Page 44 of Beautiful Cruelty

His teeth graze my bottom lip and rational thought abandons me completely. There's only the heat of his mouth, the solid strength of his body against mine, and the dangerous hunger building between us.

Just when I think I might combust from the heat building between us, he tears his mouth away. In one fluid motion, he yanks me to my feet.

"That was very stupid of you,zvyozdochka." His voice rumbles. "Running from me like that."

"I won't marry you." I wrench myself from his grip, twisting away. "You can't make me?—"

Pain shoots up my leg like lightning when I put it down. My leg buckles beneath me and I cry out in agony, my body pitching forward toward the ground.

Vadim catches me before I hit the dirt.

"You've hurt yourself." A massive hand slides beneath my knees while the other supports my back.

"Because of you!" But even as I say it, throbbing pain pulses through my ankle. "Let me go!"

"No." His storm-gray eyes lock onto mine. "And as much as I'd love to watch you crawl back to Pankrationon your hands and knees, I don't have all morning. We have much to discuss."

I can't help but shiver at the way he says those words. My mind betrays me with flashes of what that might look like—me crawling toward him while those storm-gray eyes drink in every movement. Heat blooms across my skin at the thought of him watching me, commanding me...

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to banish these dangerous thoughts. But all it does is intensify my imagination.

In my head, I see him leaning back in an expensive leather chair, loosening his tie as he orders me to crawl towards him. His voice drops lower, rougher, as he tells me to get up on my knees.

My heart pounds against my ribs. I shouldn't be thinking these things. But I can't help it. And the way he looks at me, like I'm precious and dangerous all at once, that makes me want to discover what else might please him.

Stop it, Lacey.I scold myself.

But even as I try to focus on anything else—the throbbing in my ankle, the wet morning air, and the sound of birds that I hadn't noticed while I was running—my thoughts keep circling back tohim.

What else would he love to watch me do?

His hand slides down my back, leaving trails of fire in its wake. My breath catches. Anticipation wars with anxiety inside me. Heat pools low in my belly as his fingers trace lower and lower.

Before I can process what's happening, Vadim sweeps me up into his arms. The abrupt movement draws a surprised squeak from my throat.

"You bastard," I gasp, still breathless. "That was a dirty trick."

His lips curve into that infuriating grin I'm starting to know too well. "I never claimed to fight fair,zvyozdochka."

It's hard to maintain any semblance of anger when my body is still humming from his kiss, when my mind is still imagining the wicked things he can make me do, and when his arms feel so secure around me.

The spicy scent of his cologne fills my nose with every breath.

He starts walking, carrying me through the woods like I weigh nothing. Each step jostles me slightly against his chest, and I find myself hyperaware of every point of contact between us. The effortless strength of his arms under my knees and back. The warmth of his body seeping through my clothes.

I press my face against his chest, hoping he can't feel the heat burning from my cheeks. His scent fills my nose with each breath, making it impossible to think straight.

I want to be mad at him. I should be furious that he's carrying me back to my cage. Instead, I'm fighting the urge to curl closer, to rest my head against his shoulder and breathe him in.

So, for the second time, I ask myself that question that has never once stopped bouncing around in my head.

Just what the fuck is wrong with me?

Vadim carriesme into my room—my prison cell, I remind myself—and sets me down on the bed with surprising gentleness. Neither of us looks at the midnight-blue dress still on the bed, even though both of us are clearly aware of it.

He shuts the door behind us, and I feel my heartbeat quicken at what is about to happen next?

"Why does the door need a key to unlock from the inside?" I ask, not sure if I want to know the answer.

---