I knew she felt my presence before she even turned around and looked at me. It was in the way her body tightened, her back straightening. The wind whipped by and blew her hair over her shoulder and my fingers itched to touch those strands. I stood a few feet behind her, my body strung tight.

What I wanted to do was lift her up and haul her over my shoulder, spank that sweet little ass of hers and tell her she wasn’t ever going to run away again. Despite the fact maybe she didn’t actually run away--that I knew where she was--I needed her by my side always.

“It’s time to come home, Snow.” It took her a few seconds before she finally stood, her back still toward me as she stared out at the ocean. When she did finally turn around and looked at me I had to curl my hands and keep them at my side so I didn’t reach out and pull her in close.

“Says who?” she asked softly, her defiance turning me on.

She was so small compared to me, vulnerable and innocent against my ruthlessness. But I had to be this way in order to make sure she was safe, in order to make sure nothing happened to her.

“I’m tired of being locked away in a gilded cage, Hunter.” Her voice was low, distant. I took a step toward her, inhaling the sweet scent of vanilla that always seemed to surround her. It mixed with the salt in the air, the ocean breeze. “I’m not going to be kept away because my father's afraid of losing me as well.”

Although I wasn’t surprised that she was tired of the life she led, that her father did have a tight rein on her because of his fears, she needed to know that I wouldn’t let her go on her own. I couldn’t, not for my own sanity and not for the sake of letting her live her life.

I wanted her as mine. I could admit I was obsessed with her, possessive of her. The very thought of seeing her with another man infuriated me. I had waited a long time to make Snow mine, and I wouldn’t deviate from that plan. I’d saved myself for her. She belonged to me and me alone.

I didn’t respond to what she said, just needed her to come with me so her father knew she was safe--so I could keep her that way.

“We can discuss this when we get back to the house and your father knows you’re okay.”

“He knows I’m safe because he knew you’d come after me. And you knew exactly where I’d be.”

I held my hand out to her without responding. She stared at it for long seconds before slipping her much smaller one against my palm. Her skin was warm, her fingers fragile. I curled the digits around hers and pulled her in a little bit closer. Although our bodies didn’t touch I could feel her heat seep into mine.

“He has to understand I’ll leave at some point. I can’t be by his side all the time. I have to live my life.”

I stared into her eyes. “I know.”

* * *

Snow

I sat in the passenger seat of Hunter’s SUV, my body heated despite the heaviness of why I was in his vehicle. He had insisted I drive back with him, leaving my car and calling one of my father’s men to come pick it up.

I hadn’t argued the point.

Glancing over at him, I felt my breath hitch. He was so big and strong, his body dwarfed mine … making the interior of the SUV even smaller. My nipples beaded and my pussy became wet. I shouldn’t have this reaction to him, not because I didn't deserve it, but because he was here on “official” business.

No man had ever given me this kind of reaction. But then again, Hunter had always been it for me. The one.

But the fact remained I wanted him, and I was growing impatient holding back from what I wanted. The fear of him rejecting me--which was very real and a very good possibility--kept me in check.

“Things will work out,” he said and my heart jerked in my chest.

“That’s easy for you to say,” I replied and looked out the passenger side window. “You don’t have to worry about your father needing security on you constantly.”

He didn’t respond, but then again, he didn’t need to. I felt the tension in the air, felt my own anger fill the interior of the vehicle.

“He just loves you and would do whatever he can to make sure you’re safe.”

I looked over at him, the strange quality in his voice making me think he meant more than he’d said.

“I can relate to him in that way,” Hunter said again, his focus still trained in front of him.

“I know he loves me, and it’s because I love him that I stayed for so long. But I have to start my life. I can’t stay there forever. And I’m afraid he won’t understand that.” I saw the way he tightened his hands on the steering wheel. I wondered if he’d lost someone and that’s how he could relate to all of this, but I was too much of a coward to ask him anything so personal.  The truth of the matter was the idea of him caring for another woman had my stomach twisting.

He looked at me then, his gaze piercing. “When the time's right I’ll tell you exactly what I mean by that, Snow.” He faced forward once more and I was left sitting there with my heart in my throat, wondering exactly what he meant by those words.