Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Tears formed in the corners of my eyes, and I wished I was the woman he saw. “Marco—”
Whatever I was going to say was cut off by a scream and the screech of metal colliding with metal.
A black Bentley had run a red light, causing a car accident.
It drove up over the curb, scraping the paint on the bottom of the bumper and nearly running over several pedestrians, then stopped just before our table.
“What the fuck?” Marco said, standing up and pulling me behind him.
Luc Manwarring stepped out from the driver’s side, his square jaw clenched and fury in his eyes. “Get in the car, Amelia.”
“No!” I yelled back.
“Is that him?” Marco said over his shoulder.
“Yeah.”
“Girl, damn, he is hot.” Marco was drooling a little when Luc ripped off his suit jacket, threw it into the car, and rolled up his sleeves.
“I am aware, thank you.” I pinched Marco on his side. “But that isn’t the point.”
“It wasn’t, but it is now. Does he have a gay brother?”
“Amelia, in the car, now,” my asshole fiancé barked again. “Don’t think your little friend is going to protect you.”
I moved to step around Marco, and he stopped me for a moment. “You going to be okay? Say the word, and I will figure out how to get you away from the sexiest man I have ever seen.”
Marco’s gaze went back to Luc for a moment, giving him another once-over, but then returned his attention to me. “Seriously, say the word.”
His concern was touching. For a moment, I wished Marco could help me, but having him intervene any more was just going to put him on Luc’s bad side. I didn’t know what he could do to Marco, but I really didn’t want to find out.
“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” I lied.
Then gave him a weak smile. “And I guess I have my answer.”
CHAPTER 23
AMELIA
Igot into the car with Luc, knowing it may not be my wisest move, considering how angry he was.
But it was not like the man gave me much of a choice.
“Where are we going?” I somehow got the courage to ask.
“Home. Where you belong.”
He squealed his tires around a corner, and I could see the white of his knuckles as he gripped the steering wheel. “I don’t know why you feel the need to continue to test me.”
Intense anger radiated from him as he drove recklessly through the streets toward his building.
I had never seen him this angry before, and I had to tread lightly if I wanted to make it out of this situation unscathed.
But fuck it, and fuck him. I was pissed, too.
I clenched my fists in my lap, my anger starting to boil over. “You don’t own me. You may think you do, but you don’t.”
He didn’t respond, but instead gave me a side-eye as his jaw tightened.
“You can’t have me followed. I’m not a child.”
“Then stop acting like one,” he boomed. “And it’s a good thing I do have you spied on. Clearly, by your actions today, I have to.”
I shrugged, trying to put on false bravado, even though my heart beat heavily. “It’s not like this will be a real marriage. Whoever I choose to associate with, and whoever I choose to fuck, shouldn’t matter to you.”
He shot out his hand, grabbed my wrist, and squeezed it painfully. “You belong to me, and don’t you forget it.”
He let go of me abruptly, turning the car in front of his building.
As soon as the car came to a stop, I was out of my seat belt. “You can’t spy on me!”
“I can. I will,” he shouted, grabbing me roughly by the hair and pulling me toward him. “You’re going to be my wife, so get used to it.”
My pulse raced as I realized what was happening.
I had to fight back, protect myself.
But as Luc’s lips crashed onto mine, a strange sensation washed over me. It was a mixture of fear and excitement, and as much as I hated to admit it, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of arousal.
Luc’s hands roamed over my body and I knew I was in trouble, but I couldn’t stop the sensations coursing through me. All I could do was give in to the darkness that consumed me, and hope that I came out of this with some dignity when it was all over.
“We’re going to go upstairs to my place,” he said after breaking the kiss. “You are going to behave, or I swear to God I will make a scene you won’t like right in front of the doorman who is waiting to open your door right now.”
I tried to swallow down the fear that had lodged itself in my throat, knowing that any wrong action could result in a violent outburst from Luc, and he would make good on his promise.