Page 63 of With this Ring

She prided herself on being in control, but with Gregorio, she abandoned everything and wanted more.

Realizing he was still waiting, she gave herself a mental shake. “I slept better than I expected.” How could she not when she’d been snuggled against his hard body, protected by his arms? “I think I was more exhausted than I realized.”

“No doubt.”

Meeting his gaze, she said, “Thank you.”

“For?” He raised an eyebrow.

“For letting me stay.”

His eyes darkened, becoming endless pools of midnight that threatened to draw her in. The muscle in his jaw tightened,and when he spoke, his voice was rough with emotion. “I don’t think you understand, Little Petal. There’s no way I would have allowed you to walk away.”

In a vain attempt to steady herself, she took another sip of coffee. Then she turned back to the window, watching as the first rays of sunlight painted the trees in shades of gold and amber. “I was thinking about going for a run,” she said after a moment, her voice careful. She’d wanted to do that all morning, and she’d regretted not taking Gregorio up on last night’s offer to program her fingerprint into his security system. “Clear my head.”

“We can do that.”

She tensed, her shoulders stiffening as she turned to face him. “I meant alone.”

“Not happening.”

“Gregorio…” She exhaled. “I can take care of myself. As you know, I’ve been doing it for years.”

“And yet you’re here,” he said, his tone calm but unyielding. “You came to me because you knew you weren’t safe. Nothing’s changed since last night, Sasha. You’re not going anywhere alone.”

Frustration bubbled to the surface. She hated feeling trapped, hated that he was right. “Fine,” she said, setting her mug down with more force than necessary. Unable to help herself, she tossed him a challenge. “Try to keep up.”

“Oh, Sasha. You’re going to regret those words.” He shot her a grin that made her tummy turn over. “You’re on.”

The run was both relief and torture.

She set a steady pace through the wooded trails behind the Den, their breaths forming small clouds in the crisp morning air. Sasha was acutely aware of Gregorio’s presence near her, his footfalls matching hers, close enough to protect her, but far enough away to give her the illusion of freedom.

Every so often, when she glanced back, she caught him scanning their surroundings, his protective instincts never wavering. The physical exertion was welcome, but it didn’t banish her memories of last night or the need clawing at her again this morning.

Despite his response to her challenge, he didn’t close the gap between them, helping her relax.

A few minutes later, she rounded a tree, ready to head back.

Then suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and she was yanked to a stop. Breath whooshed from her as she was pulled against a hard, immovable chest.

“I’ll always accept your challenges, Petal.” Gregorio spun her around and pressed her back firmly against a tree.

Had she really thought that Gregorio would let her get away with her comment about keeping up?

Her heart roared as he pinned her wrists above her head. Even though he only used one hand, his grip was firm.

“Are you going to pretend last night didn’t happen?”

That was the only way she could survive him.

He leaned toward her purposefully, his gaze on her, possessive and intense. “Hmm, Petal?”

Instead of waiting for an answer, he brought his mouth down onto hers, kissing her deeply, claiming her, exploring her.

Lost in him, she moaned, instinctively arching toward him. Even if her mind shouted no, her body screamed yes.

He grasped her chin and tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Then he lowered himself against her, trapping her. His arousal was hard and insistent, pushing into her.

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