Semua Bab Shattered Vows: Bab 21 - Bab 30

“I’m freaking confused about this whole thing. It’s like someone’s out there playing puppet master with my damn love life. First Edward’s drama, now this anonymous message telling me to stay away from Zavala. Like, what the actual fuck?”Dawn just sighs. She’s stretched out across my hotel bed in her hoodie, one leg hanging off the side, a protein bar half-eaten in her hand and her laptop open. A sleek, military-grade looking black device hums beside her. Some hacker gadgets I do not even want to ask about. Probably illegal. Probably expensive. Definitely sexy.“Calm down,” she says, typing furiously. “Let me trace this little coward. I swear if someone’s trying to mess with you, they picked the wrong girl.”“Yeah, yeah,” I mumble, walking over to the mirror and catching sight of my reflection. My fingers drift up to my lips, and my expression softens. “But Cristian is so fucking hot, Dawn... like, Ay. Ay. Ay. The man breathes, and I ovulate. I want to pounce on him like a damn jungle

I squint at the driver. “Are you sure this is the place?”He nods without a word, eyes focused on the winding road as if this is all normal. Like it is not the middle of nowhere, and I have not just spent the past hour wondering if he was kidnapping me or if Cristian Zavala lives at the edge of the earth in a house that deserves its own Netflix series.My thighs are sore from crossing and uncrossing them in anxious anticipation. I even touched up my lip gloss three times. Just in case. Not that I am planning anything. I just like to look edible when I’m giving men hell.But still. Cristian could have mentioned his house was halfway to the French border.The sleek black car finally slows before a tall security gate carved into a high stone wall. A discreet gold plaque beside it reads Zavala. Minimalist, of course. A man like him would not do tacky. The gate opens without a word, and we glide into what looks like a private jungle of modernist architecture. The driveway alone feels longe

My left hand props my head as I watch her sleep, the sheet draped loosely across her hips. Skin glowing even in the faint morning light. She is so damn beautiful it’s almost unfair. She is everything a man should be grateful to wake up to. Every curve, every angle, every quiet breath she takes draws me in. Her sensuality is not something she forces—it lives within her.Last night, I gave her everything she wanted. I took her the way she demanded—hard, without mercy—three times. I made love to her three times, slow and deep, until I felt her body give in to me completely. But I will not be taking things slowly. I’m not a man who plays at restraint. I have wanted her from the moment we met, and I am not letting her go. It’s not just desire. It is something far deeper. My parents raised me in a home where they cherished, respected, and protected women. I learned about love that way. Not just with my body, but with every single part of me. And now that she is mine to protect, I will take

I brace myself, my spine straightening as if that alone can protect me from whatever Cristian is about to say. My appetite is gone in an instant. The food in front of me blurs; the warm aroma is now meaningless. I set the fork down gently at first, then push it away with a quiet finality, as if creating distance from the plate can somehow create distance from the man sitting next to me.Inside, I build my walls. Piece by piece, brick by brick, ready for impact. I really like this man. Too much. Too quickly. And I know how dangerous that is.I meet his eyes, forcing mine to stay steady. “Go on.” I say, my voice calm but clipped.“You said you wanted me to hear your side. I’m listening.”His gaze doesn’t falter. If anything, it deepens, stormy and unblinking, and for a moment I wonder if he can see the way my chest tightens with every beat of my heart.“I listened to you when you said not to involve Alessandro.” Cristian begins, his tone low and steady, but threaded with that authority

I stretch my body against his, and his skin’s scent wraps around me like something I could happily drown in. It is the same deep oud and warm vanilla, threaded with the faint spice of his soap, rich and addictive. We are back in his bedroom. The sheets are cool against my bare back, but his warmth seeps into me everywhere we touch. Cristian’s mouth curves lazily, that slow, dangerous smile tugging at his lips. “Querida, El Toro will never be satisfied with you.”I laugh and shake my head, my palm smoothing over the steady beat of his heart. “You are shameless.”“You named it,” he says, his voice a deep purr that rumbles from his chest, warm and wicked all at once. “I am just keeping the brand alive.”I rise and straddle his lap, my hands resting on his chest. This is seriously becoming a habit. “Can I ask you something... about Xavier?”He tilts his head, smirking. “Relentless woman. Go on.”“I promise you it’s nothing deep, but if I gave you the address, how come you did not connect