Dark Promises(46)

“Did I hurt you?” It was the second time he asked her that question.

She shook her head, keeping her back to him.

“Gabrielle. Do not hide from me. I do not like it.” He didn’t. If she was going to cry, she could do it in his arms. He tugged her back into a sitting position. She resisted for just a moment, until his fingers settled around her arms like a vise in warning. “We are going to talk and you are going to do it looking at me.”

She swallowed hard, pushed her hand against her mouth and nodded. It took a moment for her to settle, drawing up her knees, circling them with her arms, holding herself still and closed off even while she lifted her chin, her eyes reluctantly finding his. Her hands trembled. Her hair fell in waves down her back and pooled on the carpet around her buttocks. There it was. Him. Glistening on her thighs. She hadn’t cleaned up. She’d left him there. Inside her. On her.

She cleared her throat. “I would like to put clothes on.”

He knew she felt vulnerable. She was naked, and he liked her that way. He liked that he could just reach out and sink his fingers into her. That he could put his mouth on her. Taste her. Have her. He decided on strict honesty, although he was fairly certain she would be more afraid of him than ever.

“You need to get used to this. I like you naked. I like to look at your body and touch you. I like your skin touching mine.” He wanted access to her body whenever he wanted her—however he wanted her. She was going to have to get used to the fact that his cock wasn’t letting up. Not after having her twice. “You are safe right here. Just talk to me. If I did not hurt you, why are you crying these tears?”

She moistened her lips and made an effort to stop the tears. “I’m afraid of you.”

“I know. You will learn, in time, you are safe. In the meantime it will not hurt you to fear me a little. You can be assured I can keep you protected from any harm that comes your way.”

She swallowed. “I don’t want to make you angry. You want honesty from me and I really want to give you that, Aleksei, but there are things I can’t talk about.”

“This man.”

She bit her lip hard.

He caught her chin and turned her face up to his. “Stop that.” He leaned down and licked at the small wound there. “Your body belongs to me. I do not want you injuring it, especially that beautiful mouth. That lower lip is tempting and one of these times, when you bite it, I will take over and do that for you.”

Her body shivered, responding to his low, sensual tone. She started to bite her lip again and hastily stopped herself.

“Tell me what you are feeling.”

She took a breath. Let it out. Her fingers twisted together and her gaze found his again and dropped away. “None of this makes any sense to me. I don’t understand how I can have feel . . .” She broke off abruptly with a small sob before catching herself. “Feelings for him and yet you responded to me.” He kept his gaze steady on hers.

She nodded. “What does that say about me? I must be a terrible person. I want you. Your body. Your voice. Everything you do or say makes me respond to you, but my feelings, my heart . . .”

He swept back her hair and studied her face. Her expression. Her eyes. She wasn’t making it up. In fact, she was finding it difficult to tell him. This wasn’t a bid for sympathy. She looked miserable. Horrified even. Totally confused. And that confused him. She really didn’t know what was happening to her. How could a Carpathian woman not understand the powerful ties between lifemates?

She shook her head, choking back a sob, rocking back and forth. “What’s wrong with me? How can my own body betray me like that?”

His teeth snapped together in a hard bite. His sympathy was gone that fast. Her body betrayed her? “I. Do. Not. Think. So.” His voice was pitched low. But it thundered through her body as it was meant to do. She winced back and bit her lip hard. Even that wasn’t going to get her out of trouble.

His hand whipped out and he bunched that long hair in his fist, pulling her head back before she could hide her face from him.

“You understand something, Gabrielle. Get this straight. You betrayed me. Your body belongs to me. Not him. Your body knows what it is doing. You, however, do not, but you had better learn fast or you are going to find your life is miserable until you do. You owe me allegiance. I gave you every chance to live your life without me, but you chose. You chose. I told you there would be no going back. You cannot survive without me now, nor I you. So learn this now. You belong to me. Your body. Your heart. Your soul and that treacherous, betraying mind of yours.”