I’ve reached a new low the world’s biggest asshole. I’m a total snow–up, a hopeless case. Why did I let it happen The quest hanted me as soon as I woke up before dawn to find Caterina’s head resting on my chest. Het gentle breathing, the sweet tast of her shampoo, and her hair brushing against my nose created a brief moment of pure happiness


    For a fraction of a second, I was as content as I’ve ever been Holding the world in my arms felt like everything I needed


    What a fool I’ve been..


    By the time I step onto the treadmill in the gym, I’m seething at myself. I need a hard nun to clear my mind from dis nesa d’u


    created


    I set a five–minute warm up, starting slow to loosen my muscles before increasing the pace. Maybe I can outrun this guit


    What seemedplicated yesterday morning has spiraled into aplete mess, all because of myck of impulse cont always had a knack for convincing myself to pursue what I want, when I know it’s a mistake.


    Though I can’t bring myself to think of her as a mistake. Not when the soothes my troubled soul and silences head I slept betterst night than I have in ages.


    That still doesn’t make it right..


    Roger strolls in from the locker room, meeting my gaze in the reflection of the mirror across from me. I didn’t even know be was down here. Most likely, he <b>ns </b>on getting in a workout before the long day ahead of us. He inserts his AirPods to his nam before sitting down at the Nautilus station, and I’m grateful he’s not somebody who needs to talk during his workout


    In my mood, he wouldn’t want to hear anything I have to say.


    There’s nothing worse than the morning after when the blood filling your dick has returned to your brain, where it beings Everything looks different in the cold light of day.


    Not that I don’t want her just as <b>much </b><b>as </b>ever. No, I want hermore, I’m greedy for her now, craving <b>her </b>presence even as 1 punish my body in penance. It isn’t enough to make here once or twice. I need her screams, her pleas. I need the sound at her moaning my name in helpless abandon.


    Fuck This isn’t helping


    Gritting my teeth, I increase the speed on the belt, then bump up the incline percentage until my calves burn. Sweat rolls of me. soaking into my shirt, but I push through and grit my teeth in grim eptance of the pain.


    Will determination be enough to keep me away from Caterina? If not, the thought of my daughter will have to do I can shinig nh Caterina’s fears all I want, but I won’t lie to myself. My headstrong fiery daughter will flip her shit it she ever finds out


    Certain things you just don’t do. Like screwing around with your daughter’s best friend, a kid halt your age.


    If she ever found out and if she lost it, I couldn’t me her. There is no defense for what I’ve done and what I long to do again.


    Your daughter is more important than pussy. I told myself that before, and it was always true. But those were meaningless one night stands. Sometimes, it was an excuse to make sure things didn’t go further than they should.


    The thought of my daughter, my priority, will not work this time because <b>Caterina </b>means more than a one–night stand, Lean‘ kid myself into thinking of her as mere <b>pussy</b>.


    The girl is imprinted on my soul. No matter what happens after this, there will never be a day I <b>don’t </b>want her


    <b>Run </b>Push. Don’t stop now, you pussy.Right, because now is the time for self–discipline. Notst night, when i should have left. her alone <b>instead </b>of being hell–bent on punishing her for hiding from me.


    What happens now? Eventually, I’ll pull my usual bullshit once my feelings for her activate every one of my fears. The old


    +25 BONL


    betrayals, those scars I told Caterina about. She thinks I’m beyond getting burned? She has no idea what I’ve withstood.


    And those scars the fears and distrust that came from them are what will break her heart. They’ll make me push her away Sure, she’ll try to hang on for a while because it’s the sort of person she is. She doesn’t give up


    Then I’ll push harder until she has nothing left to hold on to Eventually, I’ll win because I always dos And I’ll be just one more piece of shit who used her and threw her away. Even if that isn’t how I’ll mean it, that’s how she’ll see it


    My feet pound against the treadmill, sweat flying, my fists clenched tight in determination. Catching sight of my reflection in the mirror, <b>my </b>lip curls in a <b>snarl</b>.


