Page 68 of Born a Queen

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"You’re mistaken, Raina," he said calmly, watching her expression carefully trying to determine her thoughts.

Raina was nearly vibrating with fury. "I'm wrong in thinking that you intend this room for me?"

He shoved a frustrated hand through his hair. "Yes, of course this room is for you. But it's not a prison."

Raina pointed at the bars on the window, her hand shaking. "Prison."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "If it becomes a prison then it's a prison of your own making."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?” she snapped, hands on her hips.

He took a step toward her, close enough that she could smell the subtle hint of his spicy aftershave. He was so breathtakingly handsome it fucked with her nerves. Her libido wanted to stand up and take notice of him even when the logical part of her brain wanted to stab him in the eye with the nearest pointy object.

"It means," he said, his tone dripping with ice as his eyes became glacial, "that if you ever try to leave here, leave me, this will become your prison. When I had it built, its intended use was as a bolthole in case anything happens at the mansion. But if you insist on taking this attitude, it can become a more permanent cage."

"Don't you threaten me, asshole!" she snarled. "I'm going back to the house to think long and hard about this marriage."

She whirled around and headed for the door, but she barely managed two steps before he was gripping her and swinging her back around to face him. Her heart thundered as she realized she must've gone too far. The look on his face was utterly terrifying, as though he was rapidly losing control. His eyes had gone from ice to fire, their dark depths snapping with emotion.

“Don’t ever threaten me, Raina.”

His head descended to hers in an angry kiss. Raina tried to break away but his grip became punishing. In contrast to his brutal hold, his lips took her on a familiar dance, teasing, coaxing, looking for a response. She tried to resist, but her body was so in tune with his that her response came automatically. Her lips softened and she opened her mouth, giving him access. Then she was kissing him back, her anger meeting his in a heated exchange.

After a minute, he lifted his head, angrily staring down at her. They were both breathless from the intensity of their angry kiss.

"It's time you understand a few things about our relationship." His voice was a husky growl and she could feel his cock, steel-like within his pants, pressing against her bare stomach. "I’ve given you more leeway than I have given anyone in my life. You are under the mistaken impression that we are equals and I am no longer willing to allow you to live under that delusion. We are not equal. We will never be equal. I am the boss here. I rule over this city, this house and the people within it. I rule over you. If I tell you to get your ass in this room, you will do it without hesitation."

Pain shattered her hopes as his words sank in. For months, he allowed her to believe that she would have the freedom she craved if she stayed with him. Now, he was essentially telling her that she had no autonomy whatsoever.

The realization cut deep.

Raina blinked back tears and tilted her chin. "You’ll have to keep me locked in here until the end of time if you intend to stop me from leaving. Because as of right now, there's no chance I'm going to stay here and marry someone like you."

His hands tightened until she cried out in pain and jerked in his hold. Instead of releasing her though he slammed her up against his chest and lifted her until her feet left the ground. Raina was barely 5’2” and Mateo was easily a foot taller than her. She clutched at his suit for support.

"We are as good as married already. You will never be allowed to leave." He reiterated, his voice taking on a mean tone.

She snapped her hand up between them and slammed her cupped hand into his ear, boxing him. He dropped her but didn't let go of her arm. He reached up to rub his ear but didn't react otherwise.

"Fuck that, we aren't married, and at this rate, we never will be."

"As far as I'm concerned, little girl, the only thing left to do is consummate this relationship."

Raina's eyes flicked to the bed. She didn't know if he planned this, but she knew exactly where things were heading, and she didn’t think it was a good idea.

"Don't you dare touch me," she hissed.

He swung her toward the bed until her knees hit the edge of the mattress.

Mateo bent over her, his broad form blotting out the light above his head. "You belong to me. I negotiated for you and in my world, the promise of marriage is as good as the marriage itself. I can do whatever I want to you."

With every word he spoke he damaged their bond, slowly built up over weeks of getting to know each other. A few hours ago, she might have admitted to actually falling for this man. But now? Now, she couldn't imagine spending another minute with him let alone a lifetime.

"If you touch me, right here, right now, I will never stop trying to leave."

His hand swung around so sharply that she didn't have time to get out of the way. She closed her eyes and flinched, but the blow didn't land. She opened her eyes to stare at him and realized that he stopped himself. The fact that he'd intended to hit her was enough to shatter the last of her feelings for him. He didn't care. If he actually loved her, he would do anything to protect her, even from himself.

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