Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
"There’s no room for lies in our marriage, and arguing about it won’t change what is already done."
“I…you’re a liar.”
He blinks at me, his expression never wavering.
“So it’s true; we’re married?”
“Like I said before, yes. The answer didn’t change because you asked me in a different way.”
All I can do is shake my head, hoping I’ll wake up from this nightmare. “No, no, no.” The air wheezes out of me, deflating my lungs. I’m trapped. It’s over. My only option is to find a way out of this mess, to save myself.
“How… Why would you do this? We aren’t even together.”
He rolls his eyes, “I didn’t expect you to be accepting of the marriage, but I did expect you to be… I don’t know, grateful?”
I nearly choke on my tongue. “Are you kidding me? Grateful?” If I wasn’t so weak I’d punch him in his smug face.
"Yes. I saved your life, again, might I add, so I’d expect you to be at least grateful for that. You’re acting like I had a choice.” He shakes his head in frustration at me.
“Acting like you had a choice?” I mock, my nostrils flaring. “There is always a fucking choice, Sebastian.”
The muscle in his jaw tightens, and he reaches for me. My first instinct is to flinch away from his touch, but there's nowhere for me to go, and when all he does is rest his hands on my lower stomach I find it difficult to push his gentle caress away. It’s a strange gesture, and one I don’t quite understand, but I don’t object to his touch.
“You’re right. The choice was to either leave you to suffer at the hands of your father or provide you with safety.” He grits his teeth, “I suppose you’d rather I left you to your father?”
I don’t even think, my body instinctively responds for me, and I give my head a frantic shake.
“That’s what I thought.” He continues. “I wouldn’t hurt you, even if it’s what you wanted. The thought of something happening to you…it kills me. It’s my job to care for you, to protect you. I apologize that I failed to do so up until now. I guess some part of me wanted to give you time. I didn’t want to rush you into anything, but there’s no more time in our hourglass. I had to do what I had to do. I can only hope we overcome these obstacles. I want you to want me the same way I want you.”
I peer up at him through thick lashes. I’m angry, so angry. Angry, he took the choice from me. Angry, he forced me into this. Angry he is who he is and I am who I am.
“I will never want you like that again. The man I fell for was a figment of my imagination.”
The hand across my belly twitches, clamping down on my skin. It’s not painful, but firm. "Don't lie to me. You fell once, and you’ll do it again in time. Feelings don’t change that abruptly.”
Lifting my chin, I stare defiantly into his eyes, “They do, and mine certainly have. You can make me your wife. You can keep me in this mansion. You can force me to do, or be, anything you want, but what matters more than anything is whether or not my feelings are real.”
“They are real. I’ve seen them. Felt them. My favorite one being when your tight pussy strangled my cock until I filled you with my cum.”
I reach for his hands and wrap my fingers around his wrists, digging my nails into his skin. My intention is to push him away, to hurt him, but the plan backfires as soon as he leans into my face and smiles instead of pulling away and cursing my name.
“If drawing blood is your way of trying to hurt me, it isn’t working. All you’re doing is turning me on.”
“You’re disgusting, and I hate you. I hate you, and I will never love you again. Never.” I hiss angrily through my teeth. It sounds so dramatic that I hate myself a little for it.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Little Prey. I’ve waited far too long for you, and I refuse to hold back anymore. This whole time you’ve done your best to hide behind your books, to keep yourself busy with chores, to try and appear less appealing to me, when all along there was no fighting fate. No escaping the inevitable. I wanted you the night you were discarded in my foyer and left for dead. You can’t fucking hide from me. I won’t let you. I see you, just as much today as I did that first night, and I know you love me. In fact I don’t just know it. I fucking feel it.”
I swallow around a lump in my throat and look away, staring off toward the windows lit with soft light behind heavy curtains. He reads me like a damn book, and I’m a fool. A fool.