Chapter 56: To Belong to you

I slowly turned away from Sin, feeling the slow budding of something deep within my chest. My lips parted as I rested my hand on my heart, my eyes blinking rapidly.

I could still feel his hand around mine, his head behind me. What they were saying quickly faded away as I tried to come to terms with the fluttering beat of my own heart. I was losing focus with this whole thing, and maybe it was because Sin was the person I had the most contact with ever since my dad passed, but I could feel parts of me softening for him.

Protective of him.

Possessive of him.

It was threatening to drive me crazy.

"Sweetheart."

I jolted a bit, my eyes wide as I turned to Sin's sudden proximity. He seemed a little confused, but it quickly wore off as I swallowed, biting down on my lip and muttering a small apology.

"We should go back down," he said, his voice soft. "There is a dance."

I immediately nodded, turning away. I took in a deep breath as Sin switched sides, then held my other hand, his eyes trained on me the entire time.

I stood up slowly as the other men stayed seated, watching us leave. Sin held my waist as we went out to the inner balcony.

The lights dimmed, and two bright spotlights came on us. I closed my eyes for a bit to allow them to adjust to the brightness before I slowly opened them again.

I felt the fear that had caused me to run away from the very beginning settle inside me again as I watched the gradually emptying dance hall. Sin was here, so the fear wasn't as crippling, but it was there. It didn't make it any less real.

Slow classical music started playing as the other couples left the dance floor for us, and Sin led me downstairs, his hand still resting on my waist. Once we got to the open dance floor, Sin slowly let me go, only to hold me again, his hand now on the front curve of my waist, the other holding my hand. My hand rested on his shoulder, and he pulled me closer to him, his fingers teasing my skin.

"You do not know how to dance, do you?"

I swallowed, shrugging. "I could just follow your lead."

He chuckled. "You learn fast, Annalise. One of the many things I like about you."

I did not reply for a while as he gently started to lead the dance, his fingers filling the spaces between mine rather too perfectly.

"What are the others?" I asked just before he let me go to twirl me, his hand putting mine above my head.

He chuckled and brought me back to his body, then slowly started to lean forward, till he was hovering above me, his eyes digging into mine, my fingers sinking into his skin.

"Do you really want to know?"

I nodded, my breath held. He leaned a little further till his lips were against my ear, till his breathing set me on fire.

"I love how protective you are, Annalise, without a thought of emasculating me. It makes me want to belong to you."

I met his eyes, and he looked sincere, intense, but maybe I was just reading into my own feelings. Maybe I was tapping into the part of me that wanted to belong to him too badly.

I opened my mouth to say something, but the flashbacks hit violently, causing me to close my eyes, my fingers sinking deeper into Sin.

"Annalise?"

I swallowed, my eyes opening slowly, my chest heaving hard. I shook my head, and my lips sucked in between my teeth.

"I... I just..."

"Are you okay?" He asked, bringing me to my feet slowly. My face buried right in his chest, and I hated myself for thinking about that bastard when Sin had just said that to me. When Sin had said he could belong to me.

"Annalise?" Sin's voice was firm now, and I stepped away, meeting his eyes.

"I... I am sorry, Sin. I... I just..." I shook my head. "I signed a contract. I am just doing my role."

For a second, Sin did not react, his eyes simply watching me. Slowly, his right brow raised, and his hands dropped away from me, his eyes glossing over with a wave of darkness.

"Is it?" He asked, his voice so cold I almost shivered. "Perfect, then."

Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving me standing there, my chest squeezing in on my heart, killing me from deep inside. I hated how I felt, how the fear had to manifest right when I was potentially on the brink of getting everything I could ever have wanted.

I stood there, unable to move for the longest time, my hands wrapped around me.

Suddenly, I felt a rough finger stick right into the small bow that had gone lower than my waist. I gasped and turned, and what I saw made my blood run even colder.

The man from each and every nightmare I have had ever since I turned seventeen, the man that had ruined me and killed my father on the same night... he was right in front of me.

I will never forget that burn scar on his face, the dark eyes, the smirk. I could never forget how he looked above me, his laughter ringing in my ears.

"That is some skin right there," he said, his voice dark as he brought his finger to his mouth, then slowly sucked it off. "Do you mind?"

I gasped, my knees buckling hard. I fell back to the floor, a small scream leaving my lips, my eyes filling with tears.

My eyes closed as I lay there on the floor helplessly, the same way I had that night. The same way I had let myself be ruined so easily.

"Oops," he said, laughing. "I was about to offer a room, but you want it here?"

I couldn't bring myself to reply or even move, and I just lay there, my body trembling, the tears streaming down my face, my mind filled with horrifying images.

"Annalise," came Sin's comforting voice, and I immediately felt him pull me to a sitting position.

My hands wrapped around his shoulders, my lips parting as I tried to let myself breathe.

"Sin," the man said, and I hoped he would just leave. Just disappear. For the first time, I wished to see Sin kill someone.

"What are you doing, Enrique?"

My brows furrowed. Sin knew him? Now that I thought of it, the way he had said Sin's name, it hadn't been the scared, awed way everyone else did. It held familiarity, and God help me.

I pulled away, my eyes looking up to Sin, who was still looking up to the man, his gaze steely.

Slowly, I felt a hand on my foot, and I turned, my chest heaving hard. Enrique had squatted to my height just like Sin, his smile dark and devilish.

"That is not the way to welcome your older brother, Sin. I even brought flowers for your baby girl."