Page 15 of Heartless Vows

So much more.

Chapter 5

Aurora Achilles

Fire roars through my veinsand yearning spears through my soul, but I replay my mother’s threat from this morning in my mind and wait until the worst of the storm subsides. I can’t leave Tristan all alone in that fucked up household.

I open my eyes. My heart leaps as a muscle ticks along Giorgio’s jaw. Expecting to find him glaring at me, I blink in surprise and confusion at the softness in his gaze.

He drops his forehead to the wall beside my ear, surrounding me with his bulk and ghosting his breath over my sensitive skin, but when I shiver, he loosens his grip on my throat.

Heat pools low in my belly. As terrifying as it is to have his hand encasing my throat, I like the way it feels, and I know I should hate it, but an odd sense of security flows through me.

“I should apologize, but I don’t think I can,” he murmursoh so closeto my ear.

I scoff.

“What, are you going to excuse your horrible behavior like a high school bully? Aren’t you too old for that? I didn’t even go to high school, and I—”

He flexes his fingertips into my jugular, so I stop my nervous tirade.

“I thought you graduated. What do you mean you didn’t go to high school?”

I swallow and stumble through my explanation.

“I was homeschooled. Well, online learning. At home. In fact, I rarely leave my house. I-I need my routine. I’m not against marrying you, truly. I just want to stay home until after our wedding. Give me some time to adjust to the change.”

When he doesn’t immediately refute me, I hold my breath against the hope rising in my chest.

He relaxes his fingers against my throat and brushes the pad of his thumb along my jawline. Shivers travel down my spine at the unexpectedly gentle and intimate caress.

“Do you want to marry me?”

I stiffen at his loaded question.

“I didn’t know I was getting married until this morning,” I answer.

His low chuckle arrows straight to my core.

“You knew before I did, then. My father ambushed me a few minutes before you arrived.”

Shock filters through me at his wry honesty. My tongue loosens.

“I didn’t know it was you I was marrying until I walked through your front door,” I say.

For some ungodly reason, I can’t stop challenging him at every turn.

“You win this round by a handful of minutes, then. I half expected a scrawny little kid covered in frills to stomp into the foyer. Maybe that’s why I can’t keep my hands off you. You’re too fucking gorgeous,mia topolina.”

Electricity buzzes through me as he skims his nose over the shell of my ear and traces his thumb higher on my chin, barely teasing my bottom lip. I push against his chest and tilt my face away from him.

He growls and nips my ear in displeasure. I gasp at the delicious sting and struggle to comprehend his words as he speaks.

“You said you were okay with this. Why are you shying away?”

I take a shuddering breath and swallow before responding.

“It’s just so sudden. Please, Gio—” I stop myself from saying his name as his warning rings in my ears. “Please don’t yank me away from the only constant I’ve ever had in my life. Let me live at my home until our wedding.”

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