“No.”
“You can’t just say no.”
“I can.” His hands frame my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I can and I will. Because the moment you walk out that door, you’re dead. Those men at the gala? Those guards there to protect you? I didn’t hire them for fun. Do you understand me? You have no idea the danger you’re in.”
His voice breaks a tiny bit.And in that moment, I see it—the fear beneath the control. The desperation. I have no idea what kind of danger I’m in. But right then, I can see that whatever it is, Gabriel’s not playing around. The danger is real.
“Tell me.”
He shakes his head. “I can’t let you go. When I look at you, I see everything I didn’t know I wanted. If I were to lose you, if something were to happen to you, I’d be destroyed.”
My breath hitches. And in that moment, I see Gabriel in a way I never have before.
“You’re scared,” I say.
“Terrified.” There’s no hesitation in his tone.
“Of what?”
“Of how much I want you.” His hands slide down to my waist. “Of how much I need you. Of what I’m willing to do to keep you, to protect you.”
He kisses me.
It’s not gentle, just like in the car. He presses me against him, letting me feel his hardness through his slacks. I gasp. He swallows the sound with another kiss, his tongue sweeping into my mouth.
I should push him away. There’s something big he’s not telling me. And whatever it is, it’s feeding into his fear.
I kiss him back.
He groans and walks me backward until my shoulders hit the wall. His hands find my wrists, pinning them above my head, and I’m trapped between the cold wall and the heat of his body.
“You’re not leaving,” he says against my mouth. “Say it.”
“I—”
“Say it, Thea.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“You’re mine.”
“Gabriel—”
“Say it.”
“I’m yours.” The words break something open in my chest. I’m not just repeating them because he’s telling me to. “God help me, I’m yours.”
I’m repeating them because I mean them.
He releases my wrists and steps back, his eyes burning.
“Take off the dress.”
My hands shake as I reach for the zipper.
“Slowly,” he commands. “I want to watch.”
I drag the zipper down. The burgundy fabric pools at my feet, leaving me in nothing but black lace underwear and heels.