Treachery

Luca

Ta

After getting a shower and putting on some clothes, I’d run downstairs to find him in the kitchen cooking breakfast. We ate in uncomfortable silence, his eyes glancing up at me every so often like he had something to say.

The day wore on, and now it’s mid-afternoon. Although I can feel the tension surrounding him, I have no idea what’s causing it.

Fed up with it, I decide to confront him when he finishes his phone call with Gabriel upstairs. There’s no reason for him to be moody. The stuff with Clayton is done. We’re not fighting about anything. And except for the servers missing, Ta

But maybe that’s the problem.

This entire thing started because of those servers, and even though I’ve gotten everything I wanted, regardless of what I went through to get it, Ta

That’s not my fault, though. And I won’t put up with his brooding and grumpy behavior.

A few minutes later, I hear his footsteps as he comes down the stairs, my eyes locking on his typical swagger when he turns a corner to walk into the living room on his way to the kitchen.

“Stop right there.”

Ta

“Is there a problem?”

Sighing, I shift my position on the couch to cross my legs.

“You’re the problem.”

His brow cocks, and he turns to face me fully.

“Is that so?”

There’s a vein of humor in his voice, the corner of his mouth tilting just a fraction.

I can’t take this anymore. We’ve both been walking on eggshells ever since he dumped the deed to my house in my lap, neither of us brave enough to bring the subject up. And that’s partly my fault.

This needs to end, though.

One way or another.

“Why are you acting so weird today? Did something happen last night that you’re not telling me?”

He blinks at that, tucking his hands in his pockets. Even though he didn’t go to the office again today, he’s dressed in a pair of black slacks and a black dress shirt.

The color, or lack thereof, looks good on him. It brings out the green in his eyes, the tan of his skin, matches his hair and the scruff over his strong jaw.

“We ran a gauntlet last night,” he answers.

Surprise stills me in place.

“Through the woods?”

Giving me a simple nod in response, he stares at me as if challenging me to say something about it.

I laugh instead because I don’t need to ask the next question.

“Who was ru

Ta

Oh, that poor man. Clayton, in all the time I’ve known him, has never been a strong person. Sure, he was good looking, tall, had a decent build, but he was sheltered to an extent, spoiled and soft because of it.

“Will he ever recover?”

“He was crying and had pissed himself by the time we dragged him out.”

Sadly, I’m not surprised. “So that takes care of that?”

His jaw tics, frustration flooding his eyes. “Guess so.”

This needs to stop.

“What the hell is wrong with you today? You’re storming around here like you have something to say, but then you walk off.”

Ta

A few seconds pass in silence before he locks his eyes with mine and says, “You’re not leaving. I know I gave you the house in Georgia, and I told you the decision is yours, but it’s not. You’re staying here. I’ve decided.”

My lips twitch at that.

“You’ve decided, huh? Because it’s always worked so well when you’ve told me what to do?”

This time it will work, only because it’s a relief to hear him say it, my heart swelling in my chest to know he wants me here.

But still, I can’t let him think he can order me around. Allowing him to do that even once will doom me for eternity.

He’ll never stop trying to do it again.

The battle of wills continues, and truthfully, I hope it never stops. One of the things I like about Ta

“I’ve decided,” he says, matter of fact. But there is a quirk to his mouth that tells me he’s joking.

Ta

Shrugging, I lean back in my seat and stare up at him.

“Are you pla

His grin stretches wider. “You might?”

“I’ll take it under consideration.”

In response to that, he crosses the room to kneel down on the couch, his fingers wrapping around my ankle as he tugs me down. Crawling over me, he traps me in place, his eyes serious as he stares at my face.

“You’re not safe out there. Someone trashed your place.”

I’ve already thought of that, and I’m a little thankful for it, even though it’s a weird thing to be thankful for. It’s given me an excuse to be here...with him. But it’s not enough for me to promise to stay forever.

I nod my head as if thinking it over.

“I’m a millionaire now. I can get a bodyguard to follow me around in Georgia.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, I can get a hot one, too. All big and bad and muscly.”

Ta

“It’ll be a shame when I kill him and bury him in an unmarked grave. You’re mine. Case closed.”

My eyes widen at that. Serious now that he’s pushed us to that line, I reach up to palm his cheeks.

“What am I to you, Ta

Lowering his body down until our chests are pressed together, he parts my legs with his knee, his mouth brushing mine on a soft tease.

“I already told you.”

“I’m yours?”

He nods.

Voice soft, I ask, “What are you to me?”

He presses his mouth to my ear and whispers, “I’m hoping the answer to that is the man you think is so intelligent and so right about everything, that you’ve decided to never argue with him again.”

Laughter bubbles up my throat.

“Fat chance. That will never happen.”

I can feel his grin against my cheek.

“Then I’ll settle for the love of your life.”

Heart shuddering with a hard thud, it springs back to life so fast that I can feel my pulse in my throat.

Ta

The bully is gone.

The tormentor.

The man who wrecked my world only to put it back together again.

I see him.

Only him.

As open and exposed as he’ll ever be.

Somehow, I know he’s never shown this side of himself to another woman before. And it chokes me up a little for him to show it to me.