Page 130 of My Ruthless Husband

I squeeze my eyes shut, but doing that only makes me remember the disdain I saw in his eyes when he said those things to me. It stripped away another layer of my dignity. And tonight, I was going to slap him… I am not a violent person. How did I reach the point of wanting to hit someone? HitDamian?Pain begins to coil like a barb wire around my chest.

I freeze when I hear a faint noise behind me—a door opening in the distance. Panic grips me and I turn a corner and run further and further down this wing and dive into a random room.

It’s dark in here but I manage to register that I’m inside our library. I quickly move across the room and hide, pressing myself against the bookshelves. The room is pretty dark, shadows play tricks on my eyes as I hold my breath.

I feel the towel start to loosen. Frustrated, I grab the ends and pull them taut, securing the towel tightly around me once more.

“River…” I hear him call out from the hallway, just outside the library and I jump. A shudder spreads through me for an entirely different reason than the cool touch of the bookshelf against my back.

I stand there, my heart racing like a wild stallion against my ribcage.

Snap out of it!I scold myself inwardly.

He dared me, with that infuriatingly calm tone of his, to run. This… game or challenge or whatever is a twisted dance of dominance and submission. Anger simmers beneath my skinwhich is an appropriate reaction… but so does an illicit thrill that I refuse to acknowledge.

I don’t know why I did the exact opposite of what’s logical. I took part in his game. And now I am stuck here without clothes, breathless.

The silence stretches agonizingly. Just as I begin to relax, a shadow looms in the doorway. “I know you’re in here, angel,” he calls out softly, his voice sending chills down my spine. “There’s no use hiding.”

His footsteps draw closer, slow and deliberate, each step a taunt to make me sweat.

“You can hide now but you know you’ll submit later.” His velvety smooth voice echoes in the quiet room.

I grit my teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response, but my pulse betrays me, quickening at his words.

I swallow hard, trying to regulate my breathing as his gaze sweeps the room, a calculated predator assessing his domain.

Biting my lip, I nervously stare around and spot a small, delicate statuette nestled on a nearby shelf. As he takes a step closer, I move swiftly. With my heart beating out of my chest, I throw it with all my might in the other direction.

It crashes on the floor with a loud clatter, its delicate form breaking into pieces. His attention snaps to the sound, giving me the split-second advantage I need.

Adrenaline propels me forward, bare feet barely touching the ground as I come out of my hiding spot to dart past him.

His reflexes are fast, he turns and reaches for me. I give a little cry as his fingers suddenly closes on the edge of my towel. The force causes my body to spin and when I come to a stop, I’m facing him, eyes wide as I see him holding one end of my towel in his hand while I cling to the other, my body scarcely covered.

I struggle to tug it from his grasp, my heart pounding. Damian smiles, amusement dancing in his eyes as he watches me. A smile that was so beautiful once is now frightening.

He doesn’t pull the towel even though he can. Easily. He is toying with me. I clutch it harder and try again.

He looks amused, his hand continuing to grip the towel. I meet his gaze nervously. I’m breathing hard while he is calm and confident. We look at each other for what feels like forever before he suddenly loosens his grip. I’m stunned as I quickly wrap the towel back around myself, my mind racing.

It’s confusing. He is letting me go when he had me. Why? He had clearly won. He slips his hands into his pockets and gives me another smile. Like he expects me to start running again.

Whatever it is, I don’t dwell on it much. I turn swiftly and bolt out of the library. My insides are going haywire. Oh, God! What’s happening to me? I’m feeling like an innocent little virgin all over again, going crazy over just the slightest touch of his fingers. I almost collide with a servant’s cart in the way, narrowly avoiding it.

He is right on my heels. My legs tremble as I head straight for the staircase this time and ascend quickly.

My lungs burn with exertion as I reach the top and turn left. I duck into a guest bedroom, heart racing as I slam the door shut. But before I can lock it, Damian twists the knob, opening the door. I give a startled cry and attempt to push the door shut but he is much stronger than me.

I back away when he opens the door and charges inside.

Eyes wide, I watch as he kicks the door shut behind him. But instead of approaching me, he leans his back against the door.

“Damian…” My voice trails when he opens his arms. For me. The action makes my knees go weak. “Don’t.” The word breaks out of me in a whisper.

He doesn’t answer and I bite my trembling lower lip.

“You lost. Now, you’ll open yourself to me, willingly. Just like we agreed, right?”

---