Love Trap: The Billionaire's Regret のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

I could not tear my gaze away from his, searching those Osbidian depths for any hint of deception or guile. But all I saw reflected back at me was sincerity and...could it be tenderness? A profound sense of confusion washed over me as I tried to reconcile this softer, more compassionate side of Karl with the harsh, brutal man who had tormented me since our wedding.I instinctively pulled my hand back when he tried to grab it, needing to put some distance between us as the flashes of my suffering at his hands bombarded my mind. The phantom pain of bruises long healed made my skin prickle uncomfortably."Karl, it's not that simple," I said, trembling faintly with repressed emotion. "What you put me through...the things you did to me...it's not something I can just forget or move past so easily. Those memories are seared into my psyche. I need time to process it all, to heal."I took a shaky breath, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. "Every time I close my eyes,

The woman cried out in pain and surprise, and then her eyes widened in dismay when she realized that I had heard what they had said. Her friend tried desperately to pry me off, but I held firm, consumed by rage I could scarcely control.It took every ounce of willpower not to strike her across that smug, sneering face to make her feel even a fraction of the humiliation and anger coursing through my veins."Let go of me, you crazy bitch!" the blonde shrieked as she struggled against my grip. "We didn't mean anything by it! It was just a joke!""A joke?" I hissed, tightening my hold on her hair. "You think it's funny to insult strangers, to try and steal someone's husband right in front of them? Maybe I should teach you a lesson about respect, about keeping your filthy mouth shut!"Finally, I released her hair with a forceful shove. The two women scrambled away, shooting me venomous looks over their shoulders while they fled towards the elevator.I stood there. My chest was hea

Karl carried me all the way up to our lavish hotel suite, still ignoring my token protests until he had gently laid me down on the plush king-sized bed. I sighed in defeat and let him carefully remove my boots and socks then watched him leave to fetch something from the dressing room.He soon returned with a set of clothes and I realized he intended to help me change out of my snow-dampened outfit. A flush of embarrassment crept up my neck at the thought of being undressed by him like a child.I placed my hand over his to stop him. "Really, I can do it myself," I mumbled, avoiding his intense gaze.Karl ignored my embarrassment and removed my hand from his arm with a gentle firmness. He proceeded to undress me with an achingly tender touch. His fingers skimmed reverently over my bare skin while each piece of clothing fell away."I've seen every single inch of your gorgeous body so many times, Lavinia," Karl murmured softly. His eyes burned into mine with an intense heat

The crudity of his words made me flinch slightly. My cheeks flooded with scorching heat as realization set in with dizzying force. Oh god, what had I gotten myself into? How would I extricate myself from this rapidly escalating situation without angering Karl?Before I could formulate any sort of response or plan of action, Karl took my free hand in his and firmly placed it directly over the thick, rigid length straining against the soft cotton of his pants. The sheer heat and hardness of him seared into my palm like a brand, making me suck in a sharp breath of mingled shock and something darker that I refused to put a name to."You can't tease me like that and not follow through, baby," he growled in a voice rendered husky and thick with naked arousal. "You need to take responsibility now."My hand rested awkwardly over the prominent bulge, feeling it twitch slightly against my splayed fingers as if reacting to Karl's commanding tone. I felt utterly trapped, caught between the

"Get off me, Karl, you're too heavy," I muttered breathlessly once I had regained some of my senses, trying in vain to squirm out from under the solid weight of his large frame pinning me to the mattress.He flashed me a wicked grin that held not a shred of remorse, his eyes still glittering with the lingering embers of satisfaction before rolling off me and tugging my sweat-slicked body flush against his chest in an almost tender embrace. As much as I wanted to resist the gesture, to push him away and create some much-needed distance between us, I couldn't deny the small flicker of comfort and security I felt being enveloped in the scorching heat of his arms and surrounded by his overwhelming presence.---I woke with a start to the first rays of golden morning light creeping through the edges of the heavy curtains, momentarily disoriented and deeply unsettled by the vivid remnants of the previous night's activities. It took me a few seconds to get my bearings and remember that I