Chapter 177: Haunted

ALEXANDER POV

Anastasia let out a long, ragged, broken breath. Another heavy tear slipped down her cheek, and I caught it with my thumb. My pulse was racing, skyrocketing into a dangerous rhythm as my eye locked onto her parted, inviting lips. She looked so breathless. So vulnerable.

Without another second of hesitation, I leaned down and captured her mouth.

I kissed her hungrily, pouring every ounce of my toxic obsession, my desperation, and my relief into the pressure of my lips. Anastasia went completely still against me. Her entire body turned rigid, her hands freezing on my shoulders.

Recognizing her fear, I instantly slowed the pace. I softened the kiss, drawing her lower lip into my mouth, tasting her gently, showing her a rare patience. For a few seconds, she didn't move. But then, a soft, broken whimper escaped her throat, and her walls finally collapsed. She gave in.

Her lips parted for me, reciprocating the kiss, deepening it as she pressed her body closer into mine.

That was all the permission I needed.

A surge of raw adrenaline flooded my veins. I needed her more than the very air in my lungs. My hand slid down her back, wrapping firmly around the heavy curve of her ass cheek over those thick, baggy joggers, pulling her hips flush against my hard dick. She tensed instantly, a small flinch escaping her muscles.

I immediately pulled back an inch, my chest heaving as I stared down at her flushed face.

“Do you want me to stop, baby?”

Anastasia’s face turned a brilliant, deep crimson, her ears turning bright pink under her hair. She looked up at me through long lashes, her breathing shallow, and lightly shook her head no.

That’s my fucking girl.

I crashed my lips back down onto hers, devouring her mouth as my teeth trailed down the soft line of her jaw, finding the sensitive skin of her neck. I nibbled and sucked on the soft flesh, making her let out a breathy gasp. My hand traveled up, sliding beneath the hem of that massive flannel shirt. The very second my bare palms made direct contact with the smooth, hot skin of her waist, an intense wave of goosebumps erupted across her body.

Fuck. It felt like an eternity since I had touched her skin.

My hands traveled higher, tracing the soft curve of her waist before lingering at the sides of her breasts. I squeezed her gently, listening to the sweet, ragged pants escaping her mouth. My fingers slid around to her back, easily finding the hook of her bra. With a single, practiced flick of my wrist, I unhooked it.

I felt her entire body shake with arousal, her eyes shutting tight as if the pleasure was too intense to witness. Slowly, deliberately, I tugged the oversized shirt up over her head and discarded it onto the floor, tossing the bra right after it.

The moment my single eye landed on her naked upper body, a violent rush of blood slammed straight into my dick, making it throb painfully against my pants. She looked so fucking perfect.

But as my gaze traced her chest, my heart sank slightly. Crisscrossing across her flawless skin, near the swell of her ribs and the tops of her shoulders, were those jagged, silver lines. The brutal, permanent markers of what she had endured at the camp. Seeing them bare beneath the lights of my study made the rage in my chest burn all over again, a reminder of the hell she had survived.

“Open your eyes for me, baby,” I mumbled

She peeled her eyelids open slowly, her gaze swimming with a heavy, drug-like lust.

“You are so fucking beautiful, Ana,” I whispered, meaning every single word.

Before she could respond, I reached down, grabbed the elastic waistband of her joggers and her panties, and tugged them down her legs in one swift motion. They pooled around her ankles on the floor. Completely bare, she instantly hid her blushing face in the crook of my neck, her small hands gripping my shoulders for balance.

I reached down, my bare hand cupping her ass, rubbing the smooth skin in a slow, possessive circle. Her entire body shook at the impact of my touch, a breathless moan escaping her lips.

As much as every rational part of my brain told me to pick her up, carry her up the stairs, and lay her down on the silk sheets of our bed—I couldn't wait. I physically couldn't let her go. I felt a terrifying premonition that if I wasted a single minute moving locations, she would slip through my fingers and disappear into the dark all over again. I needed her right here. Right now.

I tore my black shirt off over my head, throwing it blindly into the corner of the study. I grabbed her small, trembling hands and placed them flat against my bare chest.

Anastasia gasped, her ears burning crimson as her fingers instinctively brushed over the hard, rigid muscles of my chest and the defined lines of my abs. The second she realized what she was doing, she blushed even harder, trying to pull away, but I held her hands tightly against my heart.

I quickly unbuckled my belt, shoving my pants and boxers down my thighs until they hit the floor. My hard dick instantly sprung free, thick, fully erect, and dripping a clear drop of precum at the swollen tip.

Anastasia gulped hard, her big eyes widening as she caught sight of my dick. She tried to be subtle about looking at it, her throat swallowing dryly.

I leaned into her ear, the rough stubble of my jaw brushing against her hair as I breathed heavily against her skin. “How do you want it, baby?”

She stayed completely silent for a long, second, her mind clearly contemplating the intimacy of the moment.

Finally, her voice came out as a fragile, desperate whisper.

“From the back... no foreplay.”

I froze for a split second. I wanted to ask her why. I wanted to ask why she didn't want me to look into her eyes while I claimed her, but the painful truth hit me instantly. She probably felt face-to-face intimacy was too heavy, too revealing. Bending over was easier for her mind to process—it was less intimate, a way to protect her fragile heart from completely shattering.

“Okay,” I murmured softly.

I flipped her body around carefully, guiding her movements with a gentle touch I reserved only for her. I bent her body forward slightly over the desk, her hands gripping the smooth wood for support. I could feel the intense, rigid tension locking up her spine, and I wished to God I could reach inside her brain and heal it.

I stepped up behind her, the heat of my lower body pressing against her bare ass. I lifted my dick, lining the swollen tip of my dick right against the wet, tight entrance of her pussy.

The exact moment my flesh brushed against hers, a violent tremor racked her entire body.

Anastasia let out a sharp whimper. Her muscles went entirely slack, her head dropping against the wood as she suddenly started sobbing hysterically.

My heart practically leaped out of my chest in pure horror. I immediately pulled back.

“Alexander, no... no, no...” she shuddered violently, her hands slipping against the desk as she wept.

Fuck.

“Did I hurt you, Ana?” I asked, my voice frantic, a cold panic seizing my lungs as I wrapped my arms around her waist to keep her upright. “Did I push too hard?”

She shook her head frantically against the wood, her shoulders shaking with deep, gut-wrenching sobs. “I can’t... I can’t do it, Alexander... I’m so broken. I’m so fucking broken. Every time you touch me... I keep seeing him.”

Author's note: I feel bad for her🫠

I uploaded seven chapters today! That's the most I have ever done in a day... I hope we enjoyed the chapters. Hoping to finish this book this month, I might upload plenty of epilogues as well. Thank you all for reading❤️