After a moment, he trained his gaze on her.
“Don’t do that again.”
His icy manner chilled her. At the same time, his churlishness rankled. Reminding herself of the distressing ordeal he’d gone through, she managed to stay calm.
“A lot happened tonight,” she said quietly. “What are you referring to?”
“Do not contradict me. Do not put words in my mouth. Above all,” he said through clenched teeth, “do not ever take their side over mine.”
His dictatorial tone challenged her patience, which she held onto by sheer force of will.
“The only side I am on is yours,” she said. “I was trying to support you through an understandably difficult moment?—”
“It was not difficult,” he said coldly. “I had everything in hand before you interfered.”
“That is unfair.” His accusation stung. “While your brother deserves your animosity, his wife and children do not. They are blameless, victims as you are?—”
“Do not compare them to me.” His snarl ripped through the cabin. “Katerina, Anne, and the rest of Robert’s bloodline are nothing like me. They were not beaten within an inch of their lives by him. They were not separated from the only person who cared about them, then locked away for nearly a decade of unspeakable abuse. They do not know the first thing about suffering and pain. They’ve lived in the lap of luxury, and the only price was to pledge their allegiance to a monster.”
While Gigi knew that Conrad could be ruthless in business, she hadn’t until this moment realized he could be heartless in relationships. Certainly, he’d discussed his past lovers with a degree of indifference, but she’d believed those relationships had been transactional and nothing more. She’d also believed him when he said he felt differently about her. Love, she’d told herself, would make all the difference.
Unwelcome thoughts crept into her head.
How well do I know him? After all, he has kept secrets from me…
Her love and knowledge of his past tempered her doubts. Robert Beaumont was a vile man who’d inflicted unimaginable suffering on Conrad. It was only human for Conrad to want justice. Although he had kept secrets from her, he had eventually trusted her with facts that were not the easiest to share. Over time, he was opening up to her.
“Robert’s wife and daughters had no part in what he did to you,” she said gently. “They likely didn’t even know of your existence.”
“My mama was equally blameless,” he shot back. “As was I. That didn’t stop Robert. Now, he will reap what he sowed. The people closest to him will suffer for what he did. He is the one causing them pain, not me.”
“While Robert is responsible, you would be making the choice to hurt innocent people, too. You would be acting like him?—”
In the next instant, Conrad was leaning over her. His hands planted on the cabin walls, he caged her. His savage expression reminded her of the satyr’s. Her heart thumped…not entirely because of anxiety. Her husband’s nearness, his intensity, stirred a primal response.
“Do not compare me with that bastard,” he said in a low, dangerous tone.
“I know you are not like Robert.” She wetted her lips. “Nonetheless, his wife and daughters…they are your family.”
Conrad’s gaze was fixed on her mouth. The tension between them sizzled, even as it took a different form.
“You are my family, Gigi,” he said. “Your loyalty, your love—all of you belongs to me.”
“That isn’t the point?—”
“I think it is. I think you need to be made aware of what those vows you gave me mean. I think you need to be shown who you belong to.”
When he shoved himself from the wall, she didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Then his hands went to his waistband. Casually, he unfastened his trousers. Hard and swollen, his cock jutted from the fine wool like an angry beast. The stiff truncheon swayed when the carriage went over a bump, and he grabbed the strap to steady himself. She knew this was no way to end an argument; they ought to sort out their problems. When he began to pump his fist along his impressive length, however, she grew mortifyingly wet.
“What do you think you are doing?” The breathiness of her voice betrayed her. “We have matters to discuss.”
“I’m done discussing. I have a better use for that lovely mouth of yours.”
He brought his cock within an inch of her lips. The dome was flared and dripping. She smelled his unique musk, and her mouth pooled.
She looked up at his glinting gaze. “How does this solve anything?”
“It will make me feel better,” he said in gravelly tones. “As my wife, don’t you want to see to my needs?”
