Bella looked at me helplessly and I nodded. At this point, I needed to spend some time alone with Jago. I might not like it, but at this point, I had no other choice.

  “It’s okay, Bella. Just try and rest. We’ll explore the castle in the morning.” I had no idea what time it was. I remained partially in a fog, time and space holding little meaning.

  She nodded, trying her best to keep from crying. I noticed the intense lines on her face as exhaustion combined with fear.

  “Emiliano, go with Kruz and check the grounds. You need to learn the security.” I didn’t look at my commander, instead keeping my eyes on Jago. He wasn’t going to play the God-almighty card with me. I would have a say with my men.

  Even if so many of my choices had been ripped away.

  Jago nodded to Kruz while I felt Emiliano’s tense stare. Why did everything need to feel like a standoff with the men?

  Why was my mind playing with me, screaming danger, danger over and over again? Because Jago was dangerous and I was mixed up in a world I had no business being in. However, I needed to shove that aside and get down to business.

  He was awaiting an answer. While I still had a few hours until D-day, neither one of us were in the mood for a long, drawn-out game.

  Yet he wanted to play the anticipation card, already heading toward the other side of the room. Meanwhile, I stood where I was, feeling a strange draft and wondering if it was from all the ghosts that had likely lived and died in the place.

  Before he made his final approach to a gorgeously ornate bar, he stopped long enough to turn and look at me. Did he think I was going to try to escape? I wasn’t even certain I could find my way back to my father’s estate at this point.

  “If you’re cold, I can start a fire.” His words seemed heartfelt, but I didn’t trust his generosity. Unlike the men I’d met in cartels, he was suave, so much so I knew it was used as a weapon. My guess was that his fake sophistication was a hit with the ladies. I’d envisioned him with dozens of them, including right now.

  Why did I care if he’d slept with every woman in Barcelona? Well, maybe not every woman. I bit back a nervous laugh and glanced at the fireplace. The massive arched opening gave way to the chimney following all the way to the vaulted ceiling. “Are you also a big mountain man too? Do you wield chainsaws and mauls with ease?”

  He didn’t seem to take kindly to my morbid sense of humor.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “Just exhausted.”

  “I can imagine.” Every time he provided me with a longing look, a feeling of being on fire replaced the chill. His footsteps echoed as he brought two similar-looking glasses, keeping a decent distance as he handed one to me. “We should put ice on your face.”

  I touched my cheek and winced. “I think a few black and blue marks are the least of my worries.”

  As before, I carefully avoided our fingers touching. Tonight, I didn’t need any additional complications including desire getting in the way. This was a business transaction and nothing more.

  He lifted his glass without saying anything, the silent toast proving more daunting than if he’d plied me with promises and lies.

  I took a swallow, instantly grateful for the slight burn.

  “You did very well protecting yourself and your family, Genevieve.”

  “That doesn’t feel like a compliment coming from you, but here’s the raw deal. I killed a man. And whether I should tell you this or not, I’ve never been forced to do that before in my life. I don’t like the feeling.”

  “I assure you after you’ve killed a few more, you’ll feel nothing.”

  “Just like you.”

  “Just like me.”

  I shook my head, half laughing. “I feel so sorry for you, Jago. You have no care about anyone else but yourself and certainly no guilt at ending a life.”

  “Do you honestly believe the men I’ve killed deserved to live?”

  “I wouldn’t know.”

  “No, you wouldn’t because you’ve been protected as you should have been.” He swirled his drink and I was drawn to the action, maybe needing something simple to ground me at that point.

  Another sigh escaped me. “I appreciate you coming to help me. I believe I needed to say that.”

  He laughed. “Was it so difficult?”

  “Yes, it was.”

  “Hopefully, you know now that I’ve done so that I’m not your enemy any longer.”

  “But you once were. That’s something I can’t forget.”

  “Duly noted and wise.”

  “Does that mean you plan on killing me in the night?”

