Page 130 of Aching for His Discretion

“And then I… I hurtyou, Teegan,” he whispered, and I bit my lip as he leaned his head against mine, his eyes closed as his jaw clenched. “I harmed the one thing, the one woman I would give my life to in a heartbeat. I made you question me, question us. I forced you, I lied to you, I manipulated you… and to this day I have never forgiven myself for the things I did.” Shaking his head against mine, he sighed, muttering in Italian.“Tesoro mio, my life, my air, my heart. I only just got you back. I don’t want to lose you again.”

He breathed me in for a moment, and I gently placed my hand on his chest as he pulled back slightly.

“If this is another breaking point in our relationship, I understand. If you decide to leave... If you want me to let him go, you can tell me. I will never hurt you again, Teegan,” he said truthfully, and I thought for a moment. Oddly enough, my overthinking and overly cautious thoughts were silent as I gave a small sigh.

“I don’t... want you to let him go,” I whispered, and his eyes narrowed slightly as I bit my lip. “I want to trust that everything you do for me is to protect me.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, Tesoro,” he whispered, and I nodded.

“Then I want to let you. I fell in love with a man who would do anything for me. I don’t want to fall in love with a man who would stop.”

The possessive look in his eyes grew, and I felt a sense of familiar comfort as his eyes darkened slightly. “I would never stop.”

“Well, in that case,I’m yours,”I said truthfully, and he leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on my lips as my knees buckled slightly.

“That’s good to hear,” he said after we pulled away and he tilted his head in thought. “But you know… I could have sworn the boy downstairs said you’d belong to him if he ever made it out of there, huh?” he recalled.

As if on cue, Jacob yelled from the basement.“Get me out of here, you little bitch!”he screamed.

I felt one of Levi’s hands lower from my face and slowly wrap around my throat.

“You know what I think, baby,” he began, and I gasped softly as he placed a small kiss on my collarbone.

“I think we should show him… just how much you fucking belong to me, hmm. Just how much you’re mine,” he muttered, and I shuddered softly as his other hand trailed down my back.

“H-how are we going to do that?” I whispered, and he chuckled as his hands rested on my waist and leaned his forehead against mine once more.

“Help me take off your little panties... and then you’ll find out.”

Chapter fifty-six

Levi

Walking into the club, I nodded at my guards as I walked over to get a glass of whiskey at the bar. As I grabbed the glass, my bartender leaned over the counter.

“She’s been waiting in your office for you,” he said, and I nodded.

“I know,” I muttered as I finished the shot and strode to the back towards my office. Though I didn’t want to explicitly say it, I was excited for the afternoon my sweet little Tesoro had planned.

She was excited to try a new sushi place in town, and with how big her smile was as she told me about how excited she was to try it, I knew my afternoon plans simply had to be canceled.Absolutely nothing would come before her. She deserved everything.

Entering the room, I paused at the door as I looked at the rather normal sight of my empty office. However, only then did I notice my second phone had been moved slightly and there was a small crack in the door of the basement. Leaning against the frame at my entrance door, I waited for a moment and heard theslow and soft footsteps ascend the stairs as the boy’s voice yelled out in anger.

The basement door opened, and my Tesoro closed the door behind her as she leaned against it, most likely feeling overwhelmed. I couldn’t even blame her. Here I was, painting the portrait of the perfect man I had changed into when, unfortunately,old habits had to trickle in.

Upon approaching her, she asked me her questions, and I answered truthfully… however, I didn’t see fear or apprehension. I saw acceptance, appreciation, and love.Though it could have very well been my delusions believing that.It was a shame my therapist was no longer able to help me differentiate to know whether or not that’s what it was.

“Well, in that case, I’m yours.”It was almost as if she’d awakened something in me, something darker than normal… just seeing the way she was finally able to put her trust in me, accepting my nature at heart as well as my attempts to make things less overbearing for her.

Placing my lips on her collarbone, it felt almost euphoric. Romantic even… the way in which the boy I’d kidnapped for her was in the basement, only a door away, and I was kissing her up against it.

As I gripped her throat, I whispered, “You know what I think, baby. I think we should show him… just how much you fucking belong to me, hmm? Just how much you’re mine,” I muttered, waiting for her response, and I smiled internally as I felt her gulp softly under my palm.

“H-how are we going to do that?” she asked softly as I rested my head against hers and placed both hands on her waist.

“Help me take off your little panties... and then you’ll find out.”

Understandably, she looked up at me in shock. She froze for a moment, her eyes looking into my dark, possessive ones… thenover her shoulder as if she was silently reminding herself of the boy in the basement—

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