Between Now and Heartbreak - Dylan Allen Page 0,88
laughs when it shows all over my face.
“Oh yeah. I’ve heard all about your time with your lover boy. You think I don’t know that you’re fucking wet for him?”
I swallow down the revulsion and dread that’s risen from the pit of my stomach to lodge into my throat.
“Don’t talk to me like that.”
He eyes me, and grins. His gaze traveling over my body like he owns it.
There’s a promise of pain in his eyes. Not just the physical kind. But the kind that you never forget. The kind that leaves stains makeup can’t hide.
I back up. He steps toward me.
“Why? Since you’re so into honesty today, why can’t we call it what it is.”
“It’s nothing.” I say, desperate that he not know how much Carter means to me.
“I don’t care. Liz, fuck him every day and twice on Sunday if you want. But come home to the devil you know.”
I recoil from him. “Why would you want that?”
“My parents married for love and now my mother can’t manage a public appearance without a snort from her little stash of coke. If we don’t care what the other is doing, we can focus on building our empires.”
“I don’t want to build an empire. I’m just trying to help my sister. Cameron is the whole reason I’m here. To make sure she gets a happy ending.”
“Life isn’t a fairytale, Elisabeth.” He throws my name the way I suspect he wants to throw the vase on the table next to us.
“I don’t expect a fairytale. But I’m sick of it being a nightmare. I don’t want to do this.”
The only warning I have as to what’s coming is the growl of frustration that rumbles in his chest before he lunges at me. He grabs me and shoves me onto the bed. He pins me down with the full weight of his body and forces all of the air out of my lungs.
My heart feels like it’s going to explode in my chest. I struggle, but can barely move.
“Get off,” I huff, and then regret using the precious air the words took. I slap at him.
“Calm down.” He snarls, and grabs one of my wrists in one of his huge hands and pins my arms over my head.
“You think I can’t make you feel good?”
He presses his lips to mine in a bruising kiss, my teeth cut into the inside of my lip and I taste blood.
He reaches between us and tugs my towel off and snakes his free hand between my legs and puts two fingers inside of me. His drags his tongue over my neck.
My soul screams, but I don’t. I don’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how he’s hurting me.
His eyes remain on mine, they’re full of expectant glee as he waits for my body to respond. I bite back a whimper when he shoves deeper, and harder.
“Don’t fight it. I’ve made you feel good before.” He winks like it’s an inside joke. I just stare at him, emotionless and disengaged.
“You’ve never made me feel anything other than dirty.”
The light of delight in his eyes disappears. He pulls his fingers out of me. His expression is like that of a parent whose child has disappointed them and he lifts off me.
I pull my towel back over me and scramble off the bed and move to stand in the corner of the room. I face him, my anger is white hot but so is my fear.
“ I’m not that girl who didn’t understand that you don’t have the right, anymore. I swear I will kill you and everything be damned if you ever touch me like that again. Ever.”
He looks up at me and his expression is bleak.
“Fuck this. I’m not going to spend my life with a woman who hates me. You can have your little lover. ”
I sag in relief.
“Thank you, Duke. This is the right decision.”
His expression hardens.
“But you owe me that money. And when you marry him, I want my share.”
“Okay. I swear. I don’t even want it.” I don’t add that I have no idea if I’m going to get married. I can’t believe how quickly he’s agreed. I thought it would take weeks of begging.
“Tonight important for me. I need you to be there, and act like you’re happy to be. There’s enough gossip about you since whatever happened at Wishbone.”
I grimace.
He looks at me like he feels sorry for me. “Love is a cage. It makes you weak. I’m offering you freedom from