  He decided to take a step closer. I was instantly intoxicated by his aftershave, but it wasn’t the same one as imbedded in the butter-soft leather of his expensive Cadillac SUV.

  “Only if I awaken to find you holding that saber of a knife over my head.” He grinned and when his features softened, I felt myself melting.

  “You never know what I’ll do.”

  “Good to know.” He glanced at his watch. “I realize you have approximately six hours before you’re required to provide me with an answer, but given everything we’ve both been through, I think it prudent that we discuss your decision.”

  “Once I’ve made a decision, there is no discussion.”

  “As with everything, there will be terms. If you say no, I’ll ensure your house is secure and send you home tomorrow with a silent prayer that you’ll make it through another night.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “Does it appear I am?”

  My tongue suddenly stuck to the roof of my mouth, preventing me from saying anything. It wasn’t often I was rendered tongue-tied and I hated it.

  And the man.

  I closed my eyes, thinking it would be easier to say the words. “Fine. I will marry you, but under the condition I won’t be forced to birth your spawn.”

  He choked before bursting into laughter. “My spawn. Well, since you put it that way, I think it’s best we do agree on that. I’m curious as to why you hate the thought so much. I doubt it’s all about me.”

  “A good eighty percent. I also don’t believe that forcing children to live in this environment is the right thing to do. Did you see Bella’s face? She’s petrified. She can’t remember her mother because this horrible life claimed her as a weakness. She just lost her father and now her sister who only recently came back into her life after several years was almost killed. She’s fragile. She’s not capable of handling this.”

  The statement hung in the air and I honestly wasn’t certain if he had any ounce of decency in him.

  “I beg to differ. She is as strong as you are, my beautiful fiancée.”

  I cringed hearing the term. “Please don’t call me that.”

  “Well, that is what you are. I understand we’re both exhausted, but tomorrow we’ll need to make plans for our upcoming wedding.”

  “Are you kidding me? I’m not ready for that.”

  He closed the distance and another wave of heated suffocation was driven into me. It almost hurt looking at his breathtakingly gorgeous face. He was truly a perfect specimen and the dichotomy of his prowess and brutality was stimulating yet constantly threatening. “Since we were both attacked tonight, we don’t have the luxury of wasting any time. We need to send a message.” He gently brushed his knuckles across my cheek as an exclamation point on his statement.

  “You were also attacked?”

  “How sweet. I heard the concern in your voice. Yes, one of my warehouses, only the men involved were Turks, not the Moroccans who invaded your home.”

  “You know they were Moroccans?”

  “Yes. Two of them had Arabic symbols.”

  I stared down at his hands and couldn’t help shivering. Eight fingers were tatted as I’d assumed. I still wasn’t ready to comprehend what the letters spelled. Maybe it was nothing more than gibberish. “Then we’ll discuss the final terms tomorrow. Now, where can I sleep?”

  He lowered his head, his dark eyes more luminescent than I’d seen before. With his breathing labored, the heat coming from his exhalation sent vibrations straight to my core. He lifted his arm, curling his fingers and the thought of him touching me was both enticing and terrifying. The last thing I wanted was to fall under his spell.

  He slowly lowered his arm. “I took the liberty of selecting a bedroom for you and had your things brought to the room. Incidentally, your brother and sister are on the second floor. Your room is up the stairs on the third floor, first door on the left. If you don’t find that one suitable then I’m certain of the other ten or so bedrooms, you’ll find one more to your liking.”

  “You don’t know how many bedrooms you have in your own home?”

  The way his upper lip curled was maddening. He had a way of looking sexy without trying. “Let’s just say I’ve spent two nights in the castle and three days dealing with contractors and an interior designer. They were all strenuous ordeals.”

  At least his answer allowed me to laugh. “That’s what happens when you’re a mile-high millionaire.”

  He furrowed his brows and looked at me skeptically. “You have me at a loss.”

