Page 28 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride

“Tia?” Val questioned, looking far too innocent. He went to reach for me, but I kept moving backward while I shook my head.

“That shouldn’t have happened,” I murmured, struggling to keep it together while my mind and body warred. I put a hand up as a silent cue that I wanted him to stay back. “This was a mistake.”

While everything about his touch felt better than I wanted to admit, what lingered of it almost seemed to burn with the realization of what I allowed to happen.

I was supposed to be resisting him, not giving in. For my sake, I couldn’t do that.

Despite not understanding, Val stayed where he was, looking almost pained by my words. A touch of guilt moved through me at that, but I couldn’t dwell on it. I needed to put those secure walls back up around me, even if it hurt him.

Unable to look at him, I turned away and hurried out to put more of a boundary between us.

Leaving the room behind, I forced in a deep breath the moment I reached the hallway and took a moment to collect myself.

I could still feel the ghost of Val’s touch along my body, and the heat of his mouth on mine. It made me ache all over, but I forced it down.

I had to…I had to get him out of my head.

Not giving him the chance to lure me back in again, I continued down the hall, searching for somewhere—anywhere—to be alone.

How could I be such an idiot?

The moment he applied the slightest bit of pressure, I crumbled embarrassingly easily.

It was stupid and reckless, and I couldn’t believe I’d allowed it to last as long as it had, to let him sink his claws into me.

That magnetizing pull I felt towards him was dangerous, and I needed to push it away regardless of how difficult that seemed to be.

I couldn’t trust Val, and that meant staying away from him whenever possible.

If my resolve could shake that easily, it was more important than ever for me to put my guard back up again.

I couldn’t let him in, no matter how addictive his mouth was.

Chapter 11 - Val

Tia was everywhere at once, claiming every inch of space in my head regardless of her iciness towards me.

I couldn’t get her out, and something in me didn’t want to.

She was maddening in every way possible, and I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to take.

After getting to know how it felt to touch her skin…how it sounded when her breath caught in her throat at how tantalizingly close we had been…feeling and tasting her mouth on mine…it was too much to ignore.

That moment of agonizing bliss replayed in my mind more often than I wanted to admit even to myself. I couldn’t stop hearing those breathless sounds of hers or feeling the warmth of her body against mine.

After getting that taste, I was drowning in my need for her, and it was driving me crazy.

That exchange ignited that raw and primal hunger within me, and try as I might, it was impossible to shake.

I wanted more…Ineededmore.

But she was so goddamn stubborn. So persistent in all the wrong ways.

None of it should’ve been a problem. Given how we were married, and everything was set in place, there should’ve been little room left for resistance, especially given how much we clearly wanted each other.

We were bound by marriage, regardless of how either of us felt about it, but Tia was fierce in her resolve.

She knew exactly how to make me want even more, regardless of her intentions.

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