Page 59 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
Her laugh was bitter, harsh. “You think I can just say no? Walk away from a marriage that secures my family’s future? That keeps a roof over my head? That stops Nathan from ruining everything? That stops you from owning the manor?”
Magnus’s jaw clenched. “This is not about the manor anymore.”
Her anger flared hot, and she stood up. “Well, easy for you to say, isn’t it?” She glared at him. “You don’t get to decide what it is about.”
He studied her face, the stubborn set of her jaw, the fierce glint in her eyes. “Of course not. But I’m telling you, you don’t have to accept this.”
Lily’s breath hitched, a mixture of anger and something far more complicated swirling inside her. “And if I refuse? What, then? What would you have me do, Magnus?”
He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering a moment too long. Instantly, her toes curled.
“I’d have you fight. Not just for yourself, but for the life you want.”
The room suddenly felt smaller, cramped, their breaths almost mingling.
But then Lily tore her gaze away. “Fight? I don’t even know where to start. You mean by getting married to you?”
“Refusing to be silent is all I ask. Like I say, my proposal has nothing to do with… whatever Nathan is trying to protect. I just need you to be honest with yourself.”
She locked eyes with him, searching his face. “And you?”
He raised a questioning eyebrow.
“What are you trying to protect by marrying me?” she whispered.
He stared at her for a second longer before finally replying, “Whatever we have between us.”
Her breath hitched, and she swallowed hard. Her heart began to pound in her chest.
Tell me what exactly you feel for me.
She was desperate for a confession from him. He should at least confess; that would push her to reject Mr. Bailey’s offer.
He always touched her how he wanted, proposed marriage to her, but he had never once told her he loved her.
That thought stirred her anger anew, and she turned back to the window.
“I would like to be left alone,” she declared.
Magnus fell silent for a moment. Eventually, he turned around and walked away. When the door closed behind him, Lily sank back into her chair, her hands trembling.
She had barely had a moment to think when the door slammed open again, the sound like a thunderclap against the fragile quiet she had been trying to rebuild.
She jerked her head up, her heart still pounding wildly in her chest, to see Magnus standing there, his eyes dark, stormy, and utterly relentless.
Before she could speak, before she could even think to brace herself, he stepped inside, shut the door with a firm click, and closed the distance between them with a few long strides.
His eyes locked onto hers, sharp and hungry, like he was trying to swallow her whole. And then, without warning, his hands grabbed her, strong and sure, and lifted her from the chair as if she weighed nothing.
“Magnus…” she breathed, before his mouth crashed into hers, stealing her breath with a fierce, claiming kiss.
Shock rippled through her, but it quickly melted into something deeper, something fierce and aching that had been lurking beneath the surface for far too long. She clung to him, her fingers tangling in his shirt as the kiss deepened, urgent and raw.
“I swear,” he murmured between kisses, his breath warm against her skin, “you drive me crazy, Lily. More than anything.”
She whimpered softly, caught between desire and frustration.
His hands slid down her back, pulling her impossibly closer.
