Page 68 of Tame Me

So she got pregnant—when? Oh, I know. I knowexactly. My gut burns with intuition. It was late one stormy night when she was suspended metres high above a mountain. When she was in my arms. When we sought mindless bliss together.

It was almost a year ago. Which means it’s almost a year that she’s kept this from me. She’s not just deceived me, she’sdeprivedme. I’m devastated.

In the next second rage hits.

I already know how it feels to be shut out. When family deny you everything. That’s why I’ll never have one of my own. You can’t trust anyone. But it’s happened to meagain.

I almost can’t stand. I press my palm to the rough trunk of the tree I’m under. It’s cold and gnarled and it digs against my skin. I breathe in the freezing air—slow and deep—until I’m cold again too.

She adjusts the way she’s holding the baby. I don’t hear her words exactly, but I do hear the loving tone. Something other than rage swamps me.

My controlled breathing was pointless. Now I’m burning inside—kicked alive—by instinct. Need.Action.

I walk towards her, letting my boots scrunch on the stones and the frosty fallen leaves. But she doesn’t even lift her head. From the angle I approach them at I glimpse the baby. It’s asleep. I see it’s dark lashes flush against soft-looking chubby cheeks. Talia’s eyes are closed too. She’s pale but as beautiful as ever as she rests in the weakened sunlight. I stop only a few feet away but still she doesn’t stir.

I’m so focused on her I’ve forgotten to blink. Shocked and disbelieving. My teeth ache from the cold. From the fierceness with which I’ve been clenching them.

‘Talia?’ My voice is raspy but I try again. ‘Talia?’

Her eyes flash open. Her chin jerks up as undeniable and absolute horror flashes on her face.‘No!’

CHAPTER FIVE

Talia

NO.

My involuntary emotional outburst hangs in the air and I can’t bite it back no matter how much I want to. I’ve long given up thinking he might appear at any moment and for a split second I hope I’m dreaming. But I’m not. He’s here. And he’s looking...

Furious.Fine.

Dain Anzelotti towers over me and, despite my terror, all I can do is soak in the sight. A year ago I thought he was handsome. I was wrong. He’s jaw-dropping. He’s not in a suit today but instead wearing that casual billionaire winter uniform—leather boots, well-cut jeans, form-hugging merino sweater, tailored jacket. The layers don’t hide his lithe, muscular frame. The denim grazes his quads. The jacket emphasises his broad shoulders. But his blue gaze nails me to the bench.

I’m stunned into silence, into stillness. Yet as the seconds tick a tendril deep inside me stirs to life. I thought it dead, not dormant. The shocking lust that once led me to lose control completely. He says nothing but I feel utterly disadvantaged as he stares at me from above. I don’t breathe as he, oh, so deliberately lowers his gaze to intently study his tiny son tucked against me. I fight the overwhelming urge to run. I know it would be futile.

I don’t know Dain well. We were together for only a couple of hours. But I can tell he’s leashed. But the emotion burgeoning withinmeis what’s really scary. I lost all control with this man and it upended my life completely. I can’t allow that to happen again.

‘Who’s this?’ His voice is raspy.

I don’t answer. I can’t. Is heplayingwith me?

‘Don’t try to tell me he isn’t yours,’ he adds harshly. ‘I can’t imagine you’d breastfeed a friend’s baby in the park.’

‘You werewatching?’ I gape. ‘How long have you been following me?’

‘Twenty-four minutes. Since you walked out of that café.’

I’m stunned again. He followed me here. He stood and watched me feed Lukas. I feel exposed—it’s such a personal thing. Ordinarily it would be natural for the father of my baby to watch me nurture our baby but Dain rescinded his right to that intimacy months ago. It’s too late now. Ithasto be. I lift my chin and emotion betters my brain. ‘What do youwant?’

His blue eyes flash fire. ‘What’s the baby’s name?’

Oh, please. ‘I already told you in the messages I sent you months ago,’ I spit my fury at him. ‘Again in the photo taken when he was born.’

Dain stands very still. ‘What messages?’

I glare up at him, refusing to believe that flare in his eyes. ‘The emails.’

‘Never got any.’