  “Your head in the clouds.”

  “Ah. Perhaps you’re right.”

  His lips were dangerously close. Too close. Before I did something I’d regret, I backed away, cautiously watching him before turning around and heading for the large doorway. I stopped just inside, debating my question, but truly wanted to know. “Just so I’m aware. Where is your bedroom?”

  “On the third floor as well, but I assure you I won’t be bothering you. I rarely sleep and when I do, it’s usually sitting up.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. Damn. Even with blood on the collar of his shirt, he was sexy as hell. “What a pity.”

  “Which part, Genevieve? That I rarely sleep or that I won’t break into your room?” A muscle pulled at his stubble-covered jaw. At that moment he exuded the power and aura of a calculated predator.

  I didn’t answer him before walking out, but as I headed for the stairs, I realized it was a little of both.

  CHAPTER 20

  Genevieve

  Hearing a noise, I turned around to find the door to the chosen bedroom being pitched open, Jago strolling inside. The look on his face was carnal, his eyes sweeping over me as if he was eyeing his first feast in days. He closed the door with a hard thud and shook his head. There was a sense he was waiting for me to say get out, daring me to demand he leave.

  But I couldn’t.

  No, I didn’t want to.

  Every part of my mind knew this was a bad idea, but my body couldn’t find the strength to respond accordingly.

  In two long strides, he pinned me against the wall, instantly fisting my hair at the scalp. Even as I pressed my palms against him, he gripped my shirt, ripping it away from the waistband of my jeans. We both took several shallow breaths and I knew this was my last opportunity to push him away.

  It didn’t happen.

  He crushed his mouth over mine so roughly that the breath was knocked from my lungs and into his. He kissed me as if he’d been terrified he’d lost me or as if this was our last chance at tasting one another. I struggled with my emotions, feeling raw and untethered, but as I wrapped my fingers around his shirt, I felt as much a sense of peace as I did viral need.

  As he plunged his tongue inside, I fell into the heat of the moment, kissing him back the exact same way. We were both drowning in desire, incapable of pulling away from each other.

  The taste of him made me feral, the rush of toxicity from the whiskey mixed with peppermint. Just the fact he’d popped a mint before deciding to ravage me brought another wave of heat and fire so strong my pulse skyrocketed.

  He broke his hold only long enough to rip the shirt off me, grinning evilly as he tossed it aside. I fumbled to jerk his shirt free so I could touch his emblazoned skin. His chest rose and fell as he yanked his tee shirt from behind his neck.

  Then he kissed me again and I felt weightless, as if the attack had never happened. As if this was the most romantic and powerful moment of my life. He captured my mouth, claiming it as his own, dominating my tongue as if I would always belong to him.

  The breathlessness continued as I brushed my fingers up the sides of his chest to his wide shoulders. I’d been right. The touch of him alone seared my skin. We were both on fire, incapable of breaking the connection.

  When his lips finally left mine, I let out a strangled moan, already yearning for more.

  “You’re fucking beautiful,” he whispered. “An angel. A goddamn fucking angel.”

  “I’m no angel.” I licked my lips, realizing they were already swollen from his roughness. And I loved it.

  “You taste so damn good. I can’t wait to feast on that pretty little pussy of yours.”

  His words were thrilling, the sin and filth wrapped in every word exactly what I needed. He lifted my chin using the tips of his fingers, hungrily biting my neck as a growl erupted from deep within his chest.

  I tangled my fingers in his hair, gasping for air as I arched my back. “This is so…”

  “Bad for us? I’ll take that.” He dragged his tongue from one side of my jaw to the other, the sensations so electric I could no longer feel my legs. Everything about this was messy, but with every stroke of his hand and every heated breath, I found myself losing all sense of control.

  “Yes. Bad… And…” I could no longer put a coherent sentence together and he chuckled as if the amusement was exactly what he needed.

