice is low, controlled, though there’s a roughness beneath it now that wasn’t there before.

“We’re inevitable, Mia.”

His eyes hold mine captive while oxygen keeps getting lost somewhere between us.

I shake my head, trying to dislodge the spell I seem to be under. I can’t let this happen again.

Which means it’s time to get very far away from Maximo Marco before my self-control dies a tragic death inside this greenhouse.

Somehow, I manage to plaster a smile onto my face that I absolutely do not feel.

I pull my head back and out of his grasp. The imprint of his touch still burns against my skin. I ignore it.

“Never, Don Maximo,” I reply, surprised by how steady my voice sounds considering my pulse is trying to claw its way out of my chest.

Pushing to my feet, I gather every scrap of dignity still available to me, despite my legs feeling close to collapsing.

I grab the thick knitted blanket on the way past. I refuse to dramatically freeze to death over this man.

Behind me, Maximo lets out a low chuckle that slides straight down my spine.

I don’t look back.

I don’t need the image in my head of him sitting there among the flowers and firelight looking at me like he was one heartbeat away from pulling me back into his arms.

Maximo Marco has already become dangerous enough to my sanity without me making it worse.

He will not get his way with me.

No matter how inevitable he seems to think we are.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Maximo

Ireturn to the ballroom, but I no longer have any interest in being here. Not after the greenhouse.