Subject:  Chapter 78 |
Author:
KK
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Date Posted: 08:08:38 02/05/06 Sun
CHAPTER 78
Niki’s mind raced as she struggled up the stairs, fighting to maintain her balance. Cassandra, clearly helpless, would be of little assistance. Stiffening her upper lip, Niki knew that she along would face Michael and be made to answer for her sins. Shivers of apprehension shook her small frame, and her stomach tightened.
Michael’s iron grip around her arms served as a painful foreshadowing of her quickly approaching fate. Escape would be impossible and mercy…. A stolen glance in her husband’s direction crushed any hope she might have regarding leniency.
His face, tight with rage, mirrored ruthless determination—the coldness of a judge, the hardness of an executioner. As if on cue, her turned and their eyes met and locked.
“Happy to see me again, my love?”
The words fell softly on her ears but the cut of their irony struck deep, mocking any traces of gentleness existing between them.
“What are you going to do?”
Her voice sounded small and weak, revealing much more than she had intended. If he’d had any doubts as to her state of mind, she’d put them at rest. He owned her now. Her fear had given her to him body and soul.
“Paybacks are hell.”
He punctuated the cliché with a firm jerk, pulling her up the remaining three steps.
A low groan threaded its way between her lips as he half-carried her to her bedroom and tossed her face down across the bed. Wary of what he would do next, she turned to sit up, but even with her fear as the motivating factor, she was not fast enough to avoid his next move. With the confidence of a man used to getting what he wanted, he lowered himself to the mattress with fluid ease and straddled her across the bed.
The move took her by surprise, but she quickly recovered and began to push and pound at him with her fists. At first, he made no move to stop her. When he did act, it was sudden, once again taking her completely unaware. Grabbing her flailing wrists, he pinned them above her head. Fighting back tears of frustration, she bit her lip to keep from humiliating herself by asking for mercy. The small movement caught his attention. He stared, seemingly transfixed, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her.
Then, the spell was broken and before she had time to react he rolled to the side and transferred both of her wrists to his left hand, freeing his right. Now, she had no doubt as to his intentions.
“No.”
The word slipped out involuntarily in a small voice she scarcely recognized as her own.
“No?”
His voice had been as quiet as her own, but his question stirred something deep down inside her. As if sensing her confusion, he went a step further and placed his hand lightly atop her waist, his fingers splaying across her stomach. The heat was intense, and the muscles of her abdomen tightened involuntarily in response.
Startled, she looked up in surprise and met his eyes. Never had they flashed a deeper shade of jade.
“Don’t do this.” She had meant to sound firm, but her voice had come out all whispery, as if she liked the way he was making her feel.
“Don’t do what?” he asked, moving his hand down to rest over her abdomen. “It occurs to me that we didn’t ever property consummate our marriage—the marriage you wanted, remember? The union you blackmailed me into agreeing to.”
“Yes, but…” Words failed her as his hand began to move in a slow circle.
“But what? You thought you would be in control instead of me? Or maybe you envisioned a more platonic relationship? No, that can’t be right because our agreement specifically mentioned kids. Right?”
She swallowed hard. He was right. She had pictured herself in control. Now, helpless in her purple silk pajamas, she realized how incredibly naïve that was. “We need to talk.”
“A little late for that.”
Her heart sank, but she knew she couldn’t give up. “No, it’s not. We can work this out.”
His wicked hand moved even lower, cutting her breath in half. “Oh, I intend to communicate with you.”
*****
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