I follow his lead, staring into his smoky eyes, wondering why in the hell he’s helping me.

“Such a good fucking girl for listening to me.” His smile drags me back under his dark spell. “Panic attack avoided.” He gently grazes his knuckles over my cheek before turning toward my trunk and unloading my luggage.

When the hell did I open the trunk?

My question is answered when Evan shifts, and I see my key fob in his hand.

As I watch him, I’m mortified. I let my guard down, and my body took over. My brain became nonfunctional, and my stepbrother capitalized on it.

The moving truck pulls into the lot, followed by my stepfather and mom. My muscles tense as Preston gets out and strolls over to the movers. He moves like he owns the damn world.

Evan follows my gaze, frowning before he hurries over. Tension flows between them as they grapple for power. The poor moving guys look confused as their heads bounce back and forth between the two men.

My mom approaches Preston, putting her hand on his arm. I’m rooted to the spot, unsure what to do.

Ignore them, Lexi. Focus on moving in.

Heaving out a sigh, I grab the handles of the suitcases that Evan dropped, preparing to drag them inside.

Evan stalks over, the scent of his cologne mixing with his anger. “I’ve got it.” He snatches the handles before stacking twoof my bags on the suitcases. His voice is sarcastic when he turns his head to me.“Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself, Bellissima.” He strolls away, dragging my suitcases behind him.

I shiver from the coldness exuding from him, the passion I felt earlier long gone.What the hell did I do to warrant his attitude?

CHAPTER 6

Alexis

Iglance over my shoulder at my mom and stepfather, who ignore me as they bark directions at the movers. With a sigh, I turn, hurrying after Evan.

He’s evasive and cold as he marches ahead, as if the moment we shared in the parking lot never occurred.

Remorse lodges deep in my gut. I should’ve known better, but I was fooled by the hunger that blazed in his smoky irises, scorching me to my soul.

He wanted to devour me. I didn’t imagine that.

Now, his aloofness chills me to the bone. It’s as though seeing his father brings something out in him—something not previously there when it was just him and me.

“What the hell did you mean by you ‘wouldn’t want me to hurt myself?’ How the hell would carrying my luggage hurt me? And why would you give a damn?” The words tumble out, my confusion mixing with anger.

Evan narrows his shrewd eyes at me. His tone is as sharp as the blade of a knife as he reaches the door. “Exactly what I said, Lexi. Are you having difficulty comprehending my words?” His jaw grinds back and forth like I’m his worst enemy.

My anger washes over me like ocean waves during a storm. He opens the door and drags my luggage through it.

“Listen, asshole. I can do?—”

His hand wraps around my throat, shoving me against the wall beside the door. His scent assaults my senses as he glowers at me, his lips inches from mine. “When you bend over in those fucking jean shorts, you expose entirely too much of that decadent ass.” Hot breaths float over my face. “You’remine,Lexi. No one except me gets to see that much of you.”

What in the absolute fuck?

One minute, he’s colder than a glacier, and the next, he’s melting my insides with his fiery gaze and heated breaths. It’s like a damn dragon is breathing on me.

“You’re so damn confusing.” I close my eyes, wishing I could take those words back.

The corners of his lips turn up into a smirk that makes me want to smack the shit out of his pompous face.

“I’m confusing, huh?” Removing his hand from my neck, he snatches my wrists, pinning them over my head with one hand. The other one grips my chin while his thumb pulls my lip down. “No, Lexi, you’re wrong. I’m simple.” He bares his teeth at me. “You’remine. Every fucking inch of you belongs to me.”

His gaze drops, raking over my body, before he meets my eyes again. “As much as I’d like to pound you from behind and make you scream my name, I can’t right now. Consider this your only warning. Wearing those shorts in public again will result in your ass turning crimson from my handprints.” A dark promise blazes in the depths of his charcoal irises, making me shiver. “After I murder any man that dares glance at you, I’ll fuck you so hard you scream my name until you’re hoarse.”