intend to help you. You think I like knowing that you struggled so much all these years when I should have helped?â
The guilt in his eyes stayed her for a few seconds.
âWell, I donât want your help. Is it not enough that you...you own half your country, do you also have to be good at gardening and fixing the house and a million other things?â Didnât he see how hard he was making this all for her? âYou might as well label me incompetent and be done with it.â
* * *
If he had ever assumed he could understand the complexities of Alexisâs mind, he was wrong. A simple conversation with her was like handling a hundred Lucas and Valentinas on their worst days.
From the moment they had spoken of that night seven years ago, it was as if there was an invisible wall between them and she had retreated behind it.
Except when they were both with Isabella. That was the only time she smiled, the only time she made eye contact with him.
Dio , the only time the stubborn woman even acknowledged his presence in her house.
He hadnât been there a single night before he realized how much responsibility rested on her shoulders, how many day-to-day things Alexis handled with barely a complaint and with an efficiency that he couldnât help but admire.
Still, it was too much for one person. She had handled so much for so long alone.
It had proved easy enough to win her parents over now that he truly intended to take care of Isabella and even Alexis by association, to change their perception that he was the big bad wolf that had gobbled up their lovely daughter.
Only Alexis began to act strange. The more her parents and even her friend Emma realized his true intentions and supported him, the more withdrawn she became. A betrayed look dawned in her gaze. Now, when he was finally doing the right thing.
And the worst thing was that her mistrust was taking a toll on him. The more she dismissed him, the more stringent became his need to make her acknowledge him, and his right to be in her life.
Not just his right over Isabella. But he wanted Alexis, too.
There it was...the knot that he hadnât been able to unravel in the past week.
Look at how he had held her just now. At how violently and instantly his body had reacted to the mere graze of her slender curves against his. At how insanely powerful the urge was to touch her, to taste her, to bury his nose in the crook of her neck and breathe in the scent of her skin.
His desire for her was already out of control, threatening his plan.
When her friend Justin had visited and embraced her, all heâd wanted to do was pull her away from the young, blond, insufferably amiable giant and tuck her away behind him.
To declare like a Neanderthal that Alexis wasnât available.
When they had laughed together over some childhood story, when heâd seen how familiar Justin was with Alexis and everything regarding her...heâd felt the most absurd sense of jealousy.
He hadnât felt possessive even about a toy in his childhood.
Teeth clenched, eyes closed, he counted to ten.
The scent of her, skin and sweat and undeniably her, it filled his lungs, his blood, unlocking every rebellious, insidiously craven indulgence his body wanted with her.
Dio, how he wanted her. Even after everything. Even today.
She would be his wife, his to possess, his to protect.
She would be in his bed, his room, his life. He could have her whenever, wherever, however he wanted, until this madness in his blood was defeated. Until every irrationally possessive clawing was satisfied. Until he was inured to this feverish desire he felt for her.
Until he could look at her and feel nothing but satisfaction that heâd done the right thing.
Beneath this war she was waging with him, Alexis was like him. At such a young age, sheâd been forced into being a mother and yet it was clear that she exceled at it. She cared for everyone around her, to the detriment
The guilt in his eyes stayed her for a few seconds.
âWell, I donât want your help. Is it not enough that you...you own half your country, do you also have to be good at gardening and fixing the house and a million other things?â Didnât he see how hard he was making this all for her? âYou might as well label me incompetent and be done with it.â
* * *
If he had ever assumed he could understand the complexities of Alexisâs mind, he was wrong. A simple conversation with her was like handling a hundred Lucas and Valentinas on their worst days.
From the moment they had spoken of that night seven years ago, it was as if there was an invisible wall between them and she had retreated behind it.
Except when they were both with Isabella. That was the only time she smiled, the only time she made eye contact with him.
Dio , the only time the stubborn woman even acknowledged his presence in her house.
He hadnât been there a single night before he realized how much responsibility rested on her shoulders, how many day-to-day things Alexis handled with barely a complaint and with an efficiency that he couldnât help but admire.
Still, it was too much for one person. She had handled so much for so long alone.
It had proved easy enough to win her parents over now that he truly intended to take care of Isabella and even Alexis by association, to change their perception that he was the big bad wolf that had gobbled up their lovely daughter.
Only Alexis began to act strange. The more her parents and even her friend Emma realized his true intentions and supported him, the more withdrawn she became. A betrayed look dawned in her gaze. Now, when he was finally doing the right thing.
And the worst thing was that her mistrust was taking a toll on him. The more she dismissed him, the more stringent became his need to make her acknowledge him, and his right to be in her life.
Not just his right over Isabella. But he wanted Alexis, too.
There it was...the knot that he hadnât been able to unravel in the past week.
Look at how he had held her just now. At how violently and instantly his body had reacted to the mere graze of her slender curves against his. At how insanely powerful the urge was to touch her, to taste her, to bury his nose in the crook of her neck and breathe in the scent of her skin.
His desire for her was already out of control, threatening his plan.
When her friend Justin had visited and embraced her, all heâd wanted to do was pull her away from the young, blond, insufferably amiable giant and tuck her away behind him.
To declare like a Neanderthal that Alexis wasnât available.
When they had laughed together over some childhood story, when heâd seen how familiar Justin was with Alexis and everything regarding her...heâd felt the most absurd sense of jealousy.
He hadnât felt possessive even about a toy in his childhood.
Teeth clenched, eyes closed, he counted to ten.
The scent of her, skin and sweat and undeniably her, it filled his lungs, his blood, unlocking every rebellious, insidiously craven indulgence his body wanted with her.
Dio, how he wanted her. Even after everything. Even today.
She would be his wife, his to possess, his to protect.
She would be in his bed, his room, his life. He could have her whenever, wherever, however he wanted, until this madness in his blood was defeated. Until every irrationally possessive clawing was satisfied. Until he was inured to this feverish desire he felt for her.
Until he could look at her and feel nothing but satisfaction that heâd done the right thing.
Beneath this war she was waging with him, Alexis was like him. At such a young age, sheâd been forced into being a mother and yet it was clear that she exceled at it. She cared for everyone around her, to the detriment
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