Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
“If she knew her husband raped someone, she’d want nothing to do with him.”
I released a heavy sigh.
“Both of our families have done shitty things. Let’s move on.”
“You broke your promise—”
“And I apologized. I will apologize again if that makes you feel better.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Then I won’t bother.” His angry eyes stared at me so hard. “I don’t care if your brother likes me. He’s not the one I’m married to. And my mother has taken you in as a daughter. She could have told you how to break our marriage to finally get rid of you, but she didn’t. Elora respects you, whether she admits it or not. We’ve made progress, Ivory. We’re not going to throw that all away now. You really want to replace me with a man you don’t love? To spend your years wondering where I sleep at night? To look into your son’s face and wish you saw my eyes instead of a man you don’t care for?”
I looked away, the image making me sick.
“Then it’s you and me—forever. Understand?”
I kept my eyes down.
“Ivory.”
I forced myself to raise my chin. “I need to forgive you first.”
“Then forgive me.”
I gave a slight shake of my head. “I’m not ready to do that.”
The anger remained in his eyes, bottled up inside behind his irritated visage. “I’m not living apart anymore. We sleep in the same bed from now on. I’m not having my queen, my wife, sleep in a different room.”
“I’m not having sex with you—”
“You bet your ass you are.”
My eyes widened at his demand.
“It’s been two weeks, and I’ve been losing my goddamn mind. You must be too.”
“My hand works just fine.”
“And I bet you pretend that I’m that hand.”
My eyes shifted away, trying to evade his accusation.
“So, would you rather think about me or be with me?”
“You’re an asshole.”
“No argument there.” He rose to his feet and grabbed some of my things, my weapons, and my armor. “Grab your shit, Ivory.” He carried everything into the bedchamber and left the door wide open.
I wanted to resist. Wanted to be stubborn. Wanted to tell him off for his arrogance. But sleeping alone every night had done nothing to make me feel better. It only made me feel more alone, made me vulnerable to the ghosts of this castle.
I grabbed my books and clothes and stepped into the royal bedchamber. The four-poster king-size bed was in the center of the room, facing the enormous fireplace. Oil paintings were on the walls, of people I didn’t know and landscapes I hardly recognized. I hung up my clothes in the closet and took my toiletries into the washroom.
By the time I stepped out, a fire was burning in the hearth and Huntley was in bed. The sheets were at his waist, showing his hard abs and powerful chest. One arm was underneath his head, and his eyes watched every move I made.
I was in my silk nightgown, the material stopping at just above my knees. I hadn’t worn one since I’d lived in Delacroix. Ever since I’d met Huntley, his clothes had become my nightgown. Or I didn’t wear clothes at all.
The second I got under the covers, he was all over me.
He yanked down one strap then sealed his mouth over my shoulder, giving me a gentle bite with his teeth. It turned into a hungry kiss, his arm hooking around my waist and dragging me to the other side of the bed where he lay.
I felt as if a monster had grabbed me and yanked me into the darkness.
He somehow got the nightgown off me, and it was kicked away to the bottom of the bed.
I wanted to push him off, but it felt so nice to be touched again, to be cocooned in his warmth. His kiss felt like a bite, but it’d been so long since he’d devoured me. He may never have devoured me quite like this.
His hand gripped both of my tits at the same time and gave a squeeze before he hooked his thumb into my panties and tugged them off my ass. Then he yanked my shoulder and rolled me to my back, getting the panties off the rest of the way.
His heavy body moved on top of mine, pressing me into the mattress, dominating me with that ruthless gaze. His arms hooked behind my knees and forced my pelvis into a tilt, and the maniacal gleam in his eyes told me how much he wanted this, how much he missed it. He gave a push, getting past my tightness, and once he was in, he sank into me in one fluid motion. A quiet growl left his lips, just barely above his breath, full of the satisfaction he felt once he touched me, once he was surrounded by me. It was full of possession, like he’d finally claimed what was his. “My queen.”