A Dance of Love and Denial (Editing+Re-Write)

29.

Chapter 29

Zara

I jerked awake, opening my eyes as the sunlight hit my face, and I tried to shield the brightness by covering my face.

I attempted to stretch, but my waist was being held tightly by two arms, and a solid chest was pressing against my back. I can feel someone touching my hair and breathing close to my neck.

I froze for a second as I tried to recall where I was and what had happened the day before.

"Good morning, darling. You're finally up," Daniel remarked, his voice raspy with sleep.

It dawned on me. Daniel, shit I jerked trying to move away.

Our Nikah from last night, as well as the threats and my cries, all flashed across my head like a flashback.

I closed my eyes and wished it had all been a dream, but it wasn't. This was real.

He grabbed my hip with both hands, turning me to face him as I tried to object. As he studied my face, he raised himself on one elbow.

I felt uneasy in his presence, and he continued eyeing me up and down like a freak, giving me the ick.

I was completely within his control and couldn't escape his grip because he was completely on top of me, yet he made sure not to crush me.

At this point, he kept staring at me, and I wished I could read his thoughts because I was starting to get quite irritated.

I mentally rolled my eyes right away, assuming that he was probably having those wicked ideas as usual.

Being in a bed with a man for the first time in my life still felt strange and foreign to me, so I tried to scoot away and create some distance between us. But, of course, he didn't let go, tightening his grip and pressing down even harder on me.

I could feel the heat radiating from his body as he clutched me as if I were about to flee him at any moment, which was, after all, my intention. I mean, if only I had the chance, I wouldn't hesitate to run; he's not wrong there.

His tattoos was even more noticeable in the daylight than it had been in the low light of last night. You could see a lengthy tattoo on his left shoulder. It began with a tribal pattern at the top of his shoulder, leading to a sword encircled by roses and a dragon.

Considering the design, it appeared to be a full canvas. My gaze was drawn to the smaller tribal tattoo on the right side of his neck. It was remarkably similar to the man who works with him; I believe his name is Alex.

I examined the remainder of his body and noticed numerous additional minor tattoos. He was made entirely of muscle, and his skin was covered in scars, some of which were round and sharp and seemed as though a bullet had ripped through his skin, while others were thin and long, as if a sword or a blade had cut straight through it.

At this moment, I became more frightened, and my heartbeat gradually accelerated. This man literally screamed danger to me.

He snapped his fingers in front of me, grabbing my attention and jolting me out of my reverie. "Do you like what you see, darling?" I immediately shook my head "no" in response to his mockery. He pressed his lips tight and smirked in response to my comment.

He reached up and pushed a very few locks of hair off my face when I flinched backwards, though he didn't care. I held my breath as he moved his fingers down my cheeks and then to my lips, moving in a downward motion toward my neck.

"Stop flinching whenever I touch you," he stated in a firm voice. "I promised I wouldn't hurt you," he says, expressing his contempt for me when I deny his touch.