Chapter 26
Ihad no idea where we were going.
I expected him to take me back to where the rest of the team was going or maybe give me a ride to the clubhouse while they were setting up for the award ceremony, but instead, he rode away from everybody else.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Somewhere no one can hear you scream.”
I laughed nervously while trying to hold on to him, hoping that it was a joke.
He didn’t smile.
My skin pricked with nervous tension, and I expected to feel that cold ball of fear in my gut, but I didn’t.
I never felt cold when I was touching him.
He rode harder, and I held on to him as tightly as I could with my arms.
We rode to a small path towards the back of the property. It was surrounded by trees so densely packed that it reminded me of the forest that I would read about in fairy tales.
I had the sinking suspicion that these were the type of trees that hid secrets. They could hide witches, monsters, and women like me who would never be seen again.
“Please, tell me where we are going,” I begged.
“I told you,” he whispered into my ear, “we are going somewhere that no one can hear you scream. You were a bad girl today.”
“I wasn’t,” I tried to argue. “I did what you told me to do. I stayed with your family. I stayed with Amelia and Charlotte. I didn’t talk to anyone else. I didn’t say anything that would embarrass you. I didn’t talk about the situation that we are in. I was good.”
“You talked to another man. You let another man encroach on what is mine.”
“What? Who?”
My answer must have pleased him. There was a satisfied, almost smug grin on his face, but I still had no idea what he was talking about.
“You were drinking.” He said it like an accusation.
“Of course, I was drinking. You never said I couldn’t. And your daughter pushed a drink into my hand before I could say anything. I didn’t get drunk.”
“Did I say you could drink?”
“You didn’t say I couldn’t. You never said I couldn’t drink. You’re changing the rules on a whim, and it’s not fair,” I whined.
It was annoying even to my own ears, but I couldn’t stop it.
Tears prickled in the corner of my eyes.
I held back my tears as he rode to a small stable nestled into the little wooded area, perched right in front of a picturesque lake.
It was so beautiful. The grass was a lush and vibrant green, and the lake was reflecting the gray sky. It was gorgeous, but something about it wasn’t quite peaceful and joyful—it almost felt like a warning. Like there was danger just beneath the surface. There weren’t even any sounds of wildlife.
No buzz of insects, chirping of birds, or even scurrying of squirrels.
Wasn’t that a sign of an alpha predator nearby? I just knew the world wasn’t holding its breath for a wolf or a bear.
They’d silenced themselves for Lucian.
I didn’t say anything as we headed through to the stables or when he helped me off the horse before getting off himself.
“We are going to talk about what else you were doing during the match,” he said, his back to me as he walked over to a wooden bench with brushes and other things to take care of the horses in this secluded stable.
“But I already told you I wasn’t doing anything I wasn’t supposed to. I’m sorry if you didn’t want me drinking. I didn’t know that.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” he said, still not facing me. “I’m talking about how you were a distraction.”
“What?” I had no idea what he meant. I was sitting quietly, talking with the people around me, mostly Charlotte. How was I a distraction?
“I could feel your eyes on me the entire match.” He turned to face me, a metal tin in his hand. I couldn’t see what it was before he tucked it into a pocket. “Do you know how it feels to have someone watching you so intently?”
“No, you’re mistaken. I wasn’t watching you.”
Heat rose to my face at the lie. The truth was, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him the entire match. The way he rode into battle. It was a game, but he didn’t look like he was playing anything.
Lucian Manwarring didn’t play.
He dominated.
The way he rode on that field was the same way he dominated me in the bedroom or his office. I would bet that it even applied to the way he did business.
He didn’t play at being a CEO or a master of industry.
He didn’t even play at legal proceedings.
Lucian Manwarring only knew how to wage war.
I never had a chance.
I couldn’t take my eyes off of him the entire match.
I was captivated.
The words I told my parents the night they died about me not wanting a prince or a soldier but a ruthless king rang in my ears over and over.
He was a man who took what he wanted because he could.
Seeing him on that horse facing down other men with unbridled intimidation had been spectacular. No one would ever take anything from Lucian Manwarring. No one would ever talk over him, disrespect him, or even attempt to extort or blackmail him.
He was untouchable.
And I was watching him prove that him playing a simple game on horseback had made me weak.
I wanted him, but I didn’t understand why.
I should hate him.
Every fiber of my being should be repulsed every time he touched me or looked at me, and instead, he set my blood on fire. Not with rage, not with hate, but with passion and need.
I didn’t understand it, and I couldn’t control it. No other man was ever going to make me feel like this again, and I had to decide what I was willing to do about it.
There was something else in his hand, something that he held at his side, just far enough back I couldn’t see what it was. He took a step towards me, and I took one back. The way he was looking at me, I understood why the animals outside had stopped making noise.
Turning my head to look outside, to see if there was some escape, some way I could run and get in public before he did anything, was a mistake. In that split second, he was on top of me, crowding me against the wall.
“I…” My voice trailed off.
What was I going to say?
I’m sorry I stared at you. I’m sorry I ignored everyone around me because I couldn’t take my eyes off of you.
I couldn’t say either of those things.
They were more than just an admittance of guilt.
They were an admission of want. That was a power I couldn’t give him, not that that would stop him from taking it anyway.
He didn’t say anything as he put his hand on my shoulder and spun me around to face the wall. His large, warm hand gripped my waist, before trailing down my side until he got to the hem of my dress.
Without a word, he flipped it up, exposing my practically bare ass. Sundresses required thongs.
There was nothing between my skin and his hand.