I drew in a sharp breath, reared back in horror and fell to my bottom.
“You disgust me,” I hissed, meaning every word.
His body did that thing again, that menacing, sinister change where his muscles came into sharp relief.
“I disgust you?” he whispered.
I ignored his stance even though he had to know my fear. My heart was beating so wildly I could, indeed, this time actually hear it.
If I could, he certainly could.
“Yes,” I retorted with more bravery than sense.
“You don’t have any f**king idea what you just witnessed.” His voice was still a low, outraged whisper.
“I do and it was nauseating.”
All of a sudden his rage filled the room, clogging my throat, expanding my lungs and he was leaning over me, his fists in the bed beside my hips.
I scrambled backwards up the bed.
He followed, faster, crawling along with my body.
My head hit the headboard and he retreated, only far enough to rise up, using my legs to yank me back down the bed between his thighs and then he settled his heavy weight on me.
“You’ve demonstrated another appalling trait, pet.” He was still using his scary whisper.
“And what’s this one?” I shot back. “I thought you’d seen them all.”
“You’re quick to judge, not even asking that first, f**king question,” he retorted.
“And how could you explain bloodying your wife’s nose in front of your supposed to be lover? Hunh? How about humiliating her in the same company? How about wanting a lover at all when you have a wife.” I made a snorting noise that was slightly embarrassing but I was too furious to care. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve forced me to humble myself more than once. Why I trusted you and didn’t run so I wasn’t forced to witness that I… will… never… know.”
His body went solid and his eyes bored into mine. This lasted what felt like an eternity.
Then he pulled in a breath sharply through his nose.
When he was done, I sensed the patience he was seeking eluded him.
I wasn’t wrong.
“I’ve risked everything for you,” he told me quietly.
“Your marriage?” My voice was dripping acid. “It didn’t seem you prized that overly much.”
It was like I didn’t even speak.
“Everything,” he repeated. “And what do I get in return?”
It was beginning to dawn on me that I was in a very bad situation.
Firstly, Lucien could and did in a fury beat the crap out of his wife. Secondly, if he did that to me, I wouldn’t survive. Thirdly, for whatever reason, he was angry, no, he was infuriated. Beyond anything I’d ever experienced from anyone before in my life. And lastly, I couldn’t fight him. I had absolutely no way to defend myself against anything he chose to inflict on me.
All the tissues in my body petrified as fear paralyzed me.
“That’s the smartest response you’ve had today,” Lucien informed me and I knew I was in trouble.
He grinned and it was not one of his handsome grins. This was a grin I’d never seen before.