Page 25 of Steal Me

"Don't you think they're too much...alike?"

Pride comes before a fall, and I'd rather stick with this ridiculous line of argument than tell him the truth.

"Ah."

His eyes start to glitter, and I'm not sure what to make of it—

"What if we are?"

—until he says that, and I have to remind myself that my husband isMonsieur Le Dernier,who is also notorious for playing with his prey before making them disappear.

And so I force myself to laugh. "Oh, please—"

"That's not the answer to my question."

"Because it's so silly—"

"Is it,ma petite?You know who I am. Do you really think incest is beyond me?"

"Stop it," I censure. "This isn't funny."

"Who says I'm joking?"

I think I'm going to be sick.

Sylvain leans back against his seat, and my stomach starts to churn.

"Liana?"

I slowly raise my eyes to his, and that's when I see the smirk curving over his lips.

Argh!

I fly toward him, the chair scraping across marble as I push away from the table. My fists connect with his chest, solid muscle beneath fine fabric, but Sylvain only laughs, the sound vibrating against my knuckles.

C’est agaçant! How annoying!

I want to hit him again, not hard enough to hurt (I am no idiot to truly attack a man like him), but just enough so he'll know I am absolutely vexed. My fingers curl into a fist, but—

"No more," Sylvain says.

One yank, and I tumble into his lap, my skirt tangling around my legs, my breasts pressed against the muscular wall of his chest. And just like that, my mood swings from a fire-breathing dragon to a breathless little hussy.

"Do you not think it's time?" my husband purrs.

I look at him warily even as the heat and hardness of him overwhelms my senses. "Time for what?"

Sylvain covers my mouth in answer, and my toes curl hard. His lips are firm and warm, gentle and possessive, and I am utterly helpless against it.

Our first kiss as husband and wife, and it completely blows me away.

When Sylvain raises his head, there is so much to see in the dark blue depths of his eyes, a storm of emotions that I can't even begin to comprehend.

"I can never let you go now,tu comprends?"

I nod slowly, because I feel the same way, too.

For better or for worse.

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