Page 37 of With this Ring

Chapter Six

She couldn’t speak.

“Petal?”

How could she confess the truth? That she ached to be in his arms and snuggle against his strength, and more, that she wanted to be beside him, beneath him.

But a very real sense of self-preservation urged her to remain silent. Giving in to temptation with him a second time would only lead to heartbreak.

Three years ago, when he’d walked away from her without a backward glance, she’d been shattered, and she wasn’t sure she’d recovered.

After him, she’d made really bad choices with Toby that she was still recovering from.

How much worse would the devastation be if she surrendered to her emotional and physical needs again?

Despite the warmth, she shivered.

“Petal?”

In the fireplace, a log cracked, making her jump. “I…”

Waiting, he arched a single, dark eyebrow.

Her admission lodged in her throat as she struggled against the desire threatening her resolve.

“Are you going to sleep with me?” he asked again.

She was mad. But resisting him, and her own desires, was impossible. “With you.” She met his inscrutable gaze. Taking a deep breath, she quietly admitted, “But you won’t need to tie me up.”

“Fuck.”His curse was soft with repressed need.

In an instant, he was across the room, standing in front of her.

A muscle worked in his jaw as he regarded her. “Damn it, Sasha…” He reached out and traced her cheekbone with a fingertip.

Instinctively, she turned toward him.

“Tell me,” he urged.

Her heart thundered as he gently captured her face in his hands.

His gaze was intense, searching.

Like their last time together, his eyes were filled with desire. Unmistakable, raw desire.

She swallowed hard.

Here, with him, she was safe from the real world and its outside dangers. At least for now.

“Petal—”

“Take me to bed, Gregorio,” she whispered. “And I’m suddenly no longer tired.” Bravely, she met his gaze. “I want you. If you want me.”

“Jesus. Fucking hell, Petal.” His eyes darkened, making him even more formidable. “How can you wonder that?”

Her heart went into a freefall.

“Forgetting you—the way you taste, the way you respond—has been impossible.” His confession was gruff, filled with emotion.

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