Page 97 of King of Omen

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore, taking an exasperated and nailing his smoulder with a stern glance.

‘Your wife?’ I threw at him. ‘I’m not your freakin’ wife. Why would you say I am your wife?’

His lips curled. ‘You’re the one who keeps repeating it, and I’ve learnt never to interrupt my woman when she’s voicing what she wants.’

‘Of all the arrogant, self-indulgent, full of shit statements you’ve ever made -.’ I spluttered, unable to say more.

He arched a brow and smirked. ‘There’s truth to it, no, bella?’

I flushed under my skin, hating how the word warmed me. Still, I refused to give him any satisfaction and scowled. There was also no reasoning with him on this topic, so I changed tack.

‘What the hell do you want, Lorenzo?’ I spat, slamming my book shut with a force that shuddered the table.

He let out a gruff and resonant laugh, gazing at me with a smugness that had my blood boiling.

‘I want you where I can see you, Mia bella,’ he rasped.

‘You want me to obey without question,’ I threw back. ‘I can’t stand your bullheaded assumptions and distrust; it’s unacceptable,’ I retorted, shaking with anger. ‘It’s not what I signed up for. You accused me of cheating, so why show up here like this? What are you even doing, sitting here?’

He leaned in closer, his eyes flashing with fury and passion. ‘I won’t let any more assholes anywhere near you,’ he growled, a possessive edge to his rumble. ‘And I’m not moving until we resolve this.’

Fuck, he was pushy.

‘You don’t decide who I spend time with, Lorenzo,’ I shot back, my voice edged with annoyance. ‘You also can’t stalk me whenever you please or save me like some knight in shining armour. I’m no damsel in distress.’

He shook his head, a hint of frustration crossing his face. ‘Non mi rompere le scatole.’

‘What does that even fucking mean?’

‘Don’t break my boxes, bella. It means you’re getting on my nerves, and you need to stop annoying me with your stubbornness. I’m not trying to be a hero, Mia, but you’re better off keeping to my wishes.’

I snorted, disbelief etched on my face. ‘Oh, right, because you’ve been such a paragon of trust and stability so far?’

His eyes flashed, a storm of emotions churning. ‘Mia, I am a possessive man, and I don’t like you bringing strange men into my house, regardless of whether they’re friends.’

‘And I don’t like your alpha, controlling ass. Feel free to feed your ego on your own time because if that’s your preferred stance with me, I’m busy. Where does that leave us?’

He sliced his eyes away for a moment, a furrow creasing his brow.

His eyes were filled with exasperation when he turned back at me. ‘So, I lost my temper, and I got jealous. That’s because you are mine, and I won’t let you go or let anyone else have you.’

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my frayed nerves.

While Lorenzo’s claim was sweet and mind-blowing in how much it touched me, it was still control wrapped up in charm.

‘You can’t just show up here and try to push me around like you own me, Lorenzo,’ I argued, my voice rising. ‘I’m my own woman. You don’t have the right to tell me who I can or cannot be with.’

He huffed a dark rumble that sent shivers down my spine. ‘It’s not about control, Mia. It’s about keeping you safe. You’ve no idea what the men after me are capable of, and I won’t let them hurt you.’

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. ‘I’ve been living on my own for years, Lorenzo. I can take care of myself.’

He leaned back in his seat, staring at me with an intensity that made my heart pound. ‘You’re right. You have been on your own for years. But you’ve never had a man love on you, watch out for you, someone who had your back, who would do anything to protect you. And now you do. I’m that man, Mia. Whether you like it or not, I’m here to stay.’

He was still jacked up with tension, from his heaving chest to his clenched fists, but his eyes softened when he raked his eyes over me again. ‘I know this is hard for you, but given the threat from credible sources, you need to be where I can have a close eye until I have a protection unit I can keep on you, bella,’ he said in a softer rasp. ‘Am I clear?’

Our eyes locked, and we waged a wild war for a few moments before I dragged my gaze from him, trying to find sense. I found it soon enough.

He cared about me, plain and simple. While pushy and savage in his desire to protect me, it touched me.

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