Dare to be Mine (8 page)

"Since I first laid eyes on you the
other night my mind has not been free of your image. You haunt me, Revee, and I
find I must have you."

"You must have me?" Elyssa
retorted in sarcasm, her eyes blazing in angry disbelief. "Like some
meaningless trinket to be purchased on a whim, only to be tossed aside at any
given time?" Her palm began throbbing again and Elyssa held it with her
other hand, wishing to be anywhere else but in the gardens. The pained
expression on Elyssa’s face reminded Daniel of her hurt hand, and his
ungentlemanly behavior in not seeing to her comfort already. the hint of a smile mi l

Glancing at her bleeding hand, he picked
up a jagged piece of the broken glass. Daniel looked her in the eyes as he
slowly but forcefully ran the shard across his palm, blood instantly coming to
head, dripping down his hand and onto the ground. Elyssa stared in horror, her
gaze returning to his eyes in search of a logical answer. He snatched her by
the arm, holding her bleeding hand securely against his bloody palm, rubbing
them against each other until the sting became more than painful. Elyssa’s eyes
widened at his shocking actions.

His gaze was barbaric as he prevented
Elyssa from snatching her hand away. She was unable to tear her eyes from him,
mesmerized by the savage look on his face. It was as if he were claiming
her his
own, daring her to deny the power he held over her.
Her chest heaving in fright, she was likewise fascinated by the look of arousal
in his eyes. And she felt it too, damn him.

His hypnotic voice surrounded her
senses. “As you can see, we are a part of each other already. My blood, no
matter how little, runs through your
veins,
and yours
through mine.” His other hand pulled Elyssa abruptly against his hard frame,
their lips scant inches apart. His eyes looked wild as he willed her to
surrender to his declaration.

Elyssa was shocked beyond belief at what
was happening as a result of a simple stroll through the gardens gone wrong.
She longed to pull herself away, indeed feared that someone might find them in
so compromising a position. Still, she was unable to resist his overpowering
nearness, shivered at his next words, his seductive voice so very close and
warm against her ear.

"Tell me you can ever forget that.
Tell me that won't distract you completely every time for the rest of your life
that you look at the scar certain to come," he dared wickedly. Before she
could even think to utter a rebuke, Daniel's mouth covered hers. There was no
gentleness in the assault, but
an urgency
brought to
head by Daniel's obsession for the young beauty. His tongue invaded past her
parted lips, tasting fully of her mouth and Elyssa moaned helplessly as,
cursing herself inwardly, she returned his fervor.

The stranger's kisses were completely
beguiling, Elyssa's vulnerability for his affections sending all rational
thought out with the wind. Heedless of Daniel's actions while his hungry kisses
continued, Elyssa barely felt him bring her finger up to his face, sliding a
fine line of the wet stickiness of her blood down his cheek, while his hand
likewise marked hers with his blood. His romantic onslaught was anything but
gentle or wooing. It was insistent.
Dark and urgent.
Forbidden.
And Elyssa felt more alive than she ever had
before. traitorous wifeg">CHAPTER

Her knees threatened to buckle, but the
strong arms about Elyssa kept her steady and pulled tightly against the mysterious
man. Her mouth had never been so thoroughly plundered. His defeat over her
convictions was complete and absolute.

In the far recesses of her mind, Elyssa
could swear she heard her name being called in the distance. Her fingers
traitorously reached up and entwined in his dark locks. She knew it was a
dreadful mistake to allow the man to continue kissing her, for even now she
wanted more from him, longed to have much more ravaged than just her mouth. Her
skin shivered at the hard feel of his chest against the softness of her own.
She ached in want and need of the void that only he could fill.

Her faithless heart already looked
forward to meeting him later that night, though Elyssa knew she could never
allow such a thing when it came down to it.
For as sure as
the sun and the moon, she would end up allowing his seduction.
And she
would never be able to live with herself.

The voice calling her name was growing
closer and Elyssa's eyes flew open at the realization it was Percy. He must
have checked her room and found it to be empty. He was certain to be angry with
her by now. Elyssa knew she could not allow him to find her with this
man,
else he'd fly into a murderous rage and most likely
kill them both.

Forcing herself to pull away, a thing
most difficult, Elyssa softly cried, "I must go this very instant!"
Hearing his father's voice, Daniel understood her fear as an employee, but
could not let her go without knowing he would see her again. He was to leave
for London the very next morning. He had to see her that night.

Urgently, he rasped, "Meet me
tonight."

"I cannot see you again," she
said, turning to leave him so she could meet Percy before he stumbled upon the
scene of her in another man's arms.

"I must leave tomorrow for two
weeks. Please come tonight."

A muffled cry of frustration escaped her
lips as Elyssa's heart melted at the thought of never seeing him again.
Wordlessly, her eyes begged him to sense the danger involved should she meet
him, while inside her soul sang at the chance of seeing him later. A breathless
yes
escaped her lips as she fled the sight of him. emerald orbsm smile

A traitorous wife she had become in the
last hour, and Elyssa scorned herself a fool. For in such a short amount of
time, she feared her heart was already lost to the dark stranger.

CHAPTER 4

  over the past year

"Where have you been?" Percy's
booming voice demanded as he flung open the door to Elyssa's bedroom. She'd
barely had a chance to catch her breath since rushing back to her room after
the disturbing meeting in the gardens. Trying her best to appear innocent of
any wrongdoing, Elyssa rose and crossed the room toward Percy, unconsciously
holding her wounded hand.

"What is this?" he questioned,
noting a drop of blood fall onto Elyssa's dress, then another.

