Page 34 of Catching His Runaway

I find Bia, Camellia, and Alle eating their dinner. Eliza’s flipping through a random book in the library, perking up at the realization that Urzo must be home.

The kitchen is empty besides the women who continue to cook our meals. The garden is empty.

By the time I’m taking two steps at a time up the grand staircase, I’m breathless. Reaching the last place to come to mind, I shove the door to my bedroom open and flick on the light.

The lump on my bed stirs beneath the blanket, clutching the blanket closer to her body. Walking over to the bed, I grab the blanket and yank it away.

Valeria hisses as the light hits her eyes and squints. Frowning up at me, she tries to reach for the blanket.

“You’re still here.” Panting, the words tumble out of my mouth. “You didn’t run. No one took you away.”

Blinking, she rubs at her eyes. “I’mtryingto sleep.”

The bed creaks the moment my knee makes contact, and her gasp fills the air as I move to hover over her. Looking down at her, I see she’s growing more alert. Her eyes search my face with confusion.

Moving to rest on her elbows, her brows come together as she eliminates another few inches between us. “What happened?”

Unable to think as relief washes over me, I swoop down and swallow her next gasp as my mouth finds hers. Flattening her against the mattress, she opens up with ease, letting me explore her mouth with wild abandon.

She fists my shirt, yanking on it. Instead of pushing me away, she’s tugging me closer. Licking and nipping at her bottom lip, I leave it swollen before moving my mouth toward her neck. All the while, my heart rages in my chest, bashing and thrashing without any constraints.

“Elijah wants to take you away from me,” I tell her as my mouth finds a sensitive spot beneath her ear. When her body suddenly stiffens, my hand finds the hem of her shirt, and I slip my hand beneath to feel her smooth skin. So warm and soft. “The bastard doesn’t understand that you’re already taken.”

“Tommy—” She sucks in a breath when I lap at her neck and find one of her breasts to cup. Her nipple is already pinching tight, stabbing the palm of my hand.

“You’remine, Valeria. I don’t share with disgusting vile.” Growling the words, I feel the layer of goosebumps that breaks across her skin. “No one can touch you, not like this. This is mine.”

Growling deep into the pit of my chest, I grind against her, seeking some relief.

She doesn’t have a clue what I’m talking about, and I don’t want to tell her. If she learns the plan is to allow men to touch and taste her body, I don’t want to know how she’ll react. She’ll hate me even more if I break their hands and take their eyes for trying to touch her.

Her hips lift to meet mine, and she moans softly. “Did you go out and get drunk? What in the hell is wrong with you?”

There is something clouding my judgment, but it isn’t alcohol. She’s making it impossible to think, not while she’s squirming beneath me.

Lifting high enough to make breathing a little easier, her chest rises and falls. With my hand shoved beneath, I’m seeing more skin than she’d ever allow me to on a normal day.

Her eyes search like she’s trying to find the answer to the mess happening inside of me. The truth is, this woman came in like a fucking tornado and destroyed everything in her path. I’m the only one who’s gotten the blunt of it, seeing as I’ve refused to leave her side.

“Tommy.” Using my name as ammunition, she says it more softly this time. It’s enough to make my teeth grit. “Tell me what happened.”

There’s the haze of arousal flushing her cheeks that’s clashing against her concern. I’d rather she just let me take out my frustrations on her pussy, but she doesn’t budge when I don’t answer her.

With how much time we’ve spent together, she should see it. She should know.

Do I really need to spell it out to her?

Pulling away momentarily, I run a hand down my face as I take in her worried expression. The last thing she should be feeling is concern for me. I don’t know when the shift happened, but now we both care too much.

Finally, I sigh heavily, and my shoulders sink. The weight of what this woman is doing to me finally takes over, making me feel heavy.

“You’redestroyingthe man I am, Valeria.” Grabbing her hand, I flatten her palm against my chest. “Do you feel that? The weakness you’ve let loose?”

Her cheeks flood deeper in color as I let her feel the state of my heart. It’s been beating against my ribs from the moment I first stepped off the property. Every second I spend away from her, I’m at unease.

There’s no undoing what she’s done to me. I’m fucked, and she has to understand what she’s done. She has to take responsibility.

She has to understand why I’m not going to be able to let her go. If she thinks she can leave the estate, then she has to be alright with me being her shadow.

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