Page 33 of Now You're Mine

My life has become such a shit-show in the last few weeks, it’s hard to believe I’m still shocked by anything. But James escaping from the mental health facility definitely shocked me. It almost doesn’t feel real. And to be honest, I haven’t even processed it yet, because I’m afraid to.

The last time I came face-to-face with James, I was one hundred percent certain he was going to kill me. I remember looking into his eyes and seeing only darkness reflected back at me. Love blending with anger and contempt.

A tear slides down my cheek, and falls off my chin, onto my phone.Ugh.I need to stay positive.Jameswillbe found, and because he violated the release agreement, he’ll probably be thrown back in jail. And then I can move on with my life, right? Right.

Just relax, Lux. Everything will be okay.

Relaxing is easier said than done, though. And even with the positive little pep-talk to myself, anxiety still swirls in my stomach. It’s the not knowing that has me all mixed up inside. Where is he? What’s he doing? Is he trying to find me?

I push out a breath and rub my temples. What I really need is sleep. Being well-rested makes everything else more manageable somehow. So with a sigh, I grab my clothes and Roman’s clothes off the kitchen floor, and head to the second bedroom, the one Roman isn’t using.

An hour later, I’m lying in the insanely comfortable bed, staring at my phone, exhausted, but unable to sleep. I’ve discovered that I hate being in this room alone. With James roaming around, I don’t feel safe, and I’m jumping at every little sound.

I’m considering whether or not I should go find Roman when he suddenly appears in the open doorway.Speak of the devil.He steps into the room with a towel hanging low on his lean waist.

Oh, damn.

I swallow as my gaze travels downward. Ropes of muscle line his torso, his tanned skin glistening from the shower. I just saw him naked less than an hour ago, and yet, here I am, gawking at him like I’m a high school virgin catching my first glimpse of the male form.

“Were you in the shower this whole time?” I ask. Not judging, but if that’s the case, then that means he took a forty-five-minute shower, and in Southern California, that’s practically a crime. It seems like they’re always in the middle of a water crisis down here, and everyone seems hyper-aware of that.

He doesn’t answer me, just flashes me some serious side-eye as he leans over and grabs his clothes from the pile on the armchair, right where I dumped our clothes.

When he moves to leave, I sit up quickly. “Hey…” I pause because saying what I’m about to say will reveal my vulnerability, but honestly, I don’t have much choice. “...would you mind staying in here with me?”

Roman has betrayed me in the worst possible way, and when we first got here, I had this fantasy that I could just shut myself away and ignore him. But being alone right now is not it. I need him here with me. I can’t explain it. But even after everything that’s happened between us, I feel safe with him. Dumb, right? But there it is.

He looks at me like a man battling demons that only he can see. “I can’t sleep next to you, Lux. I can’t.”

I pinch the duvet between my fingers and occupy myself with creating little peaks in the fabric. “Please,” I say, my gaze flicking up. “I…don’t want to be alone.”

For a second he doesn’t say anything, just pins me with that lost look in his eyes. Finally, he pushes out a sigh, and drops his clothes onto the floor, bending to remove his phone and underwear from the pile.

Dropping his towel, I get an eyeful of those enticing black curls between his thighs, his cock already half-erect. My body instantly responds, tingles fluttering in my core. Hejustmade me come, and I’m already eager for another round.

It might be a good distraction.

He steps into his underwear, then climbs into bed next to me. His skin smells like soap, and the scent wafts over me as he slips under the fluffy duvet, arranging the pillows, so he can sit up.

We’re like that for a while, staring down at our phones, scrolling. Random cat videos pop up on my screen, and I watch them without really seeing them. I’m too distracted. All I can think about is Roman next to me, half-naked, and half-erect.

I glance over at him, watching him for a second. When he doesn’t look back, I reach over and swat the phone out of his hand. It drops onto the mattress, and he looks over at me, likewhat the fuck?

Rising, I lift the duvet and move over to his side of the bed, so I can straddle him. He’s already rock hard, his cock pressing against my core through the thin fabric of our underwear. His eyes go wide as I reach behind my back and unhook my bra, then fling it aside. My heavy breasts are practically in his face, and I can see the unmistakable hunger in his eyes.

“Lux…” his voice is rough like he’s trying to talk through gravel.

“No talking,” I say, skimming my hand down his hard pecs, and the clear outline of his eight-pack. He’s so perfect, and I want to touch every square inch of him, but before I can, he grabs my hand, stopping me.

“Lux, you’re playing a dangerous game,” he growls. “If you start this, I won’t stop. I can’t.”

I yank my hand out of his grip. “I said,no talking.”

Clamping his mouth shut, he narrows his eyes at me. A tick pulses in his jaw, and I can tell he’s trying to restrain himself. He releases my hand and palms my ass, his fingertips digging into my skin painfully. Then he moves me, guiding my hips so I’m grinding against him slowly.

“Put your hands out beside you,” I tell him. A second ticks by, then another, and when he doesn’t move, I lift up to get off him, but his hands immediately leave my ass and fall to his sides.

I smile down at him, touching his nose with the tip of my finger. “Good boy.”

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