Page 10 of Cruel Love
My cheeks heated as mortification seeped in. I thought I understood,but my brain was shutting down, preventing me from comprehending what was going on. Or maybe I understood perfectly but refused to accept it.
Anger flashed across his face at my silence.“We signed a marriagecontract. You’re now my wife.”
My heart plummeted for the second time.
No.
No. This couldn’t be happening.
Tears stabbed at the back of my eyes as he confirmed my fears but Iforced them away. Tears resulted in punishment.
When I couldn’t find the words to reply where shock was gripping mefiercely, he continued.“I want to make a few thingsveryclear to you, Mouse. Are you listening?”
Mouse?
Why did he call methat?
“Yes, Sir,”I whispered, finally finding my voice.
A muscle in his jaw ticked before he sighed and crossed over to ahigh-backed chair. He sat as I gawked at him, trying to come to terms with what was happening.
“You may be my wife, but I’ll never love you,”he said, his cold tonematching the coldness in his eyes.“I will never kiss you, or hold your hand, or any bullshit likethat. This isn’t a relationship. You are here for two purposes. The first is to please me. The second, to give me a child.”
As if I wasn’t already in a state of astonishment, his words shockedme to myverycore.“Do you understand, Mouse? There will be consequences if I have to repeat myself.”He raised a brow, impatience written on his face.
“Y…Yes, Sir,” I stuttered.
“Good,”he replied stoically. He began to remove his suit jacket,oblivious to the panicthathad taken hold of me.
Over the years, I’d learned to tamper down my emotions. Endlesspunishments and pain meant it was better for my own sake to not show how I truly felt. But no matter how much I told myself to not react to discovering I was married to a monster, but also learningthatI was expected to carry his child, the turmoil inside me kept building.
“As my wife, you have duties to perform. Especially if you are to carrymy heir,”James went on, still without a hint of emotion.“Can I assume you know what I mean?”
I was going to be sick, and how I was still standing with the way mylegs were quaking was anyone’s guess.
“Yes,”I replied, my voice breaking as my bottom lip began towobble.
A snarl formed on his mouth, his dark eyes burning into mine.“Comehere, Mouse.”
Despite every part of me screaming not to, Ms. Milligan’s warning rangloud and clear in my ears. I obeyed, as I had been taught to do, moving to where he sat with one long leg crossed over the other.
“I’m not a rapist,”James said, his head tilting to one side.“I need yourpermission before I touch my wife. Do I have it?”
My heart beat so damn fast it was a miracle it didn’t beat straight outof my chest. He and I both knew I didn’t have the option to say no. James was asking to appease his own conscience, surely he knew I didn’t want this?
I swallowed.“Yes.”The simple word held so much and tasted likeacid as it left my mouth.
His eyes narrowed on me briefly before he schooled his featuresagain.“Take your dress off.”
Bile crept up my throat as with trembling fingers, I slid the zipper atthe side of the dress down. I wasn’t sure how long I would be able to keep the tears at bay, but I had to try. I didn’t want to experience James’ punishments, I’d barely survived Ms. Milligan’s punishments.
Butthen, was death better than what I was about to face?
When the zipper was all the way down, I pushed the dress down overmy hips and let it fall before stepping out of it, along with the shoes. A flush spread over my chest as James’ heated gaze roamed over my body.
Aside from Ms. Milligan, no one had ever seen me naked before. I’dnever felt so exposed in all my life, and all I wanted was to snatch the bed sheets and wrap them around me to cover every visible inch of skin.
“Now the bra and panties,”James said, his voice husky.
