Page 2 of Vengeance Becomes Her

PART I

If I had known that falling in love would leave me fighting for my life, I never would have done it.

CHAPTER ONE

Two months earlier

Rhiannon curled into the muscular, warm body beside her. She inhaled deeply, reveling in the comfort of the familiar scent of spice and freshly turned earth. She never would have expected to be so enraptured by one man, but here she was. Committed. Attached. In love.

She was careful not to shift the weight of the bed too much as she turned toward the man she had shared her days and nights with for the last several months. Silas seemed so gentle right now, stripped bare and peacefully asleep in her sheets, the morning sun glimmering off the scattered sable strands that lightened his near-black hair. Right now he was hardly the cold, imposing figure he typically presented to the world around him.

In her embrace, the shadows that clung to him gave way to light, the heavy air of tension receded, and the tic in his jaw abated. With her, he was just Silas. His presence was still somewhat overwhelming, but in a way that made her feel desired and cared for. She found herself hoping it would be this way forever.

She’d been skirting around the feeling. Not wanting to admit it to herself, but she couldn’t fight it anymore. She didn’t want to. She was ready to take the next step in their relationship. To make him hers.

Her heart was a steady thrum in her chest as she planned how she’d tell him. Today was the day. She would not watch the sun rise and fall again in uncertain anticipation. She wasn’t afraid of rejection. These past few months he had shown her nothing but unwavering commitment.

He sought her out. He pursued her. He wanted her. Of that she was sure.

She was battling her fear of commitment. The vulnerability that came with giving herself to one man. But she didn’t feel like she was giving anything up, only making what they already had official.

Still, she could feel her stomach turning in knots as she waited for the moment to come.

Rhiannon studied his face to distract herself from her thoughts that were giving way to nervousness and planting seeds of unnecessary doubt. She recalled the day he came to call on her after their run-in the night beforeat the tavern.

Even against the backdrop of ornate furnishings and the grand winding staircase of her mother’s foyer, Silas commanded the room’s full attention. He cut an imposing figure in his signature all-black garb that lengthened his already tall figure. His sleekly fitted trousers and deep-cut tunic revealed a slim, hard build.

It was an alluring contrast to the way the hazy golden light shone through the arched windows, casting him in an ethereal glow. It embraced the golden undertones of his warm ivory skin and picked up the faintest hints of yellow in his upturned obsidian eyes. What she would have given to be the sunin that moment.

She remembered the blaze that ran through her veins when he caught her gaze lingering on his sharp cheekbones, traveling across his angular nose, up his defined jaw, landing on his full lips. The hunger in his eyes froze her in place. He looked ready to devour her. And she was willing to be that sacrifice, if only for a night.

She was brought back into the moment when she felt him shift, his smooth, sleep-warmed skin gliding against her own. She stilled, holding her breath. She wasn’t quite ready for him to wake.

It seemed that fate was more impatient than she was about her plans for the day. Moments later, his eyes gently flicked open, meeting her own. They watched each other for a moment, a silent greeting as he adjusted to the light and sounds of the new day.

A lazy grin graced his lips. “Good morning, Rhia.”

His hand drifted up to her face, lightly brushing back the thick waves of hair that rested against her rounded cheek.

“Watching me sleep again?” His voice was a deep rasp that caused herstomach to dip.

“Of course not.”

Heat skittered across her skin under the intensity of hisgrowing pupils.

He closed the remaining distance between them, pressing a hard kiss to her lips. She pulled back, the nervousness swimming through her would not allow her to get lost in him like she usually would. She needed to get this off her chest.

Instead of lingering in bed, she made to get ready for the day. If somehow worse came to worst, she would not be rejected by the love of her life while naked.

Silas only chuckled—a low, sensual sound—at her unusual behavior. He sat himself up against a stack of thick pillows and picked up his leather-bound journal and quill that waited for him on the nightstand next to their leftover wine from yesterday. He flicked the page open with purpose and gave the page and pen in front of himhis full focus.

She snuck glances at Silas in the mirror as she dressed, taking in every inch of him, all long lean limbs. Even with his thin frame, he had a dominating presence that seemed to take up most of the space on her oversized bed. She allowed her gaze to linger appreciatively on his perfectly symmetrical face, his strong hands, and the nearly black stray hairs that hung over his dark eyes as they swept over the page he was so consumed in, thick lashes brushing against his cheeks.

Rhiannon found herself wondering how they got here. She still couldn’t believe they had grown so close so quickly. That someone like him seemed to be so enamored by her. He came from nobility, he was undeniably handsome, and he sparked the interest of nearly everyone he met. That is to say, he had endless options and it seemed that he had chosen her.

Her entire life she’d be told she was too opinionated, too emotional, that she took up too much space. But then Silas came along, and he eclipsed her. She’d always been confident in who she was, she never felt the need to be accepted by a man to feel whole. But it was nice all the same.

Still, confirming the devotion she felt to him incited her nerves. Her hands shook as she threaded her earrings in and clumsily clasped the matching ruby necklace he’d gifted her when he officially started courting her. More specifically, when he made it clear that he intended to have herall to himself.

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