Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Roman’s POV

I searched her face, hair messed up from my hands lips swollen from my kisses.

Standing there in my office, holding her dress against her body, looking so damn beautiful it hurt.

And I felt the guih slam into me.

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“Because of the emotional baggage” I gritted the words through my teeth. Losing your virginity is supposed to mean something. Anna, I can’t give you that something

You don’t know what I need…”

“Yes, I do.” My face hardened. “You told me yourself. You want a family. You want marriage, babies, a happy ever after. And 1 can’t give you any of that”

Tears burned in her eyes. “So what? You’re just going to walk away? After everything tonight?”

Couldn’t she see I was doing this for her?

Tm protecting you.”

“No!” She cut me off, anger flaring in her voice. “You’re not. You’re protecting yourself.”

The words tore through my sanctimonious act of doing the right thing.

You’re the one who pursued me.” Her voice rose with each word. “You’re the one who asked me to be your mistress. You’re the one who touched me and kissed me and made me want things I’d never wanted before. And now, at the moment I’m finally ready to give myself to you, to be vulnerable with you, you’re going to humiliate me by walking away?”

Damn. She was right about me being the one who had started this whole damn thing.

To her, this felt like rejection, like I had taken her to the edge of something profound and then shoved her away. But in truth, I didn’t want her to get hurt in the end. Or be the one who stole something precious from her only to discard her later when our arrangement ran its course.

I’m not trying to humiliate you…

Then what are you trying to do?” The words exploded from her. “Because from where I’m standing, it sure as hell feels like humiliation!”

Tm trying to do the right thing.” I forced the words through gritted teeth. “For both of us.”

“The right thing would be respecting my choice.”

She took a step forward, getting in my face. I’m a grown woman, Roman. I can make my own decisions about my body and who I share it with You don’t get to make those decisions for me.”

“This is about more than just your body.

“Is it?” She threw the challenge at me like a weapon. ‘Or is it about your precious rules? Your need for control? Your fear of.. She stopped, eyes widening as understanding dawned. “Oh my god. You’re scared.”

“I’m not scared.”

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“Yes, you are.” She stepped closer, still clutching her dress against her chest.

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“You’re scared that if you sleep with me, if you take my virginity, you’ll feel guilty. You’ll feel responsible. And that’s too much emotion for you to handle.

My eyes narrowed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about

But fuck, she did.

Because she was right. Taking her virginity would make this real in a way I couldn’t undo it would create a bond I couldn’t sever cleanly when our time together ended. And some part of me, the part Id buried deep years ago, was terrified of that

connection.

“Don’t I?” Tears spilled down her checks now, hot and fast. You want me. I know you do. But you won’t let yourself have me because it might mean actually feeling something real”

“This isn’t about feelings

“Everything is about feelings! The words burst from her like a dam breaking “That’s what you don’t understand. You can’t control everything, Roman. You can’t make rules that protect you from ever being vulnerable or caring about someone or

“That’s enough. My voice turned stern. The tone I used in boardrooms when I needed to shut down opposition. Tm taking you home

“Don’t you dare.” Her voice shook with fury. “Don’t you dare order me around right now.”

But I had already turned away, spotting her discarded panties on the floor. I picked them up and held them out without meeting her eyes.

Please get dressed, Anna.”

She snatched them from me, the movement aggressive enough to make the fabric snap.

“I don’t need your help.” Each word dripped with venom. “I can dress myself.”

She turned her back on me and slid her panties on. Then she struggled to get into her dress, her hands shaking so badly she could barely manage the zipper.

It was killing me.

I moved behind her silently, reaching for the zipper.

“Don’t.” She tried to twist away. “I already told you. I can do it.”

“Quit being stubborn.” I caught her shoulder, holding her still as I pulled the zipper up slowly. “Let me help

“I don’t want your help. The words came out as a hiss.

But I finished anyway, my fingers brushing the bare skin of her back one last time. Her skin was still warm from my touch earlier.

When the zipper reached the top, I turned her around to face me.

My heart squeezed at the sight of the hurt in her eyes.

Minutes ago, she had been moaning my name, begging for more. Now she looked at me with pure rage mixed with

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Chapter 168

devastation.

I brushed her cheek gently with the back of my hand

“Anna, whether you see it now or not, it’s hurting me too to make this decision. But I’m doing it for yo

She brushed my hand away as if it burned her. “You’re doing it for your damn self.”

My brows furrowed 1 wrapped my hand around her waist, pulling her against my chest, making her listers

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You deserve your first time to be special. I kept my voice firm even as something cracked inside me. On a proper bed, not some office desk. With someone who can give you the world”

Someone who wasn’t broken like me. Someone who could love her the way she deserved.

Her eyes flashed with fresh anger. “You don’t get to tell me what I deserve

She broke free from my grip and searched for her things. Her movements were jerky and frantic.

She grabbed her purse and phone from where she had left them on the side table.

“What are you doing?” I watched her, confusion mixing with concern.

“What does it look like?” She pulled up her phone with shaking fingers. “I’m calling a car. I’m going home.”

“Like hell you are. I moved toward her. “I brought you here. I’ll take you home.”

“I don’t want anything from you.” She stepped away, still not looking at me. “Not your car. Not your protection. Not your guilt. Nothing”

“Anna

“Save it.” She finally looked at me, and the expression on her face nearly broke me. She let me see all the hurt and anger and betrayal written across her features: “You made your choice. You chose your rules over me. Over us. So congratulations. Roman. You got exactly what you wanted. Control.”

“That’s not what this is about.”

“Isn’t it” She laughed bitterly, the sound wet with tears. “You control everything in your life. Your company and mistresses. Even your own emotions. And the second something threatens that control, you shut it down. Well, guess what? You can’t control me. Not anymore.”

I scoffed. “As if I could control you.”

“You’re controlling me right now!” Her voice rose to a shout. “By making this decision for me. By deciding what’s best for me. By treating me like I’m too naive or too innocent to know what I want.”

She turned and headed for the door.

I grabbed her arm before she could reach the handle.

“Let me take you home” I kept my voice low and urgent. “Please.”

“Why?” She jerked her arm free, the movement violent. “So you can feel less guilty? So you can tell yourself you did the right thing by making sure I got home safely after rejecting me?”

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Chapter 168

“That’s not…”

“I don’t care.” She reached for the door handle again.

I moved faster this time, my palm slamming against the door above her head, holding it shut.

Her head whipped around, eyes blazing.

I don’t care about your reasons or your guilt or your rules anymore I take back everything I said tonight.”

The words should have given me relief and made this easier.

Instead, they felt like knives.

“Anna, you can’t go home on your own” I kept my voice firm. “Im driving you home. It’s late. It’s not safe.”

“T’d rather walk than ride in the same car with you.” She spat the words at me.

My jaw clenched. “The only way you’re leaving this office is in my car. The choice is yours

You can’t…”

“Try me

She stomped her foot like a petulant child, and it amused me.

“I said no.”

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