Page 84 of Before Broken Vows
I do.
He strokes my cheek. "Now."
I swallow everything. Slowly. Keeping eye contact the entire time.
"Thank you, Sir."
"Fucking perfect," he breathes, dragging me to my feet and into a kiss that tastes like everything we've just done. His arms wrap around me, holding me tighter than he ever has.
As he holds me, I realize he didn't fuck me because this wasn't about that. This was about ownership.
About trust.
About remembering.
He kisses my neck a few times and then we fall into bed, our bodies tangled together. My head rests on his shoulder, and for a while, we just breathe, lost in the moment.
After a few moments wrapped up in the moment, Theo breaks the silence.
"So, I need to talk to you," he says, brushing a thumb along my cheek.
My stomach tightens. I nod and sit up to look at him.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"I'm taking us back to Greece," he says, no hesitation.
My heart stutters. "Wait. What? When?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. I have more of my men arriving in the morning to help bring us all back. "
"Theo—"
"We've got to. It's not safe here anymore. I saw a man at the café today. No drink, no food, just sitting there watching us. And a car parked across the main entrance from the zoo. The man just sat there, staring at us."
I shake my head. "That doesn't mean anything. How would anyone know we were there?"
He shrugs. "I don't know. And maybe I'm overreacting, but I'll just continue to do that outside areas I know I can fully protect you. Either way, I think the longer we stay here, the more exposed we are."
I look away, swallowing the lump in my throat. "And you think bringing us back to Kalamata is the answer?"
"Yes," he says firmly. "I need to get back. Figure out who sent you that package, and I need you and Xander close. Where I can control the security," he says and rubs my cheek. "Stassi,whoever sent you that package won't just go away. And we can't run or hide forever. I need to get back to where my family has control and find them."
"Do I have a choice?" I ask with a bit of hostility.
"I let you plan this trip. I let you call the shots. But this is non-negotiable. I need you close. I need our son where I can protect him."
"And if I say no?" I ask.
His jaw clenches.
"Then I'll drag you kicking and screaming," he says with a smile and leans over and kisses me. "Because I will burn the whole world down before I let anyone get to you or our son."
I think for a moment, going back and forth in my mind between my own primal desire to just be with Theo—follow him to the ends of the earth with our son—but also the fear that a mother carries to protect her baby.
"Okay," I say in a low tone.
"Okay?"