    Run, you stupid fuck. Does it lurt? Good. It’s what you deserve.


    Because you’re going to hurt her, and you fucking know it, but it’s not enough to stop you


    Selfish.


    Careless.


    <b>Weak</b>.


    I punch the Stopbutton not a moment too soon, my legs close to giving out after so much punishment, my body pushed to the


    limit.


    The belt slows, and so do 1, until finally, the machinees to a stop. My chest and shoulders heave, and I step off and bend at the waist, hands on my knees. My lungs are on fire, and my muscles are screaming.


    The exertion did nothing to clear my head.


    “I’m d you stopped.” Roger hands me a bottle of water. “I was starting to worry <b>about </b>you up there.” He tosses me a towel, which I snatch out of the air with one hand.


    <b>We </b>fall in step on our way to the coffee station outside the locker room, where I set up an espresso pod, hoping to guzzle <b>a </btte and focus my out–of–control thoughts. It normally does the trick, though my hopes aren’t high. This isn’t <b>a </b>normal case of distraction or overwhelm.


    “I noticed you added another item to today’s itinerary, but didn’t include a description.” So that’s why he’s up my ass 1 should’ve known it had to do with work


    “That’s what I was talking about yesterday,” exin. “The work! needed you to stick around for. A contractor <b>who’s </b>been gathering intel for me ising to visit today.”


    When he winces, I <b>add</b>, “I’m not squeezing you out. I needed somebody who wouldn’t be recognized.”


    “By whom?


    I growl softly at the suspicion in his voice. “I’m not talking about it right now. If it makes you feel any better, I want you around for the meeting


    All he <b>does </b>is grunt, telling me he understands my reasoning but doesn’t have to like it.


    I don’t pay him to like it. He gets paid to do <b>a </b>job.


    y mind. Commanding my


    I can’t bring myself to care about his bruised ego when my obsession with Caterina weighs on my attention, my every thought. Knowing she’s here, so close<b>, </b>and thrall it would take is a visit to my room to <b>wake </b>her with my kiss and touch. I could indulge myself again in everything that males her irresistible, and she would thank me for it.


    Fuck. I need to give her up. I need to stop this before it goes too far


    Like it hasn’t <b>already</b>.


    But then I’ll have no choice but to stand <b>back </b>while one loser <b>after </b>another, who thinks he’s good enough for ber, shoots his


    shot.


    I’ll have to suffer through knowing another man is touching her. Spreading her legs, iming what’s already mine Believing he’s worthy of her. Wiping out the memory of me.


    One Isand tightens around the edge of the router, my coffee cup in the other. Everything around me goes hary, my chest tightening while the rapid thumping of my heart fills my ears, fills he world, blocking out everything else. No. Tran’t let that happen. Never. I’ll all the fucker. I’ll kill every single one of them. Nothinges between me and what’s mine, and Caterina most definitely qualities. There is no fucking way I’ll let her belong to anybody else


    “Boss!”


    It’s Roger’s sumprised shout and not the ssh of hot coffee that startles me out of the tunnel vision of rage. I look down to realize I’ve squeezed the stic travel cup hard enough <b>to </b>crack it, and now mytte is dripping off the counter and onto the Поот


    “I’m fine,” I mutter, grabbing a handful of napkins to mop up the mess 1 caused. One more mess to add to the pile.


    way itime to find him grimacing like he wishes he hadn’t said


    “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re a little…” My eyes cut his way anything. “Distracted”


    “Like I said, I’m fine. I do, however, need a shower.” My drink now ruined, Labandon the idea in favor of heading for the showers.


    Menlike me don’t believe in love, but possession?Fuck yes. And Caterina is mine. There’s no doubt in my fucking mind as I strip down and turn on the shower. I will never allow another man to touch her now that I’ve marked her.


    I’m caught between lust and the need to keep her at my side. I can’t hurt her like the others. I won’t. Tying her to me needs to be the next step if I hope to avoid a very bloody, very murderous future.


    She is going to be mine in every way that matters.