Page 11 of Forced Vows

"Tell me where you're staying, and I'll meet you there."

Good girl. I like that she's watching out for herself. She should ask for my driver's license, but that would negate our anonymity. Not that I'd show her the Miceli De Luca identification.

I didn't travel to Colombia under my own name and I'm not giving it out to this stranger. Even one as sexy as Aphrodite.

"I'm at the Ritz-Carlton. Meet me in the lobby."

She nods, her platinum blonde hair looking white under the parking lot lights.

"Order your ride share and I'll wait with you until it gets here." Silvio will follow the rideshare to the hotel.

I wouldn't let women under my protection take one at all. Tonight, this woman is mine and I'll make sure she's protected.

"You don't need to," she says softly, unconsciously biting her bottom lip. "I can wait for my driver in front of the club, near the bouncer."

"No."

Her eyes narrow. "Wanting to have sex with you does not make you the boss of me."

"In the bedroom it does."

She sucks in an audible breath. "You want to get kinky?"

"It's not kink. It's me. I'm a controlling bastard in the bedroom, but I promise you the pleasure I give you will make up for it."

"What does that mean?" She blinks up at me, her perfectly made-up features reflecting unexpected innocence.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to tie you up." Not on our first time together and since there won't be a follow up fuck, not at all. "But I won't stop to ask if every kiss is okay with you or if I can fuck you now."

"But—"

I put my finger against her lips. "You can always say no. Or stop. Any time. And I will listen. But I will take your silence as consent."

"You won't hurt me?"

"Fuck no. I might fuck you until you are too sore to walk tomorrow, but I don't hurt women."

"I believe you."

"You probably shouldn't." I give her my most charming grin. "But I'm glad you do."

She definitely should not trust a man she just met, but I won't hurt her. I know she's safe. She doesn't, but she believes she is.

If she belonged to me, I would spank her ass for following a strange man to his hotel.

Manaja. What the hell? I've never spanked a woman and don't intend to start, no matter how much her luscious ass tempts me.

If she asked, on the other hand…

Hell, if she belonged to me, I'd kill the man and tie her to our bed until she repented even thinking about letting anyone but me touch her.

Where in the three hells is this possessiveness coming from? And the need to protect her?

Both have no place in a one-and-done sex encounter.

It's that damn marriage of convenience hanging over my head. It's short-circuiting my brain.

While I've been thinking ridiculous thoughts, she's been ordering her rideshare.

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