la'

feeling of b

ian angel who forgot the angel part. The early morning light from the window cuts across his face. He's sti

eautiful in a way that makes my stom

d not mean to oversleep. What time is it? I should-I ca

reakfast for Father and Elena and Clara before they even open their eyes. Scrub the floors until my knees ache. Wash dishes until my hands are

h the kitchen. Do you take coffee or tea? I can make bot

to

rambling like a knife. I f

a servant her

ut something about his posture has changed. More alert.

ot unde

y wife. No

gn. Like he is speaking a lang

omeone has to cl

wood floor. The sound makes me flinch. "You will not clean my house. You

they do not make sense. This is not my home

o do?" The question comes

ugh that I have to tilt my head back to look at him. Close enough that I can sme

is low and rough like gravel. "There are

s against my ri

without me. Not to visit friends. N

se what els

ily without telling me first. I will

y spine. "But my mother is s

e money can buy. I told you th

ust want to know she i

aper and six feet four inches of muscle and menace. "You will attend all public events as my wife. You will smile. You

e words slip out bef

need your happiness, Isabel

ways do. But something about being caged against this wall with this man who m

me away and expect m

want. You signed th

you threatened t

reatening to murder people is just another Tuesday for him. Which it p

radiating off his body. So close I can see the flecks of darker gray in his storm-cloud

augh but has no humor in it. "Look

N

r but it might as well be a sh

did yo

n though every instinct screams at me to apologi

nches and something dangerous flashes across his face. Then

t you are now my wife... and that

ing my cheek. "So if I want t

h catche

l I can see the stubble along his jaw and the way his eyes have gone

d I jerk back but there is nowhere to go

I force the words out anyway

gers trailing along my collarbone, down to my chest, danger

t-I am trapped here becau

e does not step back. "You could have let your famil

m not a mons

ace. Anger, maybe. Or something

track the way I press my lips together. The way my breath comes fa

not want to be in you

is going to cage me in completely but instead his hand lands on the wa

ask for a

ond, something raw flashes acro

as I am. But that is ridiculous because he is the one with al

l the way around it with room to spare. He could break me so easily. But

ou think yo

from

er instead of letting me go. "You are my

possession y

nightgown is. How his palm burns through the fabric, and my body reacts in a way it has never

lf over to me, reme

d not say anythi

am taking

. But underneath the fear is something else. So

His eyes drop to my neck where I k

e afrai

es

hip and I hate that my body reacts. That h

let

my ear. "I am going to keep you, Isabell

ev

ers catching the hem of my nightgown. "But

h stops.

rough the thin fabric. "Not my enemies. Not my men." His hand slid

grip on my wrist tightens just enoug

lides higher still, pushing the fabric up my le

y thing I can think of. I turn my face completely away from h

ps. Just sto

thing. Then he makes a sound that might be a curse and steps b

sion I cannot read. Anger, yes. But something else too.

d. Controlled. "We have a long