Page 56 of His to Keep
The villa was eerily quiet. Lana kicked off her heels and padded along the cold floor. Jamie was nowhere to be seen. Probably upstairs in his private quarters, entertaining. Lana bid Freddy goodnight with a quick cuddle.
Climbing into bed, alone, she knew she had made the right decision. She cursed the inevitable nightmares, ready and waiting in the wings of sleep.
A stiff ache in her shoulder niggled like an old war wound. Reluctantly, she closed her eyes and thought of Marcus. With his handsome face brought all the feelings she desperately tried to suppress.
She pummelled the pillow, puffing up the feathers. The luxury mattress held no comfort. She flipped from lying on her back to her side, tucked up her knees then stretched out her legs, but it didn’t matter because mindless jealousy bubbled inside her veins and twisted her stomach in knots.
How dare Marcus flaunt around like a playboy when she had been trudging through the past few weeks like an empty shell.
There was no way in hell she could speak to him, let alone forgive him.
Her heavy lids closed.
* * *
Carl’shideous mouth opens wide. The stale stench of tobacco torments her with its wicked wispy fingers.
Acid burns her tender gullet. His snake like tongue whips her prickled flesh.
She can’t move.
She can’t get away.
She can’t fight back.
He’s on top of her,overpowering,suffocating, pinning her to the mattress. His fingers knead the plump flesh of her breasts, harder and harder.
Her throat closes, straining to scream.
She tries to hit out, but she was lifeless.
She tries to yell, but nothing comes out.
* * *
Her eyes pingedopen and her breathing was hard and fast. The shorts and camisole set that she slept in were wringing with sweat, even though the room was like a refrigerator.
Rolling to the edge of the bed, she propped herself up on her elbow and breathed deeply. She slid off the bed and stood on shaky legs. The latch on the patio door was stiff but she managed to crank it open. An inviting subtle breeze cooled her clammy flesh.
Her throat was prickly and her lips dry. She peeled off the damp clothes and covered her trembling body with a short silk robe, belted by a ribbon.
Dashing upstairs to the kitchen, she swiped a bottle of ice-cold Pellegrino and pressed it to her forehead. The crisp freshness was an instant relief. The villa was lit by the full round moon, yet every corner was swamped with shadows.
An unsettling feeling tingled over her scalp. She hated the shadows, just as much as she hated Carl. Trotting back to her room, along the dimly lit corridor, she unscrewed the cap and sipped the fizzy water.
A hand gripped her elbow, spinning her around. Her jaw dropped to ready a scream, but a whisper halted its escape. “It’s me, Lana.”
A familiar masculine scent wafted in the air and settled her nerves. Pressing her back to the wall, Marcus pushed his commanding body into hers.
The bottle thudded to the floor, blasting them with flashes of water bullets. She gasped loudly as his fingers tightened around her forearms. He yanked them above her head and secured them with one hand by the wrists.
Unsettled hair hung over his forehead and his lips glistened with moisture. Marcus held her captive, his dark gaze lingering on her lips.
Quick puffs of air expelled down his nose and his nostrils flared. His presence was consuming and authoritative, not threatening. Her insides quickly responded to his touch, melting beneath her fear.
With only her rapid heartbeat thudding in her ears, a shuddered breath left her lungs. Her initial swarm of panic and terror drifted away, replaced with the overwhelming hunger that Marcus always initiated.
Using his free hand, he finally stroked the curvature of her jaw with the pads of his fingers. His warm alcohol breath agitated the strands of hair that tumbled over her face.
