Page 136 of My Ruthless Husband

Dad’s detached eyes are fixed on Derek who is still holding my struggling body. I catch dad giving him a subtle nod and withinseconds, I hear the shuffling of feet. People in lab coats enter the room.

“No! What are you doing?” I shriek as one of them approaches with a syringe. The sight of the needle sends a jolt of pure terror through me. I struggle against Derek, but he holds me firmly.

“Please, no,” I beg, sobbing. Tears run down my face as I watch helplessly. “I don’t want this. Please!”

One of the men presses the syringe into my arm, and I feel a cold, sharp sting. Almost instantly, a chill of numbness spreads through my body. My limbs grow heavy, and my attempts to resist are feeble. My thoughts scatter, slipping away like sand through fingers.

A single tear escapes, trailing down my temple as my neck slumps backward, unable to support the weight of my heavy head. “Damian,” I mumble as the darkness closes in and pulls me under.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Present

Damian is sprawled on the other side the bed, deep in sleep, his tanned body looking irresistibly inviting. I gently extricate myself from the tangle of sheets, careful not to wake him. As I move to stand, a sharp ache floods through my body, radiating from between my legs.

I wince with each step, my legs feeling unsteady beneath me. The soreness between my thighs makes me walk awkwardly as I tread carefully toward the bathroom.

My face heats up as soon as I peer at my reflection. My curls are a complete mess and my mouth is all swollen and pink. There is redness all over my neck and chest by Damian’s stubble. I look down and flush again when I find teeth marks in intimate places.

After examining all the hickeys and finger marks and feeling beyond embarrassed, I limp toward the shower. The eroticmemories from last night torments me. And as if that wasn’t enough, the moment the hot water touches my skin, every muscle I possess throbs and aches.

He was insatiable.

So were you, my mind counters.

All right, I admit I was a bit out of control. But honestly, it was nothing compared to his hunger… his stamina. He was more demanding than ever before. We were at it until 5 am.

I’ve long since accepted that nothing has ever meant more to me than Damian. When you love someone for as long as I’ve loved Damian, it’s easy to lose yourself in the process. Four years of deep, consuming love can make you forget everything about who you are outside of that relationship.

When you’ve given so much of yourself to someone else for so long, untangling your emotions and reclaiming your sense of self isn’t instantaneous. It takes time. It takes a great deal of patience.

So, it’s pointless to berate myself for wanting him so much. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t uncover the truth behind his intentions for marrying me. I owe it to myself.

I reach for the towel hanging on the rack, blushing furiously as I recall Damian chasing me while I was wrapped in nothing but a towel. Shaking off the memory, I swiftly wrap it around myself and step out of the en-suite only to find Damian awake, his dark eyes raking over my body.

My mouth goes dry as the awareness of our nakedness hits me—him concealed by the sheets, and I barely covered by the towel. Feeling my face burning up at his shameless appraisal, I snap, “Do youeverthink of anything else?”

He lifts a shoulder in an infuriatingly nonchalant shrug before pushing himself up from the bed. My gaze trails irresistibly from the rich bronze skin of his broad shoulders to his bare chest, and then to the curling hair that shadows his powerful muscles.

Suddenly, breathing becomes a challenge. My fingers dig into my palms as my eyes wander helplessly down, lingering on his taut abs, and further down to the area that makes my pulse race. In a flash of horror, I realize I’ve been staring. I twist my head so fast I almost get a whiplash.

“You still blush like an innocent,” he murmurs huskily, his voice rough with sleep as he prowls toward me. My chest heaves up and down from shallow pants by the time he reaches me. I feel his nose grazing my temple. “Even after all this time, after everything we’ve done, you’re still so shy—”

I cover his mouth with my palm, but he only kisses it and pulls it down. “That turns me on even more, angel.”

I take a small, instinctive step back, my heart pounding in my chest as a shiver of anticipation trails down my spine. “We shouldn’t be doing this right now.”

“And why not? I want you even more than I wanted you last night.”

My face burns from his words. Glancing at the clock on the bedside table, I stammer, “Y-you’re going to be late for work.”

“I’m the boss. I make the rules. And besides, the only thing that matters is us. Everything else can wait.”

That makes my head whip back to him. “You’ve never neglected work before!”

He steps closer, his gaze intense. “That’s what happens when I’ve been kept away from you for months. I’m deprived and I need you.”

“But—”

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