Page 35 of Born a Queen

Well, he had a point. He probably literally could beat up any man that touched her. "Okay, maybe you can, but that doesn't mean you should."

"Yes, it does." Still he wouldn’t look at her.

She didn't know if she should be amused or annoyed at this point. He was definitely the most stubborn man she'd ever met. There was no give in him. He claimed to want her, claimed to want to keep her safe and happy, but she didn't know yet if she could trust him to give her the tools she needed for that happiness.

As she was staring at him, he finally turned to look at her. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. It was big and warm and wrapped over her delicate bones. She didn't know why he did it. Was he trying to comfort her? She wasn't really in distress, she felt perfectly safe with him, if a little annoyed. No, it felt more like a claiming. Possession. He was telling her who she belonged to.

"What are you thinking when you look at me like that?" he asked her.

She was surprised that he asked her something like that in front of his men. Mafia guys had an image to project, but Mateo didn't seem to care what his people thought of him. At least not about anything connected to Raina. He said and did what he wanted where she was concerned.

She thought about giving him a flippant answer, but the moment didn't feel flip. She chewed on her lip for a second and then told him the truth. "I was thinking… that you'll do anything for me.” Though her voice was quiet, only just above the noise of the airplane, it rang with conviction.

He nodded slowly, looking at her, studying her fierce features. "I would do anything for you," he agreed, tipping her chin with his fingers. "Even the things that you don’t want me to do. You belong to me, it's my job to see to your safety and comfort."

"At the expense of everything else?" she replied with a frown. "Conflict is a part of life. You can't disappear all those things for me. Life doesn't work that way."

He leaned over capturing her face and pulling it towards him. They met in the middle, him pressing his lips against hers with a stinging kiss. He leaned back, his face inches from hers. "Watch me."

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