  He slowed his pace, darting a lick across my lips and nose while unfastening my bra. I couldn’t move, frozen from the deliriously amazing sensations. My mind was foggy and I was only vaguely aware he’d removed my bra. The cool air in the room felt naughty against my taut nipples, but it was nothing like the eruptive heat when he blew across one then the other.

  I lolled my head to the side, able to catch our reflection in the dresser mirror. We looked fucking hot together, even if I was a mess.

  He rolled one hand down to the curve of my waist, his grip firm as he licked between my breasts.

  “Pu… please.”

  “Please what, princess?”

  I laughed nervously, unused to asking a man for what I wanted, least of all a man I should consider my enemy. For all the confidence I’d displayed, he had a way of making me feel completely inexperienced. “Please don’t stop.”

  “I have no intentions of doing so until I’ve ruined you.”

  Little did he know he already had.

  I was trembling in his hold and the moment he pulled a nipple between his teeth, I allowed a sharp cry to flow. Instantly, I stiffened.

  “Relax and scream all you want. In fact, I want you to scream my name when I make you come time and time again. They can’t hear you. The walls are too thick.”

  He knew exactly what I was thinking.

  Did he also know my attraction to him was increasing viscerally? Another wave of nerves rushed through me and I almost tittered with laughter, but as he rolled his lips to my other hardened bud, I moaned instead.

  The tingling sensations continued.

  “Touch me, Genevieve. I want to know you want me.” His actions became rougher once again, close to becoming brutal as he bit down on my nipple.

  I brushed my palms over his shoulders, touching the scars on his back. As my fingers moved over them, he lifted his head.

  There was an even more primal way he was looking at me, a true predatory stance. His smile was lopsided as he breathed, his eyes already hooded as if drunk on lust.

  As he started to slowly lower to his knees, prickles erupted on my skin. Even the way he unfastened my jeans was sexy as hell. After he pulled the zipper, I rested my head against the wall. Why was I shaking so badly?

  He pressed his face between my legs, inhaling deeply.

  “You smell so damn sweet, Genevieve. Peaches. Cherries.”

  I was so wrought with excitement I almost demanded he make a choice. He was almost gentle in untying and removing my boots, taking his time in doing so.

  This was his house and these were his rules.

  As he tugged on my jeans, I realized I’d never been so turned on in my life. We were little more than strangers even after everything we’d been through. That allowed me to feel greedy without experiencing guilt. What this meant from here, I didn’t know and didn’t care.

  I looked away as he helped me step out of the tight denim, whimpering softly as he slid his hand between my legs.

  “You’re so wet for me. Aren’t you?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I like that.” He took another exaggerated whiff, holding his breath and I couldn’t help but stare down at him.

  The sweet brutality of his actions continued as he grabbed a handful of lace, snapping his wrist. The shock of both the deed and the force pitched me forward.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll catch you if you fall.”

  Somehow, I knew he would.

  “Spread for me, Genevieve. Spread your thighs so I can see your perfect pussy.”

  Every word he said to me created a tingle of embarrassment, but I did as he asked, even bending my legs slightly and arching the balls of my feet.

  He chuckled as he blew a swath of hot air between my legs, gripping both my thighs.

  I smashed my hands against the wall, shifting my head from side to side. This time when I caught my reflection, I made a silly face. This wasn’t the woman I’d thought I would become. This was someone I no longer recognized. Obviously not satisfied, he pressed them even wider apart.

  “Watch me. Don’t take your eyes off me.”

  His voice was gruff, huskier than before and I did as he commanded, blinking several times as another wave of nerves sputtered through me. I felt like putty in his hands as he rubbed my inner thighs with his callused fingers.

  Butterflies swarmed my stomach with the first dart of his tongue on my clit. I froze as he swirled the tip of a single finger, no longer worried about who I was or who he was.

  Our identities and job descriptions no longer mattered. All that did was the pleasure consuming me.