He tilted his head.His light brown hair fell across his shoulder and over one eye.“He says you have been weak, my lady.He believes you haven’t fought the devil hard enough.You need my help.”
She lifted her chin.“I am perfectly well, thank you.”
With a wicked smile, Lucien moved fast, backing her against the wall so suddenly her palms scraped against the rough stone.Her skirts brushed his breeches.The toes of his boots crushed her slippers.His fetid breath made her want to turn her head away.The remnants of his last meal were stuck in his front tooth.
She’d been dodging his advances for so long she could hardly believe he’d finally caught her.Tears pushed against the back of her eyes but she blinked them away, instinctively knowing he would want to see her cry.
He grabbed her chin in a bruising grip, causing her to gasp.Dark, feral eyes smiled at her.A smile promising retribution and satisfaction.A smile that had her heart racing so hard it made it difficult to breathe.
Excitement flared in his eyes.He pressed his hips forward, silently showing her what she had to look forward to.Sickened she turned her gaze from him.
He squeezed her chin tighter until she feared her jaw would crack.She tried to pull away but the movement merely shoved the back of her head into the rough stone behind her.
The rigid outline of his manhood ground into her pelvis.
His gaze raked her mouth and he licked his lips.Saliva pooled in the corners of his mouth.Slowly he began raising her skirts, his fingers brushing her leg.His moist breath panted against her neck.
“No.”She slapped at his hands, but her meager protestations merely made him laugh.
“It’s the devil in you, my lady.”His voice became deeper, raspier.“It’s telling you to fight me.It’s telling you to fear me.”
He was too excited by what the devil was telling him.
“Please,” she whispered, knowing he wanted to hear her plead and willing to do whatever it took to get away.She’d beg if she had to.
“Please what?”He bent his head until his nose touched her neck and inhaled deeply.“Please what?Tell me what you want.”His tongue darted out and licked her neck.“Mylady.”
“Please, don’t.”
His arm snaked around her waist.He began to pant, his hips pumping.His eyes darkened, lost focus.
“No!”She twisted away and shoved him.
He stumbled back, but not far enough.His hand circled her neck, fingers digging into her skin, cutting off her air supply.The room grew dim and Madelaine struggled to breathe.She clawed at his hand, but his muscles were rock hard and trembled with the force of his exertion.
His face filled her vision, dark eyes glittering with a terrifying combination of hate and lust.His mouth twisted into a sneer.She was so close she saw the small hairs of his patchy beard and a smudge of dirt on his cheekbone.She smelled the oily sweat of him.
“You walk this castle with your pretty little nose in the air and those delicious hips swaying beneath your skirts.The devil has his evil claws in you and only I can save you from him.”
Her lungs were bursting with the need for air.She pulled at the hands circling her throat, tearing his skin with her nails.
Present Day
Lainie gasped.Her eyes flew open and her body went rigid, sending a wave of pain through her that made her groan.She breathed deeply, drawing air into her lungs.Breathing it out, pulling it back in.Slowly her body relaxed, the pain receding enough to stop the room from spinning.
She could still feel the imprint of Lucien’s fingers on her neck and the air being squeezed out of her.She tried to raise her hand to touch her throat, but it hurt so much to move she let it drop to her side with a grimace.
Lainie tried valiantly to control Madelaine’s fear pulsing through her because the fear made her muscles tense and tense muscles caused the pain to claw its way back up.
“How do you feel?”
She jumped and whipped her head to the left.For a moment the room dimmed, black dots danced before her eyes and her stomach heaved at the sudden movement.
Through the thickening shadows of the dark hospital room she recognized Christian sitting in a chair next to the bed.It took a few moments for her vision to clear to see he was bent forward, elbows on knees, hair mussed, eyes bloodshot, face pale.
“Like I was hit by a car.”
“That’s because you were.”His voice was tight with emotion.She didn’t know if it was anger or something else and at the moment wasn’t in the right frame of mind to figure it out.“Should I call the nurse?Do you need something for the pain?”
