He placed his hand on my arm, and I jerked back a step as my eyes shot to his. “Please step aside.”
“You’re a beautiful woman, Ellery.”
“Thank you. Now, please, move.”
Instead of letting me go, he pulled me closer. “I may not be a duke’s son, but I have a respectable name and a high position in the king’s service. I can offer you protection.”
“I don’t care about position, and I don’t need protection.”
“Really? Samael came here and trashed your house; I know because he told me, and you have little left inside. Ivan is taking half the profit from your crops and three best foals; how will you survive the winter without that income?”
“We’ll find a way.”
“You’ll struggle before you fail. But I can help protect you and keep you safe. Do you think Samael would have destroyed your things if I was here? And I can help with Ivan.”
“And what would you take in return?”
“I want land.”
Of course he did, but he’d have it over my dead body… or whenever they forced me to flee. He sure wouldn’t be the one to take it from me.
I lifted my chin as I gave up all pretense of trying to hide my irritation. Fuck him and every other greedy asshole in this realm.
“This land has been in my family for generations, and one day I will hand it down to my children… should I ever have them.”
“All of this could beourchildren’s.”
The audacity of this man and the idea of such a thing had me torn between laughing and gagging, but I managed to quell both impulses. “I don’t evenknowyou, and you’re talking about children.”
“But youwillget to know me better.”
I didn’t consider that a promising start to something new but a threat. Before I could figure out how to respond, he pulled me forward and kissed me.
I hadn’t seen it coming. At first, I was too astounded by his audacity to respond, but when his lips touched mine and he shoved his too-hot, too-thick tongue into my mouth, everything inside me recoiled.
The wrongness of it screamed through my veins, hammered into my bones, and battered my system. When his tongue brushed mine, I tore myself away from him.
I twisted my head to the side as he grabbed my other arm and pulled me closer. “Let go!” I commanded.
“I take what I deserve,” he snarled.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Ellery
My eyes widened.Had he really said that? “I’m not something to take!”
“That’s where we disagree.”
I jerked on my arms as electricity rose from somewhere inside me. It sought to break free while I strained to keep it buried. If this kept up, I was going to have to shock him, but I would kick, fight, and make sure he was black and blue before I fried him.
“Ellery?”
I was so focused on him that I hadn’t heard Ruby approaching from inside my house. She must have entered through the kitchen door and come in search of me.
When I twisted to look around Gaius, I spotted her in the doorway. When our eyes met, her furrowed brow cleared and her shoulders went back.
I’d seen that ferocious look on my mother’s face a few times when it came to me. She pinned Gaius with a look that radiated contempt, and I had no doubt she’d attack if necessary.
