Page 64 of Provocation (Temptation 3)

“Never. I’ll never stop. Never stop taking what’s mine.”

His voice came out strained. It didn’t sound like Lachlan. I couldn’t even make out the accent that made my toes curl. His tone was different. Ominous. Threatening.

I bucked against him, trying to get him off me. He responded by holding me tighter, locking me in place. Then he pulled out of me, making me exhale in relief.

But it was short-lived.

A hand on my shoulder, he pressed me onto my back, his body smothering mine.

My gaze finally met his.

Instead of a pair of vibrant, blue eyes staring back, they were a threatening dark brown.

Adrenaline rushed through me as I fought against the body restraining me. What the hell was going on? Nothing about this made any sense. All I knew was the man on top of me wasn’t Lachlan.

Instead, he looked far too much like my ex-husband.

“No use fighting me. You’ll never win. Like I promised…”

He brought his hand to my neck, wrapping his fingers around it and squeezing. But unlike when Lachlan did this same thing, his touch sensual and erotic, this was more possessive.

More deadly.

“Till death do us part, Julia.”

He tightened his hold, cutting off my oxygen. I writhed beneath him, clawing at his hand and arm. But he used his own imposing body to keep me bound to the bed, unable to escape. To run. To ever be free.

“Till death do us part.”

I fought against him, using every ounce of strength I possessed to free myself — scratching, kicking, flailing…to no avail.

I was about to give up when I heard a familiar voice call my name.

I tried to respond, but no sound came, the hand around my throat making it impossible.

“Julia!” the voiced shouted again, terrified and desperate.

Abruptly, the weight crushing me was gone, my airway clear.

Flinging my eyes open, I shot up in bed, gasping. I was instantly met with a pair of blue eyes, Lachlan staring at me in concern, fear oozing from every one of his pores.

I blinked, panting, taking in my surroundings. I was in my bed. In my room. In my house.

Where Nick was moments ago.

I was certain of it.

“Imogene… Is she okay?” I scrambled out of the sweaty sheets and stood, my legs nearly giving out beneath me. I grabbed onto the headboard to steady myself, fighting against the dizzy spell enveloping me, my body shaking.

“Hey.” Lachlan clambered out of the bed, rushing to my side. He looped his arm around my waist, spinning me to face him. “What’s going on?”

“He was here. What if—”

“Who was here?”

“Nick. Didn’t you see him?”

Lachlan stared at me, a mixture of worry and something resembling pity crossing his features. “It was a dream, Julia. Or, more appropriately, a nightmare. You were screaming and thrashing in your sleep. I kept trying to wake you up.”

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