Page 31 of Claimed At First Sight

I stop beside a hallway mirror and brace a hand against the cold gold frame. I look… wrecked.

My hair is mussed, my cheeks are flushed an incriminating shade of pink, and my mouth is swollen.

Argh! That man.

I hate him.

My body is a traitor too. I glare at my reflection before stomping away in search of my sisters. Not that I’m going to tell them any of what just transpired.

How could I have let this happen?

I squeeze my eyes shut, as if that might get rid of the image of his hooded gaze.

Kissing Maximo Marco was a mistake.

A huge one. Possibly the worst lapse in judgment of my life so far.

And it was my first kiss.

Of all the men in the world, he had to be the one.

That isn’t how I imagined it happening. I always knew Father would eventually choose a husband for me, but somewhere along the way, I suppose I decided my first kiss would belong to me.

Maybe it would be with someone I liked, or at least someone I chose for myself, even if only for that one moment.

An arrogant Mafia Don who cornered me on a garden bench and kissed me like he’d already decided I belonged to him never, ever entered that fantasy.

Damn him for stealing it like he had every right to.

Stupid, conceited stronzo.

And damn me for keeping it on replay. The way his mouth softened against mine the longer we kissed until I forgot I was supposed to be pushing him away. The heat…

No. Stop it right there.

I open the door to the sitting room and peek inside, but neither Mari nor Isa are there.

Dammit. Where are they?

I lean against the doorframe, trying to think. Trying being the operative word.

My brain still feels like mush. It only makes my irritation worse. With him, with me, with… everything.

Maybe Isa and Mari are in the library. The sun is lovely in there in the mornings.

I straighten, smoothing my dress with trembling hands.

I’m calm, collected, and in control.

I repeat this to myself over and over again. No man will rattle me. Especially not that one.

As I move through the large corridors, my mind drifts.

I need a plan to get back home to our estate. I can’t stay here and risk running into him again.

I’d never survive that smug look on his face after the way I kissed him back. He’d probably take one glance at me and somehow know I’ve spent every minute since I ran away thinking about his mouth.

Mortifying doesn’t even begin to cover it.