Page 60 of The Devil's Pawn

“No. I saw you through the window. I can see right over to the paddocks behind the stables. I saw him touch you.”

Irritated with his stupidity and possessiveness, I huff. “To help me with my riding.”

“I don’t care. You’re mine, and he put his hands on you.”

“I am notyours.I already told you! People aren’t possessions.”

“You’re wrong. You belong to me.”

“I belong tomyself!”

I whip around, ready to storm off, but before I take a single step, Alexander grabs my wrist and spins me back toward him. He captures the other one, too, pulling me flush to his body as he looms over me. I wrestle to free myself, but Alexander holds me tighter, so I kick his shin, my aim true.

He hisses. “You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?”

“Let me go.”

“Not until you calm down.”

My chest heaves, and his gaze goes there, locking on my breasts, and I feel it, that weakening of my resolve whenever his eyes flood with lust. I can’t let him win this round. So, I do the only thing I can think of. I kick him again, harder this time.

“Jesus Christ!” He shoves me against the wall, using his superior strength to hold me in place. “Careful, Imogen. I’ve gone easy on you until now, but that can change.”

“Easy?” I snort. “You think living with you is easy? You’re a fucking nightmare.”

“And I suppose you think you’re a walk in the park.”

My arms are trapped behind me as he bends and nuzzles my neck. His large hands explore my hips, my ribcage, mybreasts. My nipples bead, and he tugs on them, pinching and twisting until I’m writhing against him.

“Make no mistake, you are mine.” He bites my earlobe, and he isn’t gentle about it. “But here’s a warning: if you dare to storm into my office and embarrass me in front of my business associates again, I will bend you over my conference table, pull down your underwear, and spank you in front of the entire cohort. Do you understand me?”

There’s a part of me that wants to challenge him, to dare him to do it, but my instincts kick in to protect me. He isn’t bluffing. He’d do it, and he’d enjoy it, too.

As much as it pains me, I nod.

“Let me hear you say it.”

My jaw flexes.Oh, he wants his pound of flesh, doesn’t he?“I won’t do that again.”

“Good.” Nuzzling my neck, he breathes in. “Protecting you is my job, Imogen. Allow me to do it without all the added drama.”

A cold sweat breaks out all over my body. He keeps using words likemineandprotect, both a sign he’s no closer to asking me for a divorce. I’m running out of time. If I don’t start to land some serious blows soon, I’ll be stuck here forever.

The moment the thought pops into my head, an internal voice whispers,Would that really be so bad?

And the scariest part? I’m not sure that it would.

Chapter Twenty-Two

IMOGEN

By the time Alexander dismisses me, my legs are shaking, and my heart is racing at a thousand miles an hour. Poor Will. I don’t even have his contact details to reach out and make sure he’s okay, and his boss at the stables is unlikely to give them to me, either. This is Alexander’s fault, but I’m not exactly blameless. I should have told him up front that I’d asked Will to help me. Maybe all of this might have been avoided.

Returning to my rooms, I flop onto the bed and grab my phone. It’s the middle of the night in California, but I need to connect with home. I pull up Emma’s contact details. God, was it really twelve days ago when I last spoke to her? I scan through my texts, a sinking feeling in my stomach. Almost every time, it’s me who instigates the conversation. Am I losing my tenuous connection to home? Is it so easy for Emma to forget me and move on with her life?

Me: Hey, you. How’s it going?

Me: I miss you.

---