Page 86 of Auctioned to My Bratva Boss

"I really do love you, Riley." His voice was rough in my ear. "Love you so damn much."

I thought I'd misheard. This wasn't something Matvey would say.

"What are you talking about?" My voice was hoarse.

He'd made me scream and shout, so speaking at all was an achievement.

"I never saw you as a toy." Each word was deliberate. "Never."

Toy. The word was a needle, finding a wound that hadn't healed.

"Stop joking. It's not funny." My arms, which had been holding him, fell away.

"I'm not." No hesitation. "I know you don't trust me right now. That's okay. I'll prove it with my actions. Everything I'm saying is true."

His words felt too empty. I couldn't trust him so easily anymore. I wasn't alone now—there were two little ones in my belly. I couldn't risk them.

My chest tightened again.

"Didn't you say so yourself?" I turned my head away. "That I was just for fun."

His breathing paused.

"That was for Veronica to hear." He lifted his head from my ear to look at me. "Riley. I've told countless lies in my life. But that wasn't one of them."

This was when I should blame him, even mock him for using such clumsy lies to deceive me over and over. I wouldn't fall for it again.

But unfortunately, that flutter appeared in my chest almost instinctively.

My body always accepted him before my brain could catch up. Hours ago, I'd sworn never to be fooled again, but he'd only needed a few tricks to crush all my defenses. My body's instinct was overwhelming. I hated myself for it.

"I know it's not easy to trust me unconditionally right now."

He leaned down, forehead against mine, breath falling on my lips—warm enough to make me tingle. We were close enough that I could see his lashes clearly. See, Riley? The moment his handsome face appears in front of you, you're completely lost.

Damn it!

"I'll prove it another way. Everything I'm saying is real." His voice was low, each word brushing my lips.

This closeness, this breathing, was more deadly than any words of love. I gripped the sheets beneath me. He didn't kiss me again, just traced my lower lip with his thumb over and over. I could feel my breathing becoming erratic, chest rising and falling rapidly.

There was a voice in my heart telling me to confess everything—tell him there were two babies in my belly, his babies. But I didn't dare. I didn't know if he'd accept them. If this was all fake, he'd definitely force me to abort them. After all, he'd once wanted to kill me.

"Your heart is racing." His voice was low, fingertip sliding down my neck to rest on my chest. "Faster than before."

"That's because I'm tired." Not really a lie—this reaction definitely included fear.

"Is it?" He raised an eyebrow, but his hand didn't move. "Then why didn't you push me away? I gave you chances."

I couldn't speak. He was right. I'd had countless opportunities to stop, but I never did.

I hated how he saw through everything, and I hated even more how my body never lied to him. My mind screamed for me to run, but the moment he came an inch closer, my instincts betrayed me, surging toward him like a tide.

This feeling of wanting to refuse but being uncontrollably drawn to him was tearing me in two.

"Move into the manor." He said suddenly. "There's a whole garden. The flowers you like—I had them all planted."

The flowers I liked? I'd never told him what flowers I liked.