Page 18 of Cayden

“You cannot…”

“Two, you are going to start behaving like my wife and three, we need to talk about the pregnancy that I am not on board with. Four…” He grabbed her hand as she made to shove the door open. “You stay the hell away from my brother.”

“You’re being unreasonable.” She felt her heart jumping with fear at the stark look of fury on his handsome face.

“Unreasonable?” Letting go of her hand; he shoved his door open and came around to open hers.

“Get out.”

“You don’t…,” she gasped as he simply reached in and hauled her out of the vehicle.

Chapter 5

She stumbled, trying to regain her balance as he let go of her. The gravel crunched beneath her shoes; the sound ominously loud in the quiet forest. The air was thick with tension, and the cabin loomed ahead like a dark specter of their unresolved issues.

He did not speak another word until he fished the key from the flowerpot (She had no idea people still did that!). Shoving the plain red door open, he stepped back and allowed her to precede him inside. It was a large open area, with a big enough fireplace.

The fire blazing in the hearth emitted a warmth and coziness that was immediately felt. Pulling her coat around her protectively, she walked into the living area and stood by the fire, waiting for him to resume the argument. She stood there watching as he paced in a tight circle, his brow furrowed.

Shoving his hands into the pocket of his black dress pants, he came to a stop in front of her, eyes wandering over her face.

The silence stretched, weighted with unspoken words, and simmering resentment. She could feel her heart racing, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched her coat tighter. Finally, he broke the silence, his voice low as if he was trying to hold onto his temper.

“I was warned not to marry you.”

She jolted at that, her heart quivering. The hurt of his unexpected comment had her lifting her chin, determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he had pierced her.

“You can always divorce me.”

His eyes flashed. “Divorce? You want to be careful how you throw out that word.”

“What do you want me to do? Grovel and beg you not to leave?” Her anger mounted as she faced him squarely. “If you want to go, if you feel as if you have made a mistake, then let me make iteasy for you…” She started to tug at the rings, gasping when his hand clamped over hers crushingly.

“I should have listened.” He continued harshly, eyes blazing. “I should have waited before begging you… Yes! Damn you! I begged you to marry me. And that gave you the power. Leave?” His fingers tightened even more.

“I cannot leave! You have me wrapped around your little finger. I cannot stop wanting you. It is like a sickness inside me. The first time I laid eyes on you; I wanted to make you mine.” He flung her hand away and resumed his pacing.

Blair watched him, eyes tracking his movements, her heart in a turmoil. Their first encounter and even the ones after that had been volatile to say the least. His words just now had her feeling weak. But she was careful not to say anything to set him off even more.

Blair took a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions inside her. The crackling of the fire was the only sound in the room as she watched him struggle with his own storm. The weight of his confession hung between them, heavy and potent.

"I didn't ask for this," she said quietly, her voice trembling despite her efforts to keep it steady. "I didn't ask for you to feel this way, for either of us to feel this way. But here we are."

He stopped pacing, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. For a moment, the anger and frustration seemed to dissipate, replaced by something raw and genuine.

"Here we are," he echoed, his voice softer, almost defeated. "What do we do now, Blair?"

She shook her head, her gaze dropping to the fire. "I don't know, but we can't keep tearing each other apart like this. It is not fair to either of us."

He stared at her for several ticking minutes and felt the emotions storming through his body. The first time he laid eyes on her, something passed between them.

He had felt the prickle of awareness that was so potent, he had almost made a fool of himself, right then and there. He, who had always been able to go in and out of a relationship without looking back had finally met someone he could not say goodbye to.

He had been bold and charming, trying to get her into bed. He had invited her back into the café for another cup of coffee and she had refused. He had then persisted and followed her until he became her unofficial guide. But to his constant frustration, she had refused to sleep with him.

At first, he had thought that as soon as he had sex with her, his life would resume, that he would go back to being the person he was before he met her. But he had underestimated her influence on him. Just kissing her had blown him away. After that, it had been impossible for him to keep his hands off her.

And he had bloody well tried, determined that no woman would ever hold that much control over him. But she had and still did. Even after five years, she still had the power to twist him inside out.

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