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She gripped the sheets and quilt with her fingers and pulled on them hard, ripping them from his grasp. “We had a deal. We sleep in this bed each night. Together.”

William crossed his arms over his chest, his face still an expressionless mask. Victoria dropped the sheets and the blanket to the floor and looked around the room in despair. Her gaze dropped to the pearl necklace he’d given her, spilling out from the jewelry box on her side table, the sweet memories of their wedding day flooding her. She turned back to him, her breath labored. “Oh, and since I am still your wife, you have a husbandly duty to fulfill, too!” With that, she pulled the nightgown over her head and dropped it onto the pile of sheets on the floor.

She stood like that, her eyes wide, her chest rising and falling with the strength of her breaths, not knowing what to do next. This was it. If he were to walk out now, she had no cards up her sleeve. She had no sleeves… She was absolutely naked, exposed, body and soul.

William stalked toward her calmly, and she trembled as he got closer and closer. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her hard against his body. Victoria gasped, her hands flying to his chest.

He took her hand and pressed it against the bulge in his breeches.

“Oh, is this what you want?” he growled.

Victoria’s heart drummed loudly in her chest. “I want you.”

He kissed her deeply, his mouth slanting over hers, leaving her breathless. He picked her up easily and slammed her back against the wall.

Victoria whimpered, and he finally released her mouth.

“You don’t want me,” he whispered roughly. He traced his warm hand over her breasts, her belly, then lowered to the juncture of her thighs and cupped her there. “You want this. You want my mouth, my fingers, my cock, but not me.”

He split the seam of her feminine lips with his fingers, spreading the moisture he found there, and she moaned. “You want me to make you come?” he growled. “I’ll make you come.”

He released her center and cupped her jaw, the scent of her desire lingering on his fingers. He kissed her mouth as his hand traveled lower. He circled his fingers around her neck, keeping her pressed against the wall. Not hurting her, but rather providing just enough pressure to send thrills of delight through her body.

His other hand reached out toward the side table with the jewelry box on it. He picked up the pearl necklace and pressed it against her skin.

The cool beads against her hot skin were so pleasant, Victoria couldn’t resist another moan. He rolled the necklace against her nipples, massaged her belly, and then moved them lower still.

“You don’t love me, don’t trust me. So, am I a toy for you to use for your pleasure?” he rasped.

Her eyes widened in horror. “William!” His name was a protest, a plea, a prayer.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you exactly what you want,” he whispered.

His fingers still gently but tightly wrapped around her neck, his other hand brought the pearl necklace to her core. He rolled the beaded necklace over her center, bathing it in her juices, making certain to touch every sensitive part of her there.

Victoria arched her back, her hips moving, riding his hand and the necklace, writhing in pleasure.

The firm but gentle pressure of his fingers on her neck and the ticklish and slippery sensation of the pearls against her center were driving her wild. Her beaded nipples begged to be touched, and as if he had heard her thoughts, William lowered his head and licked each one, sucking tenderly.

Victoria cried out in pleasure, her hips thrusting against the pearls in his hand in wild abandon.

The beads rolled against every sensitive part of her, igniting all her senses all at once.

William raised his head and whispered in her ear, “Take your pleasure, my sweet. Take what you need from me.”

His warm breath on her skin and his raspy voice in her ear were the last straw that threw her over the edge, and she came in a violent storm of pleasure.

She screamed his name, gripping his shoulders for stability as her hips still moved, rubbing her core against the pearls, drawing the last waves of bliss from her body.

As her spasms calmed, Victoria opened her eyes to meet William’s. But instead of the passion she hoped to see, his gaze was empty.

Slowly he withdrew his fingers from her throat and the wet, glistening pearls from her core. He let them dangle lewdly from his fingers before dropping them to the floor with a careless gesture.

“I hope you’re satisfied,” he bit out darkly, before turning to walk away.

Victoria gaped after him, stunned and exposed. With cold nonchalance, he had used her most shamefully, then discarded her without a glance back.

Chapter 27