Nicholas, glutted, was sleeping soundly in her arms. She dropped a quick kiss on his smooth brow, fastened her gown, and carried him to the nursery to Clare, the new nursery maid. Alex was standing at the window looking down at the street when she returned.
She found herself staring at him, wishing her face were buried in his throat so she could breathe in the scent of him. Her fingers curled at the thought of roving freely over his beautiful body, tangling in the thick hair on his chest, and downward, to feel his muscles tense beneath her hand. She felt a shock of desire so powerful that she trembled.
“Alex?’
“Yes?” He sounded bored, she thought, stunned. Bored.
“I don’t understand.”
He turned slowly from his post at the window and gazed coldly at her. “What don’t you understand?”
“You sound angry. I don’t know what I’ve done to make you angry 1at me.”
“I’m tired of being the patient, understanding husband, Giana,” he said slowly, turning to face her.
Giana shook her head in confusion. “But you are not—”
“That’s right. I am not your husband, am I? Well, my dear, I have discovered that I cannot, will not, continue in my role as your lover. I want marriage. I want all of you, or nothing.”
“I love you, Alex,” she said at last, her voice shaking. “I have told you I love you many times, but you tell me it is not enough. You want me to trust you, trust you with my very soul.” She looked away for a moment. “You want to have the power to destroy me.”
“Ah, and your husband would have that power, would he not, Giana?” He cocked his head to one side, and when he spoke, his voice was insolently mocking. “Do I take it, then, that what you want is for me to strip right here? If I touch you, Giana, caress you between your white legs, will I discover that you are already wet for me?”
She flinched at his crudeness. She looked at him warily, not knowing what to say.
“Will you pant for me? Make those little mewling sounds in your throat?”
“You know that I will,” she said.
“And will you whisper that you love me, Giana? And after I’ve given you pleasure, will you say it again? Give the poor devil his due—is that what you will do?”
She felt her desire dissolve under his mockery, and turned quickly from him, only wanting to escape.
“No, don’t run away just yet, my love,” he said coldly. “I am not through telling you just what I intend to do.”
“I don’t understand,” she began.
“You don’t? Very well, let me explain it to you. You are here as my wife, and I have decided that as your husband, it is time for me to bend you to my will, to show you what it means to be in a man’s power. We will begin now. You will take off your clothes. I have not enjoyed a woman’s soft body in several months, and since I am not yet bored with you, I prefer you to the other women I will doubtless have in the future. Of course, in a year or so, I might go back to Rome. What was her name, Margot? No, she is too old now, almost your age. I am sure I can find a younger woman, more skilled than you. You, my dear Giana, might as well be my wife, and what man wants to continually make love to a woman he must argue with? A woman he sees every day of his life? A woman whose body is his for the taking whenever he wishes it? But enough. Take off your clothes. And be quick about it.” He shrugged, and pulled off his waistcoat. “While you are undressing, I will decide in what manner I wish to enjoy you.”
“What do you want from me?”
He merely glanced at her impatiently as he unbuttoned his shirt. “I believe I made myself quite clear but a few minutes ago. But since that is beyond you, I see no reason why I should continue to reason with you. I am but fulf
illing your expectations, making you thank God that you were never fool enough to trust me, a man.” His eyes narrowed dangerously on her pale face, but when he spoke again, his voice was a silky purr. “If you do not strip now, I will take your clothes off for you.”
“No.”
“But I will delight in doing it, and there is nothing you can do to prevent me. After all, only a few minutes ago you were hot for me. What’s the matter now, my pet? There is never any need to force you, is there?”
He sat down, ignoring her, to pull off his shoes. Giana turned and ran to the door, but he closed his hand over hers on the doorknob. He grasped the collar of her gown and ripped downward, rending the material to her waist. She twisted frantically against him, but his hands were hard on her bare shoulders.
“I could beat you senseless, Giana, and you could do nothing to stop me. I can do anything I please to you.”
He ripped away her chemise.
“Ah, what’s this? No corset? How convenient.” He pulled her roughly against him, pressing her breasts against his naked chest.
“No,” she whispered. “There is no corset. I wanted you to make love to me.”