Buttons and Pain (Buttons 3)

Unless he was there to capture me again.

And remind me of the debt I still owed him.

When my key was in the door it didn’t click. It was already unlocked.

Now my heart kicked into overdrive.

I turned the knob and walked inside, my keys still in my hand and ready to be used as a weapon. The lights were off and the apartment was dark. The city lights came through the small window in the living room.

I quickly turned on the kitchen light so I wouldn’t be blind.

A man’s shadow came into view from the living room. With strong shoulders and a formidable build, he sat in the chair in front of the TV. His fingertips rested on his lips and he didn’t move. He didn’t even turn to look at me.

I didn’t need to see his face to recognize him.

My heart pumped at full speed, and my chest immediately expanded from the deep breaths I was forced to take. I was nervous and scared, frightened by the man I thought was gone for good. But I felt the familiar excitement between my legs. The second he was in the room with me, my panties became wet.

I hated him.

“Breaking and entering is a crime, you know. I’m not sure how they do it in Italy.”

He didn’t flinch.

I stayed at the counter and refused to come close to him. He broke into my apartment to purposely catch me with my guard down. He wanted control of the situation. He wanted control of me.

But I wasn’t going to let him have it.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

He slowly rose to his feet and stepped out of the shadows. In dark jeans and a black t-shirt, he emerged into the light. His five o’ clock shadow was prominent, and his dark eyes held more rage than I’d ever seen. He looked terrifying, but painfully beautiful. He stopped feet away from me, his thick arms hanging by his sides. He hadn’t changed in the two months that passed. His hair was the same length and his build hadn’t changed. The only thing that seemed to be different was his insanity.

He looked livid.

I refuse to admit I was scared. The situation was dire and threatening. His intentions weren’t clear, but they weren’t pleasant either. I held my ground and opened the drawer beside me. Inside was a steak knife so I pulled it out and held it on the counter.

He glanced at it before he gave me a look of murder. “Drop it.”

“No.” I kept my grip on the handle.

He took a step closer to me. “Drop it or see what happens when you don’t.” He reached the counter between us and gripped the edge with his powerful hands. The veins on the surface protruded from underneath the skin. The muscles contracted and his knuckles turned white.

I didn’t want to give in but I knew I already lost the battle. I tossed it in the sink. It made a cloud clatter as it bounced against the stainless steel. Once it stopped moving silence returned to the apartment. Only the distant sound of street traffic could be heard. “What do you want?”

He stared me down.

I held his look and didn’t give into the fear. I’d spent nearly a year of my life with this man but he still frightened me. Two months had come and gone and I didn’t hear a word from him. So why did he show up now? “I asked you a question.”

He pulled his hands away from the edge and stepped around the counter.

I moved the opposite way, keeping the counter between us. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”

“Don’t. Run. From. Me.” He moved around the counter, this time picking up speed.

I sprinted to the bedroom and slammed the door behind me. My hands shook as I worked the lock. The adrenaline was coursing through me and I couldn’t keep my body still. I got the door locked just before he reached it.

I stepped back and wrapped my arms around my waist. I felt the panic emerge and I couldn’t control my breathing.

He was silent on the other side of the door.

Did he leave?

A loud boom sounded through the apartment as he broke down the door with his shoulder. In one swift move, he broke the lock and made the door swing hard on its hinges.

Now there was nowhere for me to go.

He clenched his fists by his sides as he walked toward me, that same angry look on his face.

“Don’t touch—”

He threw me on the bed and pinned my hands together above my head. He kept me against the mattress with his weight. His knee kept my thighs pinned down and he used his free hand to keep my hips in place. “Let me go.”

“No.” His face was just inches from mine. He stared down at me with a heartless expression. He glanced my lips before he looked into my eyes again. “Who the fuck is he?”