Page 88 of A Duchess to Unravel
The hardened expression on Vulcan’s face went slack, and to her surprise, he knelt down and removed the restraints from herankles. She might not be able to fight yet, but at least now she could run. She just had to wait for the right moment.
“You belong to me,” Vulcan murmured, tracing a fingertip up her barefoot and over her calf.
“My name is William Boyle. I am the Viscount Weavington and your rightful intended.”
This time, Theo could not disguise the shiver of disgust that traveled through her body. But when she looked at William’s face, she plainly saw that he’d taken it for a tremble of pleasure.
“Tell me more,” she implored.
William’s eyes, filled with longing, slowly made their way up her body, pausing briefly at her breasts. By the time he reached her eyes, he looked like a man starved.
“My parents had struck a contract with yours,” he began, his voice full of wonder, “Right before I left for my grand tour. You were younger then, too young to marry yet. I was to spend five years abroad, you see. Seeing the world, apprenticing under different mentors so that when the time came, I would be able to take over my father’s responsibilities with no issue. I went, eager to learn, but you must know, I spent every night away dreaming of the day I would return to you. My wife. My Theodosia.”
Something hardened in his gaze, and he shot to his feet, towering above her.
“Then when I returned two months ago I learned the worst. That your parents had passed. That your brother had knowledge of this contract and was refusing to honor it. He wanted me to court you. To persuade you to say yes to my proposal.”
He bent down so fast that Theo couldn’t help but flinch as his face came parallel to hers.
“Do you know how shameful that is? How low that made me feel? To know that I had to be like everyone else? You were refusing everyone, refusing to even talk or dance at balls and parties. How was I to persuade a woman so against even the barest of connections?” he ground out.
“I am sorry,” Theo breathed, trying to calm her quickening heartbeat. “I did not know.”
“I thought I would do some research on you,” William went on, reaching out to take hold of one of her curls. “I found out what you liked. When I discovered you were a member of the Devil’s Masquerade I was beyond thrilled. You see I learned far more than business strategy during my years abroad. I discovered the secret pleasures of pain, and when I saw you at the Masquerade, I thought I had an advantage.”
William sneered as he tugged painfully at Theo’s hair, making her cry out.
“But you dismissed me,” he seethed, wrenching her closer. “You did not even give me a chance to explain who I was!”
“I did not know!” Theo gasped, feeling the strands of her hair near her scalp seethe with pain.
“Because you would not listen,” William growled out.
“I will! I will now, William, I promise,” Theo cried out. “I am sorry. My true husband. My intended, I am so sorry.”
William’s brow smoothed. He loosened his grip on her hair and stood back.
“You are?” he asked, his tone laced with awe.
Theo forced herself to look up at him, even as her stomach threatened to upheave.
“I am,” she pleaded. “I was wrong. So wrong, for not listening to you. You were right.”
For a moment the madness faded from his eyes, and he stared at her with longing again.
He reached for her chin, and it took everything Theo had not to wrench herself away.
“You will be good for me, will you not?” he asked, his tone hopeful as he caressed her face. “You will obey me? Even though you are married to that brutish fool of a Scot?”
Theo nodded quickly.
“I will, just promise you will not hurt him.”
The moment she said her words, Theo knew she made her first and last mistake. Showing she cared for Alistair. William’s grip on her chin hardened, making her hiss in pain, and the madness in his eyes returned.
“Your precious husband will never see either of us again,” he snarled. “He may have your vows, but I will have your body. And once I am done with you, he will never want you again anyway.”
William slammed his lips painfully down hers, but Theo parted her lips just in time and bit viciously down on his bottom lip. He surged away with a roar of pain, and as he straightened, she flung her foot out, catching the sensitive spot of his groin with the hard bone of lower leg.
