Page 4 of Claiming His Wife
Cool dark eyes latched onto his own dark blue ones from across the room. There wasn’t a hint of kindness in her eyes. Her face was neutral, but her body language seemed combative. Despite her current hostile demeanor, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and he had told her such countless times in the past. High cheekbones, which he had kissed countless times, smooth umber skin that he tasted whenever they were alone, and a slender physique that his hands used to roam. He groaned at his thoughts. He also noticed that she’d grown into her curves. Her breasts were fuller and her hips were wider. He felt the rush of blood to his manhood, so he quickly brought his eyes back to her cool glare.
That unrelenting stare could douse the flames to even the most ferocious fire.
Finn clenched his jaw and steadied his breathing before saying, “Hello Lilah.”
“Hello Finn.” Her breathy voice crossed the air to hit him in the gut with a savage blow. Five years was a long time.
“You look beautiful as always. Finally came back to take your rightful place as my wife?” He asked this in French.
“I want an annulment,” her words fell upon him quickly, cutting off all rational thought. He was not proud of losing control but it was too late for apologies when a red haze of anger clouded his vision and primal urges surged through him.Mine.
“Did you hear me?” Kalilah repeated.
CHAPTER 2
KALILAH WATCHED FINN CLENCH HIS FISTS and release them intermittently. The veins in his neck looked ready to pop. He parted his lips and clamped them shut again in as many seconds. His brows slowly slumped in the middle and rose at their ends. Unbothered by the anger she knew was currently overtaking him, Kalilah remained firm in her stance and crossed her arms over her chest. He was struggling, no doubt, and she wondered what exactly he seemed to be battling with.
“Did you hear what I said?” she inquired, hoping to spark some response from the man. Why did he have to be so good looking?
“Close the door and come in, Lilah, unless you need the protection that it offers.” He finally broke out his words, challenging her.
“My name is Kalilah.” Head tilted high, she slammed the door using her foot and stalked further into his office.Challenge accepted.“I want an annulment Finn.”
“I heard you the first time,” he bit out.
“And?”
“Not happening,” he replied bluntly as his tone of voice turned from thunderous to mischievous. She noticed him unclench his fists as his six-foot-four-inch frame confidently stalked closer.
Kalilah knew what the look meant, even if it had been a long time since she saw it.
"Please, Finn; I am not here for your games or manipulations."
"What are you here for then?" The innuendo was obvious, and it grated on her skin.
In a twist, she found herself both enraged and trapped in his handsome snare, which was becoming more apparent the longer she gawked at him. His perfectly chiseled jawline and neatly aligned teeth glared right back at her. She centered her gaze on his lips, and memories of him kissing her tortured her mind. She remembered how much she longed for them. The familiar scent of his cologne played havoc on her senses. Its effects on her hadn’t subsided; if anything, it made her more aware of him.
It wasn't her damn fault that the man was annoying and attractive in equal measure. Something was different about his appearance, but she just couldn’t figure out what. Then she figured it out. It was his hair. She noticed it when she studied his haircut, now a faded crewcut, way shorter than it used to be. It didn’t take away from his raw masculinity.
She could almost see his muscles through his designer suit.Why did he have to look so good?Why couldn’t he have had a potbelly? Why the heck was she getting turned on by just looking at him? It wasn't her fault that the ghost and dreams of her nineteen-year-old self was haunting her in full vengeance. She knew the vein in her throat was pulsing; hell, her entire body was vibrating with barely suppressed anger and something else…
Desire?Need? She would ignore that for now. She would feed off the anger that came every time she thought of his betrayal. Anger made her remember the pain, but would her anger stop Finn Tremblay? From the look of determination on his face, she guessed not.
Kalilah took a step back to gather her composure before she fixed her eyes on him again. She didn’t have time for this, or for whatever else the past was trying to drag back into her consciousness. She had to remember Jonathan. Her future with Jonathan was the reason she had to stand against all the bullies in her life, starting with this one.
"I said I want an annulment," she repeated, and it felt like she was talking to an idiot.
"And I said I have no interest in dissolving this union," he replied in the same dispassionate tone.
"You can't stop it," she replied easily. “There is no reason to drag this on any further.”
"But I already have," he returned with just enough mockery to sting. She felt as if she was a kid again, being toyed with. A child who was about to be denied something because of sheer adult perversity. Well, she was all grown up now, and the word ‘no’ didn’t scare her anymore; in fact, it made her work twice as hard to get what she wanted.
The calm words inflamed her even more.
"This is my life!" Kalilah started and took several deep steadying breaths to rein in her seething temper. "My life, not some company merger or some other office decision you have final say on. I want to be free."
Finn winced at that, and it prompted her to savor her victory, no matter how little and brief it might be.
