Buttons and Pain (Buttons 3)

***

I was in a ferocious mood all day.

I hated Crow for the way he emotional tortured me, and I hated myself for being head-over-heels for him. Yes, he was sexy and smoldering. Yes, he was compassionate but not weak. But he was still a heartbreaker underneath that pretty package.

I wouldn’t get sucked into it again.

I couldn’t believe it happened to begin with.

When I was work I focused on the project that had been handed to me weeks ago. The best thing about my job was how easy it was to get sucked into it. It was complex and challenging, and that kept my focus so I didn’t think about anything else.

After work, I got drinks with some of the guys. They mostly talked about sports and what they were going to do on their next vacation. I drank my beer and wished it were Tuscan wine. Then I went home so I could be alone. If Crow was lurking inside my apartment I would kick his ass.

Seriously.

I stepped inside then flicked on the lights. There was no food in my fridge so I’d have to order a big ass greasy pizza for dinner. But that was fine with me since I couldn’t cook anyway. The extent of my capabilities was mac and cheese and canned chicken noodle soup. I wish I made more money at my job so I could hire Lars to work with me.

Like I feared, that arrogant son-of-a-bitch was there.

I tossed my purse on the counter and snatched a wooden dough roller from one of the drawers. It wasn’t a baseball bat but it would have to do. “Asshole, I said I wanted the night off and—”

“Listen to me and I’ll go.” He stayed on the opposite side of the counter wearing a gray t-shirt and jeans. His face was cleanly shaven and his hair was styled to perfection. The usual watch he wore was missing but he still looked executive.

I didn’t want to listen to whatever it was he had to say. “Make it quick.”

He came around the island and moved closer toward me.

I immediately stepped back, not in the mood to be touched. “There is good.” There was two feet in between us, but that still wasn’t enough distance. I crossed my arms over my chest closed my body off, making it clear he wasn’t welcome.

He stood with his arms hanging by his sides and his eyes told me he wanted to be closer. His hands were always on me every chance they got, and being denied that luxury was testing his patience.

I continued to stand there and wait for whatever he had to say. Whatever it was, I was sure I wouldn’t like it. The man was void of all emotion because he was a hollow shell. It was stupid of me to ever think he would change—especially for me.

“I finally understand how much I’ve hurt you.”

That was the last thing I expected him to say. I tried to keep my face expressionless, but the moment those words came tumbling out, my mouth softened from the grimace it’d been holding. My arms became weak against my chest, even my knees didn’t feel as strong as they did a moment before. And all he said was a single sentence.

When he realized my walls started to crumble he stepped closer to me. His hand remained by his sides and he didn’t touch me, but the yearning to grab me was obvious by the desire in his eyes. “I see what I’ve done to you and I hate myself for that.”

I hung onto every word, feeling my body pull toward his like a magnet. My mouth already wanted to kiss his and my hands ached to grip his hard flesh. All the emotions I tried to battle came flooding out. The power he had over me was so strong, it was terrifying.

“Come back to Tuscany with me. I’ll give you a home to call your own. I’ll give you a life full of luxury, beauty, and respect. My bedroom won’t just be mine, but ours. You’ll be the lady of the estate, just as entitled to it as I am. You’ll have everything you could possibly want. Whatever it is, I’ll give it to you.”

“What exactly are you saying, Crow?” It sounded too good to be true, and I needed clarification before I made hasty assumptions.

He closed the gap between us and his hand immediately wrapped around the back of my neck. He looked down into my face, his brown eyes taking in every reaction my features gave. “I’m yours, Button. I’ll be devoted to you. I’ll protect you. I’ll give you everything you want. Come home with me. Home.”

My hand wrapped around his wrist, feeling his powerful pulse. I counted the number of times it vibrated against my fingertips. The veins in his forearms protruded from underneath the skin because of the pronounced muscles that were strung so tight they were made of steel. “How long?”