Her face pale, Elyssa replied, "I
cut myself and fear I am need of stitches." Realizing his questions would
have to
wait,
Percy had Elyssa lay down on her bed,
encouraging her to relax while he went to find Cora.

"We can't have you waiting an hour
for a damned physician to arrive. Cora has sewn more than a few stitches in her
lifetime. I vow she does a better job than any doctor alive. I will be right
back."

Within moments, Percy and Cora returned
with the proper necessities. Cora's motherly attentions brought the tears in
Elyssa's eyes flowing down her cheeks. "It hurts," Elyssa moaned.

"I know, but it shall be fine very
soon. Now lay back and close your eyes. I'll be done in just a moment."
Her work sure and precise, Cora was true to her word, and moments later Elyssa
was feeling much better, her hand properly stitched and bandaged.

The color slowly came back to her face
and Elyssa was grateful the ordeal was over.
Until Percy's
return once again.
He looked impatient to speak with her about something
and Elyssa sat up on her bed.

"I came earlier but you were
nowhere in sight. So, my dear wife, where were you?"

His penetrating stare making her
uncomfortable, Elyssa stuttered, "I...I went for a short walk in the
gardens."

"I expressly asked you not to
wander downstairs, Elyssa."

"I thought no harm in taking a
brief walk outdoors," she replied defmso-style-priority:9g">CHAPTER ensively.

"How did a mere walk turn into
bleeding and stitches?"

"I took a vase to put flowers in.
It dropped from my hands. When I tried cleaning up the mess, I got cut."

Gently picking her hands up, Percy said,
"I am sorry I questioned you so brusquely. It is only your safety I am
concerned about." His eyes narrowing as he looked at her hands, Percy
continued, "Where is your wedding band?"

Forgetting that her finger was still
without her ring, Elyssa feared her husband would find no reason in the world
excusable for the absence of the one thing that declared he owned her.

"I was polishing my mother's silver
tea set and did not wish to dirty the ring."

"How the devil would
polishing
silver mess up a sturdy wedding band?" came
the gruff rebuttal. "Do you hold your marriage in so little regard that
you would openly flaunt a ringless finger?"

Loosing her fingers from his hands,
Elyssa said, "Percy, I simply forgot to put it back on after the chore was
done. I see no need to make anymore of it than that."

"Put it back on this very
moment," he demanded.

Elyssa rose from her seated position,
for she did not like Percy towering over her, looking down at her as if she
were an unmanageable spoiled brat. She was a grown woman, after all, and there
was no need to order her about. She forced an air of bravado, for although
Elyssa thought herself ready for a confrontation with her husband, she was
likewise nervous about his reaction to her newfound mettle, not to mention
still a bit weak from having her hand stitched
..

"I shall replace the ring on my
finger when I am ready to do so," she said shakily.

Taking a menacing step toward Elyssa,
Percy's eyes narrowed in vexation. "I vow you shall put the damned ring
back on this very moment or I shall do it for you.";
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mso-hi dow

"That has the distinct sound of a
threat," Elyssa replied nervously as she took a step backward.

"Oh, it is,"
came
the low reply. Percy's hands curled into fists as he
stared at his young wife. He was hard put to explain her recent bold behavior.
Having to deal with that, besides his son's unexpected return, was causing
Percy's wrath near the surface. "I find your recent impertinence very annoying,
Elyssa. You are certainly not the same creature I fell for on first
sight."

Ignoring Percy's insults, Elyssa spoke
her thoughts aloud. “Why is it that a man need not wear a wedding ring, but a
woman is commanded to as proof that she is owned by a husband, body and
soul?"

"You already refused me your body,
dear wife," Percy bit out, "your soul shall not be denied me."
Elyssa cried out at his condemning words, her future suddenly seeming more
hopeless than ever. It was obvious that Percy detested her. Life was a most
bleak thing, she mused as Percy reached her with one final step. Picking up the
ring from the table, Percy held it in front of Elyssa's face, her eyes brimming
with unshed tears of frustration. "Now put it on and never remove it again.
Do you understand me?"

"I need no heavy ring of silver
upon my finger to remind me I'm in hell."

Of an instinct, Percy's hand came up.
With an intense outrage at his young wife's complete disrespect, Percy slapped
her face with the back of his hand. The contact was so harsh and unexpected
that Elyssa fell back and stumbled to the floor, crying out at the abrupt pain.
Percy jerked Elyssa's left hand up and forcibly thrust the ring onto her
finger, her sobs going unnoticed and uncared.

"Perhaps you will use more wisdom
the next time you think to dishonor me so blatantly." He began to walk
away, issuing one last command before leaving her room. "I would advise
you to pack your bags. I think tomorrow would be a splendid time for you to
visit your parents in London, for I do not wish to see your face for the next
several days."

He slammed the door shut so loudly it
shook on its hinges. Elyssa lay on the floor still, holding her cheek with her
hand, as she cried aloud at the unfairness of life. She had never wanted this,
had never asked to marry a man more than twice her age, only to live a
miserable and forlorn life.

As the tears slowly began to subside,
Elyssa pulled herself up on the edge of the table. She still felt weak, her cheek
tender and sore, and her stomach churned in distress of everything that had
taken place. She had pushed Percy past the limit, and her face was certain to
be a reminder of that fact for the next day or two.

As she sat in the chair and saw her
reflection in the mirror, Elyssa's fingers went to her other cheek as she saw
the streak of dried blood marring her skin. Her mind returned to the moment it
must have been traced there, and she reminisced about the forbidden kiss shared
with the stranger. She recalled the shocking way in which he'd purposely cut
himself to mix their blood together in unholy alliance. It was
his
blood
on her cheek, Elyssa realized anew, and a shiver went up her spine at that
notion.