Hazel stood up. A contradictory mixture of shock, pain, anger, and—though she hated it—a slither of happiness hit her, almost stealing her breath.
Sprawled on one of a cream leather armchairs, with his arms crossed behind his head as if he owned the space around him, was the last person in the world Hazel wanted to see.
So beautiful. She was so damn beautiful that it almost hurt Rafael to look at her. Despite not being small, she was petite and almost pixie-like with her heart-shaped face, small nose, clear skin and bangs falling on her hair which he wanted to hold tightly when he would kiss her to his content.
His heart started racing. content yet also restless, and more alive around her than in any other situation. He’d found her. He’d finally found her.
A fierce longing both emotional and physical pounded through him, making his body roar to life. He raked his gaze over her, reacquainting himself with every line and curve. When she had left him, he had lost all his sanity and was looking for her like crazy.
He did not know what he would have done if he had not found her today.
Hazel almost jumped as that goddamn masterful voice snapped her out of her stupor. He had the most authoritative voice she had ever heard. It didn’t demand compliance, it expected it.
“What are you doing here?” He looked as he always did, dangerous, alluring, and deceptively relaxed. The small warm smile on his face did not hide the power lurking in his eyes
“Searching for you. what else! You belong to me. Did you seriously think that I would let you go just because you ran away? You are coming back with me now!” he demanded in a tone that created a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach.
Hazel’s irritation was overshadowed, however, by the lust creeping over her. His appraisal of her was so thorough and intense that she felt as if he’d touched her. It reminded her of the night they had just done it.
He was demanding, rough but in the end.. He discarded her because she was not Bella. He had avoided her all the time after that.
And now that name has changed. He was suddenly interested in her like they were part of two magnets? She was still the same person she was at that day!
Yet his look had changed. The difference was that there was now a determination in his gaze, a promise that she didn’t understand.
As Rafael stared into those shock-filled eyes that were usually twinkling with an impish benevolence, he raised his brows. “You look surprised. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find you? Did you really think I wouldn’t come for you?”
At those words, a surge of anger shot through her. He had no right to be here, no right to seek her out when he didn’t want her.
He’d left her no choice but to leave, and now the bastard wanted to mess up the life that she’d managed to make for herself here.
Unfortunately, her heart still did not care about those details. Now that the shock had worn off, her body’s primary instinct at that second was to go to him, to touch him and take him inside her; to allow him to spend time with her and play with her hair.
A scene of doing that flashed past her eyes where.. She slammed her hands on the bench creating a whole in the middle of it that Anne took a step back.
She did not want to be the part of a couple fight. James soon joined her.
“How in the world is she alive? I was sure her blood did not match Bella’s when I checked her last time!” he muttered when Anne elbowed him on his chest as if asking him to keep his mouth shut.
Could he not read the mood? Bella was going berserk as she felt that Rafael was trying to control her. More than that, her body was allowing it.
Even in this situation, she was thinking of ripping his clothes and claiming his body. Marking it so that no woman would be able to desire him, damn! She was going crazy.
What She should be wanting to do was to snatch the nearest heavy object and hurl it at his head.
But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her lose it. No. He’d made it clear through his past indifference that he didn’t want her.
She’d give him that same indifference now.
She spoke in a crisp, cool voice. “Well you’ve found me. You’ve seen me. You know that I’m fine. Now you can leave.”
With that she trained to leave . fucking place. She would come back to even her cards with James later.
She passed James a glance making the man shudder and hid behind Anne who had a chuckle on her face.
Anne! You too!
She sensed that he was following her. She felt his power almost burning her back, but she paid him no attention as she looked around looking for a place where she could make a teleportation array to get rid of him.
“I didn’t come here to check on you,” he said. “I came here to take you back.”
She chuckled humorlessly. “I’m not going back to the circul where everyone only wanted to kill me and get rid of me while you show me indifference. I am happy here, I have started a new life and soon I will find a man that truly deserves me and loves me as I am.”
The very idea of her with someone else always made Rafael see red. His voice was quiet but dangerous. “Is there already a man, Bella? You better hope there isn’t, or he’s dead. And don’t think I don’t mean that.”
“Why? Do you think you can get past me to hurt him? Do you think I can not handle you or do you want to test it now?”