Once You’re Mine: Chapter 27

The sports car is just like I remember it, luxurious and sleek.

I really hope I don’t puke.

Hayden settles me in the passenger’s seat and secures my seat belt while I watch him, not bothering to conceal the fact. I’ve given up trying to hide my attraction to him. If he doesn’t know I want him after that kiss, then nothing I do will get the message across.

He walks to the other side and fills the driver’s seat with his body, and the interior of the vehicle with dark energy. It washes over me, shrinking the space around us until all I can see and feel is him.

Hayden turns the car on and grips the steering wheel, then freezes. Except for his eyes; they find me.

“Why did you kiss me?” he asks. His voice is quiet but demanding. However, his need for my response is loud. “I want the truth, Callie.”

“Because I wanted to.”

His gaze narrows infinitesimally. “Are you sure it wasn’t to save that man’s life?”

“Partially, but that wasn’t my main motivation. If anything, he was an excuse.” I bow my head and fiddle with my purse, unable to meet his eyes. They’ve always seen through me, forcing my secrets to the surface where they’re visible. But I want to know his, what lurks behind those blue depths. “Why did you kiss me back?”

“Because I wanted to.”

My lips twitch with repressed exasperation. “You can’t use my answer.”

“Why not if it’s the truth?”

My skin breaks into a flush at hearing that, but I’m also relieved. For a long time, I thought I’d fantasized about a man who wasn’t attracted to me. Now I know better. He kissed me like he wanted to fuck me right on the dance floor.

I might’ve let him.

“Speaking of the truth… why were you here, Hayden?”

His gaze drills into mine, making me squirm under the intense perusal. “I think the real question is: Why were you here? To provoke me?”

I sigh, the noise full of frustration. “This might come as a shock, but not everything in my life is about you.”

“I wish I could say the same.” He closes his eyes briefly and lets his head fall back against the headrest. “You have no idea how much.”

I part my lips to ask him to explain that cryptic remark, but my tender heart revolts out of fear. What if he’s toying with me? I’d bet all of the money in my bank account—which is larger thanks to Hayden—that he’s never gone without a woman’s company, if desired. I’d also wager he’s never been in a serious relationship. Not just because Harper made the comment, but due to the fact that this man is unattainable.

Because he chooses to be this way.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’ve caught him, but for some reason I’ve snared his attention. Even now when he opens his eyes and looks at me, I know he’s mine. The only problem is I’m not sure for how long…

A night?

A week?

How long does it take to break someone’s heart?

I’ve lost my former life, my fiancé, and my father. I’m not strong enough to be with Hayden, only to lose him when he decides he’s through with me. I don’t know much about men, but I’m positive that he can’t give me the commitment I’d eventually want.

He pulls the car onto the street, and our silence accompanies us through the city. I gaze out the window, taking in the beauty of my surroundings while continuously drawn to the beauty of the man beside me. The one time I sneak a glance at Hayden, his eyes are already on me.

“This isn’t the way to my apartment,” I say. “Where are you taking me?”

“Home.”

“Your home?” I clarify.

He nods, eyes locked on the road ahead. This time, when I turn to stare out of the window, it’s with my head pounding. He’s taking me to his residence, the place he lets his guard down, even if it’s only in sleep. After getting a glimpse of this vulnerability in his office when he spoke of his childhood, I want to see that part of him again. It makes him feel human to me, instead of this gigantic imposing force that could destroy me at any moment.

The threat of destruction that constantly surrounds Hayden is the very reason I need to stay away from him.

“I appreciate the fact that you want to look out for me,” I say, still staring out of the window. “But you can’t interfere in my life anymore.”

He scoffs. “You have no idea what type of danger you’re in.”

I swing my gaze to him, giving him a pointed look. “I think I do.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Then tell me.”

Tell me the reasons why I should run from you, the reasons I should hide my heart.

“I want to possess more than your secrets, Callie. I want to possess you.”

My lips part on a gasp while my heart ricochets within my ribcage, making my chest ache. “What does that even mean? You can’t just own someone.”

“I beg to differ.”

I stiffen in the seat as my brain floods my body with adrenaline and the need to escape. Hayden may not hurt me physically, but he’s more than capable of shredding my sanity. I haven’t survived everything in my life only to fall apart now.

My pulse thrums underneath my skin so loudly I worry he’ll hear it.

Run.

Run.

RUN.

I bite down on the inside of my cheek until blood spills across my tongue. The coppery tang invigorates me, reminds me that I’m alive and more than ready to preserve that life. I’m not ready to embrace my stalker, but at least whoever that is hasn’t expressed their desire to own me.

Unlike the man beside me.

The minute the streetlight turns red and the vehicle comes to a stop, I unbuckle my seat belt and throw open the door. My fear catapults me out of the car, and I race down the busy sidewalk with Hayden’s voice ringing in my ears. The sound of him calling my name dissipates, but my fear intensifies with every step I take.

My feet slap against the pavement, instantly covered in grime and filth. I don’t let myself think about that or what Hayden will do if he catches me. Maybe it’s a matter of when he catches me, but that only makes me run faster.

“I will always chase you.”

His words from before are an unsettling cadence in my mind, pounding like a drum. I can’t hear anything except his voice in my head and everywhere I turn I see his face covering those of random people. I shake my head and the visions of him clear, giving me a brief moment of lucidity. With my lungs burning, I turn down an empty street and conceal myself in the shadows.

The brick wall claws at the skin of my back and the soles of my feet throb as I suck in oxygen, willing my heart rate to slow down. It’s futile when thoughts of Hayden envelop me. His insane declaration echoes in my mind.

Why does he want to possess me?

A chill wracks my body, and I tremble, causing the abrasive wall to dig into my back. Is his idea of ownership completely centered around sex? Does he think to own my body and use it for his pleasure?

My body quakes again, but this time it’s with arousal. The memory of Hayden’s kisses sweeps through me, and I wrap my arms around my middle as if to fend off the effects of it. I can’t let him kiss me, let alone touch me. It would only take one time, one moment of being completely under his control, and I’d never be free of him.

The sound of squealing tires nearby has me glancing over my shoulder in panic. My breath gets caught in my throat as I catch a glimpse of a black sports vehicle that could be Hayden’s.

“No,” I whisper, my denial as feeble as my voice.

I force myself into motion, letting my apprehension propel me forward. I run until I’m close to passing out and round the corner at the end of the block, seeking another alleyway to hide in. After having witnessed Hayden in court, I know he’s relentless when in pursuit. My chances of me escaping his clutches are minuscule now that he’s revealed his intent to have me.

But if he wants to possess me, he’ll have to catch me first.

I may not be able to escape his obsession, but I’m damn sure going to try. I won’t make this easy for him.

My strength begins to flag, and my inability to draw breath forces me to stop. I lean heavily against the wall of a pawn shop, the store closed and the area deserted. I’m not familiar with this part of the city, but once I get enough oxygen into my body, I’ll make my way home.

I briefly close my eyes and focus on pulling air into my lungs, again and again. My heart rate still pulses wildly, but not as erratic as before, and soon my breathing evens out. I push away from the building and take a step forward, only to immediately halt.

Hayden stands at the mouth of the alleyway, his gaze dark and sinister.