Page 54 of Stolen Vows
But for seven years, he didn’t care. Not at all.
And I was alone.
The elevator chimes, jerking to a rocky halt, and a second later, the doors slide open. I dart to the exit and cross the threshold quickly, avoiding his gaze and hands when they reach for me again. My chest heaves, each breath evidence of my survival in that death trap.
My relief is short-lived, however, when Leo reaches behind him and slams his fist into the elevator buttons, cracking three and causing the lights to go out.
My shoulders tense, and I back away from him, belatedly noticing the anger radiating off his body in hot waves. He saidhe didn’t want to kill me, but he clearly has something villainous planned.
But that’s okay. I’m not the same naive girl he married. I won’t be locked away in a tower and left to rot. If he wants something from me, he’s going to have to give me what I desire first.
The three exterior walls around us are entirely made of glass. The building we’re in is tall, displaying gorgeous panoramic views of the estate where the Black Rose Auction is being held. Outside, dark clouds hang low in the sky, setting pretty grays against the rising moon. Up here, it’s almost possible to imagine I’m someplace else.
Across the room, a four-poster canopy bed is pushed into a corner. Candles line the white dresser and the nightstand, casting a soft glow against the satin sheets and fluffy pillows. Red rose petals line the white comforter and lead a trail from the bed to the elevator.
My stomach drops as I take it all in.
“Leo…” I don’t dare turn around and look at him.
“Yes, wife?”
A teapot screeches between my ears. “What is this? What are you doing?”
“Itoldyou.”
His footsteps vibrate on the floor as he comes closer. He swarms me like an army of wasps, shoving me forward until I’m trapped against the glass wall, where a small balcony outside overlooks the in-ground pool across from the conservatory.
Leo takes both my hands in his gloved ones, splaying them out so my fingers make webs against the window. The glass is cool on my palms, compared to the heat coursing through the rest of me.
It’s always been like this with him, as much as I hate to admit it.
“I didn’t come here to watch you sell yourself to someone else,” he mutters, lacing his fingers over mine. “If you hadn’t done that, maybe I would’ve played nice.”
Snorting, I ignore the way his words make my abs tense. “You don’t like nice. Especially not with me.”
“You pretend I’ve been cruel because it’s easier to hate me that way.” He nuzzles my neck. “But what have I done that was so terrible? When I gave you an escape from your shitty father? Maybe when I didn’t have you executed for that goddamn razor blade you were smuggling? Or perhaps when I respected your wishes for boundaries?—”
A sound that is half laugh, half disbelief comes from my throat.
“I never forced you to do anything. I made it clear that it was all up to you.”
And you rejected me.I don’t say that out loud, though, seeing as I can’t let him know it affected me so deeply. Iwon’tlet him know that.
“Ooh, the bare minimum. You realize that doesn’t really matter in the long run when you’re standing here, forcing me to do whatever you want now?”
He remains quiet for several moments, his body barely relaxing against mine.
Then, as suddenly as he stopped speaking, I feel his lips against my ear, his nose in my hair. He shifts, pressing his pelvisjust so, and mine has nowhere to go except flush with the wall. I swallow, my pulse throbbing in my neck and between my thighs.
“Tell me you want me to stop then.” He squeezes the tops of my hands. “Say you wish for me to bring you back to the party and give you over to the sack of shit who bought you tonight.”
He rips himself away, but only long enough to spin me around. I don’t have time to blink before I’m facing him and he’spinning me against the wall again, his forearms bracketing me in.
Minty, slightly whiskey-laden breath fans my face as he leans down. “Tell me you haven’t thought about this moment every day since I turned you away seven years ago.”
“I haven’t.” My head lifts in defiance. “You don’t cross my mind—ever.”
“Sei solo una bugiarda del cazzo.” After a pause, he reaches up with one hand, capturing my chin in two fingers. “Such a dirty fucking liar. You know, you’re practically in a wedding dress right now. Granted, this one is much nicer on the eyes than the gown you married me in, so why don’t we re-create the night we could’ve had?”
