Page 6 of Unwillingly His

I melted.

A chilling fog had crept over every corner of my life since the accident.

It didn’t matter how many layers I wore or how high I turned the heat on. Even long baths with scalding water that left my skin raw and bright pink did nothing to warm me.

Until Lucian Manwarring had the audacity to touch me.

His kiss was dangerous.

I was holding a knife by the blade, heedless of the blood dripping over my fingers, focusing only on the warmth of the crimson drops.

I couldn’t let this happen.

With as much strength as I had, I shoved him back.

He broke the kiss and grinned down at me like he’d just learned my darkest secret.

I had given up something… and he was going to use it against me.

My stomach soured.

This man, this tall barbarian in a suit, had stolen from me.

He had taken all of my inheritance. And worse than that, he was taking my freedom.

All of my plans for the future were fading like wisps of smoke.

As if I were no more than a petulant child, I wanted to stomp my foot and exclaim, ‘no fair’.

I was an intelligent, fully capable, legal adult. Unlike half the heiresses I knew who seemed to think it was a stylish accessory to brag about their time in rehab, or getting kicked out of numerous universities, or needing their family to write a check to pay off an injured suitor.

I was a well-educated, even-tempered, mentally stable, responsible woman in her prime who had done what she’d been told her entire life. I hadn’t even so much as had a boyfriend, let alone a pregnancy scare.

There was no legal reason any of this should have happened to me.

Other than that I had a shitty lawyer and a corrupt judge.

The way that judge had talked down to me, and the way my lawyer, a man who was supposed to advocate for me, had just given in, was infuriating.

Ice-cold anger surrounded my heart, strengthening my stomach, and finally, I was able to have an appropriate reaction.

I let my hand fly again, ready to strike Lucian across his handsome face, not caring how much hitting a jaw that firm stung my palm.

This time, I used my left. My right was still throbbing from the first hit.

Unfortunately, Manwarring was expecting it.

He grabbed my wrist mid-flight and pinned it to the wall next to my head.

“You already used your one shot,” he growled, lowering his face to mine again. “If you try to strike me again, I’ll take off my belt. Understood?”

Take off his belt?

As in spank me?

He wouldn’t dare!

“Fuck you,” I bit out, trying to pull my hand out of his grasp.

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