Page 66 of Knight's Desire

Hope held up her handcuffed hands. “I haven’t tried it. It’s hard to cut through a steak when my hands are bound.”

“Allow me.”

Hope dropped her hands back in her lap. David raised his fork and steak knife and sliced into her filet mignon until it was in several bite-size pieces. Then he pierced one with his fork and held it out as an invitation for her to take it. She hesitated. The act of him feeding her was too intimate, as if she was making his fantasy a reality. She felt it was a point of no return for her.

Anger leapt in his eyes, and she realized refusing would be a mistake and probably dangerous.

You can do this. It’s about survival. You have to survive.

With the mantra playing on repeat in her mind, she opened her mouth and closed her lips over the fork, sliding the meat off into her mouth and chewing. David’s nostrils flared as his eyes settled on her lips. The filet mignon suddenly lost all its flavor, and she was afraid of regurgitating it if she swallowed. She took a deep breath through her nose and finally forced the bite down.

“Thank you.” She barely managed to say the words, and her hands gripped the hem of her shirt to keep from shoving him away.

Satisfied with her reaction, he returned his attention to his own plate. “I knew you would like it.”

With his focus back on his food, she closed her eyes. Her hands shook, and she squeezed them together tightly to stop them. She had no doubt that David not only planned to stage a wedding, but he planned to rape her. She could feel time slipping away from her. If she didn’t find a way out soon, he would take what he wanted and destroy her.

“Umm, I was wondering, David. Why did you decide on that dress design? I had several on my table that you could have taken.”

“I saw the other designs. I didn’t approve. You had to design those for your business, but none of them are you. You’re more traditional, pure, classy. You needed a dress like that too.”

She nodded to seem engaged when she wished she could run. “I never knew you saw me that way. You never told me how you felt.”

He chewed a piece of steak before setting down his knife and fork. She stiffened, wondering if she had upset him again, but he seemed to be considering her words.

“I wanted to romance you, so you could see what our life would be like. Then you started dating Parker, and I realized I had to take a different approach. But I couldn’t wait anymore. All I’ve ever wanted was a family of my own. I wanted a wife who would make a loving home for me and my children. I want the perfect life, and my wife had to be just the right person to make it all work. I couldn’t let you slip through my fingers. I couldn’t.”

“I’m surprised there hasn’t been someone else who’s made you want to settle down.”

“There’s no one but you, Hope. There were pretenders who tried to turn my head and make me believe I was meant to be with them. But they weren’t pure. They were using me. They never wanted the same life I’d dreamed of.”

“They? How many women…used you, David? What happened to them?”

“They’re not important. They aren’t standing in our way. Nothing is.”

She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “What happens if you get tired of me? What if I’m not right for you either?”

“As long as you give me what I want, you’ll never have anything to worry about.” He turned his wine glass up and drained every last drop. When he slammed it down on the table, he pierced her with another direct stare that had all the color leaving her face. “You’re as excited about this as I am. I can tell. We’ve put this off long enough. Enough with the foreplay. It’s time to make this official.”

Her eyes widened. “W-w-what do y-y-y-you mean?”

“You’re not eating your meal. You’re fidgeting like you’re nervous, and you can’t stop asking me questions about our future. I knew you felt it too. We shouldn’t deny this chemistry between us anymore.”

Her mind blanked as she realized she’d just ran out of time. Before she could react, he placed his hands on either side of her face and pulled her roughly to him. His mouth crushed hers in a kiss that would leave her lips bruised. He moaned and forced his tongue into her mouth. Her head jerked, but his hands held her steady as he continued his oral assault. Her hands fumbled on the table until she felt the steak knife. Turning it in her grasp, she yanked her arms up, slicing his forearm.

“Son of a bitch!” David screamed as he jerked back, cradling his arm as blood dripped from the tear in his tuxedo jacket.

Hope jumped to her feet and backed away. David’s head bent over his wound to inspect how deep she’d made the cut, and she knew her time had come. She whirled around and ran. She stumbled over an uneven spot in the floor leading to the hallway, and the misstep cost her. David grabbed onto her hair as it flew out behind her. Fisting it tightly, he jerked her back, causing her to cry out in pain.

“You little bitch! You can’t escape me. We’re meant to be together, dammit. Accept it.”

“David, please, you’re hurting me.”

He ignored her and instead dragged her by her hair across the room. Tears poured from her eyes as she tried to loosen his grip without having all of her hair pulled out. He threw her to the floor at the foot of the mannequin, and she caught herself before she could tumble headlong into the dress.

“I’m not waiting anymore. We’re getting married now.”

“W-w can’t. David, listen to me. You want this to be perfect. You don’t want anyone to be able to dispute the wedding. Well, we can’t be married. There’s no minister to perform the ceremony.”

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