Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Grace only nods, her eyes trained on her lap.
I miss arguing with her.
“I’m surprised the ceremony proceeded without me having to threaten you,” I mention, trying to bate her.
I’d much rather have her rant and rave at me than remain silent.
“Would it have helped if I had put up a fight?” she asks, her voice emotionless.
“No,” I mutter.
I stare at her, and only when the private jet starts to taxi down the runway does she turn her head and look at me.
“What do you want, Dominik?”
“You’re wound tight, and I don’t like it one bit that you’re suppressing your emotions. Stop holding back and let me have it.”
Her eyes narrow on my face as she asks, “You want me to fight with you?”
Yes, please.
I shrug. “If it will make you feel better.”
She lets out a heavy sigh and shakes her head. “The only two things that will make me feel better are to be reunited with Ciara and for the wedding to have never happened.” She turns her face away from me. “But I can’t have those things, so what’s the use of fighting?”
“Do you want me to track down Ciara?” I ask. “I’ll drag her ass to you in a heartbeat. Just say the word.”
Grace shakes her head again. “Ciara made it clear she wanted to be on her own when she left without telling me.”
“And it hurt you,” I state the obvious.
Grace closes her eyes. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”
“You should try to get some sleep during the flight,” I mention.
“Uh-huh,” she mutters.
When the flight attendant comes into the cabin, I ask, “Do you want something to drink, Grace?”
“No, but silence would be appreciated,” she grumbles.
That I can do.
I sign to Evinka to intercept the flight attendant so she won’t bother us, then relax in my seat and stare at my wife.
Jebat. I’m married.
Grace is my wife, and oddly, the thought fills me with intense satisfaction.
The fire in her eyes will return once she realizes I won’t hurt her.
The corner of my mouth lifts, knowing her fiery temper now belongs to me.
GRACE
The private jet lands at what seems to be an abandoned airfield, and besides a black Hummer, there’s nothing else around for miles.
Great. I’m really going to be alone in the middle of nowhere with Dominik.
The guards carry my luggage to the vehicle while Dominik and Evinka communicate in sign language.
When he walks toward me, Evinka gives me a wave before heading back to the private jet.
“Come,” Dominik orders as he stalks past me.
Letting out a hopeless sigh, I follow after him.
When he opens the passenger door, I reluctantly climb into the cab.
I watch my husband walk around the front, and my heartbeat begins to speed up when I remember the night he rescued me from the Russians.
Over the past few days that I’ve gotten to know him a little, he’s only become more daunting. I know, from first-hand experience, what he’s capable of.
When he restrained me in my bedroom, there was nothing I could do to stop him. I was lucky when I woke up in bed with the covers over me and not stripped naked, beaten, and raped.
But my luck has run out.
As Dominik climbs behind the steering wheel, I take in his handsome face and the ink on his skin.
For a split second, I try to picture myself being intimate with him, but it backfires badly on me.
My heart sets off at a wild pace, and breaths burst over my lips.
Dominik starts the engine, then glances at me.
“Jebat,” he snaps and the next moment, his palms frame my cheeks, and his face is mere inches from mine.
“You’re safe, Grace,” he says in a calm tone. I can feel his breath on my lips. “I swear to all that’s holy I’ll never hit you or force you to be intimate with me.”
Stuck in a panic attack, his words register somewhere in my mind, and I begin to calm down. When the haze of panic lifts, I notice my breathing is in sync with Dominik’s.
He tilts his head, his expression actually gentle. “Better?”
It’s only then I realize it’s the second time he’s noticed when I’m having a panic attack. Not even Ciara was aware of them because they’re always silent.
Not pulling away from him, I ask, “How did you know?”
“Someone close to me used to have silent panic attacks.”
His thumb brushes over my cheekbone, and before I can stop him, he presses a kiss to my forehead.
He pulls back and locks eyes with me. “The first person I killed was a rapist. It’s a trigger for me as well, so if you believe only one thing, let it be that I’ll never do that to you.”
I keep staring at Dominik, not sure whether I can believe what he’s telling me. “So you’re really fine with a sexless marriage?” When he nods, I shake my head. “I find that hard to believe.”