Page 34 of When Hearts Surrender

She’s the only person I’d ever want to marry.

Madness. I don’t know the reason for these insane thoughts.You’ve been in her presence for only a few hours.

Nothing makes sense. Logic doesn’t seem to pierce through the dark veil.

“Silas, is it you?”

I shake myself, my eyes greedily absorbing every beautiful inch of her—her thick, black hair curled in luscious waves, draped over her shoulder, her petite body poured into a cream silk dress which hugs her perfect curves.

“Maxwell AngusSilasAnderson, at your service, Ms.Annabelle Law-McKenzie.”

She flinches at whatever she sees on my face, and I knot my hand into a tight fist to stop myself from striding over and pulling her into my arms again.

Irrational impulses. Madness swirling in my mind.

I’m going insane.

I unclench my hand and extend it to her, watching as her fingers tremble slightly before she slips her hand into mine.

A sharp current sizzles between us at our point of contact, and I take a quick breath.

“Did you know who I was that night?” she asks as she quickly withdraws her hand and hides it behind her back.

“No. Had I known, I would’ve never let you stay in the car.”

Her tawny eyes darken in apparent pain, and I want to punch myself for hurting her. She opens her mouth to ask more, but I hold out my hand to stop her.

“Ms. Law-McKenzie, I’m sorry, I cannot go through with this. I can’t marry you.”

Belle staggers back half a step, her face scrunched in confusion. “What? Why?”

Picking up my phone from the table, I stride toward the door, eager to flee from her, from this forbidden woman who makes me want tospend days upon days painting her face on canvas, dancing to Puccini in the halls of my home, marveling at strange, obscure colors, and saying yes to adventures.

“M-Maxwell. P-Please stop.”

Her dulcet voice whispering my name has me halting. I turn around, finding her eyes reddening, a wet sheen in them.

She shakes her head, clearly bewildered. “I don’t know what’s going on or how you ended up being the man I’m supposed to marry. Or why you’re treating me this way when that night we shared was the best night of my life.”

My heart skips another traitorous beat at her admission.

She continues, “But I need this arrangement.” She takes a deep breath, as if fortifying herself, and looks up. “My family needs it…for McKenzie Atelier a-and because I want to have—”

She stops herself.

“What do you want to have?” I want to give her everything. I want all her smiles and kisses. I want to know every facet of her.

But I can’t. I have to say no.

Belle swallows, her skin turning into an alluring shade of pink. “Our family needs this arrangement, and I’d rather it be you than a stranger.”

Blistering anger chars my chest at the sudden thought of her with another man, someone else getting to hold her in his arms, to taste those sweet lips I’ve been craving for ever since that night, to listen to her adventures as she grabs life by the balls.

“No.”

I’ll strangle anyone who lays a hand on her. Destroy him.The disturbing thought comes out of nowhere.

“What do you mean,no?”

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