Page 68 of Love Bites
Katheryn tried not to cringe away. She’d face the situation bravely. She’d pretend to be his dutiful wife if that would save her.
“Welcome home, darling.” She forced a smile, though the words burned like acid on her tongue and made her want to vomit.
Hunter opened his arms, inviting her for a hug. It was the last thing Katheryn wanted, but she forced herself to play along. She walked into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist, though there was no affection whatsoever in her gesture. His arms tightened around her, and he rested his chin on top her head for a moment.
“Have you been crying?” he asked after pushing her gently away. He took her chin in his fingers and examined her like one might examine fruit at the market.
Katheryn bit her lip. She was sure her eyes were bloodshot, but she shook her head. “No,” she lied, though she knew he wouldn’t believe her.
“Is it because of that foreigner?” he asked softly. His voice would have sounded almost sympathetic if she didn’t know what a sadistic bastard he truly was. “You need to forget him, Kathy. He’s in your past now.” Hunter framed her face in his hands and kissed her lightly on the lips.
“I’m sorry,” Katheryn apologized, trying not to feel disgusted by his touch. “He’s my past. I’ll forget him. I promise.” It felt like a betrayal to say the words.
Hunter, seeming satisfied with her answer, nodded and smiled.
“Would you like some dinner?” she asked, attempting to delay his other needs with whatever came to mind.
He shook his head. “I ate at the office.”
Crap.
She forced a smile. “Why don’t we watch some TV, to relax your mind?”
She grabbed the remote and plopped down on the couch, turning on the TV. Hunter moved in front of her, blocking her view of the screen, and plucked the remote from her hands.
“You’re missing the show,” she protested.
“Forget the television, Katheryn,” he said huskily. In a tone she recognized all too well.
Katheryn looked up at him, a lump lodged in her throat. She knew what Hunter wanted, what he would force her to do. The thought made her want to vomit. Instead, she bit her lip. “What about a massage? That always helps you relax.”
“No, Katheryn.” He reached down and gripped her upper arms, pulling her to her feet.
She pressed her palms against his chest to steady herself. She shook like an earthquake. Her mind raced a mile a minute, trying to decide the best way to distract him, to keep him from forcing himself on her. She figured her only option was to play along, pretend to be the dutiful fiancée so he wouldn’t turn violent. Yes, she decided, she could play along if it meant her survival.
“Then we should go to the bedroom,” she said shakily.
She took his hand in hers and led him back to the bedroom while her mind formed a plan. She’d delay for as long as she could. If that didn’t work, she’d defend herself with whatever she could find. A shoe, a lamp, even the bottle of shampoo if she need be. But she had to do something.
Once they reached the bedroom, Katheryn, in her best seductive manner, sat Hunter at the end of the bed. He stared at her questioningly, one light blond eyebrow raised.
“Wait where you are, I’ll be right back,” Katheryn promised.
She made her way to the walk in closet, went inside, and closed the door behind her. As soon as it was secure, she let out a sigh then looked through everything in a rush. After a minute of searching, she saw there was nothing useful for defending herself. She remembered the hairbrush in the bathroom.
Damn it,she swore, savagely.Why didn’t I bring it in here this afternoon?
What could she do now? She supposed she could seduce him then say she had to use the bathroom and grab the hairbrush. Maybe, she could knock him out with it. But that required a lot of strength, much more than Katheryn had. All she had were her wits, and this time, she didn’t think they’d be enough.
“Katheryn?” Hunter called in a sing-song voice. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
His tone aggravated her, but she knew she had to get going. It would piss him off, if he had to come in after her, and he wouldn’t be gentle with his torture..
“Coming!” she called back. “I’m just changing into something more suitable.”
She looked at the lingerie he’d purchased for her. Everything was made of either silk or lace. She chose one at random, a silk nightgown the color of champagne with black trimming. She slipped it on, irritated that one of the thin straps kept falling off her shoulder. She saw there were matching sleep shorts, and Katheryn slid them on, glad to put another layer between her and Hunter.
She turned and glanced in the closet mirror. Her face was pale as milk with dark purple shadows under her eyes. As she’d suspected, her eyes were bloodshot, proof she’d been bawling all day. Her hair was in tangles over her shoulders and looked a mess.
