before—or so Ted once said. There’s only one reason why Skull hasn’t hit me, one reason why he hasn’t caved my face in. His dead wife, of course.
I mutter unintelligibly, unable to eloquently move my tongue. You can’t bring yourself to do it because I look like your dead wife.
He releases me, tilting his head on an angle. “What?”
“You can’t bring yourself to do it,” I say, almost smugly, “because I look like your dead wife.”
He stills, and I regret the words the second they leave my mouth. I know better than to antagonize him. I know better than to torment him, to provoke him, but I couldn’t help myself. I swallow and open my mouth. “I shouldn’t have—”
Skull slaps me hard across the face, tossing me sideways. I stumble and fall, only to be caught in his arms. “You think because you look like her that you’re untouchable?”
He scoops me up, and I thrash in his grip as tears well in my eyes. Grunting, he tosses me onto his bed and grabs at my hips. Crying, I roll onto my side, only to be pulled back.
“Now you’re scared? Now you want to run?” he growls, climbing onto the bed. “You should have kept your mouth shut, dumb bitch.”
“Get off me!” I cry, swatting at him as he cocks a leg over my hips and straddles me, pinning me against the mattress.
Skull grips the hem of his shirt in his tattooed hands and pulls it off over his head, exposing the ink on his torso. I keep swatting at him, but it doesn’t faze him, not in the slightest.
“You look like her, but you’re not her,” he tells me, all anger gone from his voice. “You’re an imposter.”
Wiggling his hips, he tugs on my nightgown and frees it from underneath his thighs. He pushes it up my body and rips it off over my head, catching some of my hairs too. I hiss as he snatches my wrists in one hand and pins them above my head.
“Please…” I beg as his greedy hand cups my left breast. “Don’t do this! You’ll ruin—”
“You. I’ll ruin you.” He leans in and kisses my lower lip. “Don’t worry, Kitty-Cat. I’ll tell Stone you put up a fight.”
Skull crushes his mouth to mine and pries my lips open with his tongue. He kisses me deeply until I can no longer breathe efficiently. His mouth is fresh and minty, but it feels black, like death. Does that make sense? Probably not.
I try to turn my head to get away, but he pushes against me too hard. In the span of one second, he goes from straddling my hips to settling himself between my thighs. I squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting the mental image of having this murderous beast above me.
As he leaves my breast and, singlehandedly, reaches for the button on his jeans, there’s a knock at the door. It’s gentle, surprisingly. Gasping in relief, I open my eyes.
Skull rips his mouth from mine and glances over his shoulder. “This better be good!”
His lips are swollen and red from a kiss that almost sucked the life out of me.
“A few problems have arisen with the investors.”
He rolls his eyes. “So take care of it.”
“I’m afraid this requires your immediate attention. Giles tried to flee the country, sir. Raymond caught him outside the airport. He took the product and now claims he has no money to pay you.”
Skull’s ears perk up. “No money? He’s a fucking billionaire! Where is he?”
“In the cell downstairs.”
He rakes his fingers over his face. “I’ll be right out.”
He pushes off of me, dropping onto his back beside me. I remain still, my face feeling like a balloon from the force of his slap. I keep my attention on the ceiling while his is on my face. With the back of his index finger, he strokes my swollen cheek, and I bite my tongue against flinching.
“Lucky for you, Daddy has some business to take care of.”
I grimace as he turns his back and swings his legs off the edge of the bed. Sighing, he puts his polo back on and grabs his phone. He doesn’t look at me, not until the cool, metal door handle is in
I mutter unintelligibly, unable to eloquently move my tongue. You can’t bring yourself to do it because I look like your dead wife.
He releases me, tilting his head on an angle. “What?”
“You can’t bring yourself to do it,” I say, almost smugly, “because I look like your dead wife.”
He stills, and I regret the words the second they leave my mouth. I know better than to antagonize him. I know better than to torment him, to provoke him, but I couldn’t help myself. I swallow and open my mouth. “I shouldn’t have—”
Skull slaps me hard across the face, tossing me sideways. I stumble and fall, only to be caught in his arms. “You think because you look like her that you’re untouchable?”
He scoops me up, and I thrash in his grip as tears well in my eyes. Grunting, he tosses me onto his bed and grabs at my hips. Crying, I roll onto my side, only to be pulled back.
“Now you’re scared? Now you want to run?” he growls, climbing onto the bed. “You should have kept your mouth shut, dumb bitch.”
“Get off me!” I cry, swatting at him as he cocks a leg over my hips and straddles me, pinning me against the mattress.
Skull grips the hem of his shirt in his tattooed hands and pulls it off over his head, exposing the ink on his torso. I keep swatting at him, but it doesn’t faze him, not in the slightest.
“You look like her, but you’re not her,” he tells me, all anger gone from his voice. “You’re an imposter.”
Wiggling his hips, he tugs on my nightgown and frees it from underneath his thighs. He pushes it up my body and rips it off over my head, catching some of my hairs too. I hiss as he snatches my wrists in one hand and pins them above my head.
“Please…” I beg as his greedy hand cups my left breast. “Don’t do this! You’ll ruin—”
“You. I’ll ruin you.” He leans in and kisses my lower lip. “Don’t worry, Kitty-Cat. I’ll tell Stone you put up a fight.”
Skull crushes his mouth to mine and pries my lips open with his tongue. He kisses me deeply until I can no longer breathe efficiently. His mouth is fresh and minty, but it feels black, like death. Does that make sense? Probably not.
I try to turn my head to get away, but he pushes against me too hard. In the span of one second, he goes from straddling my hips to settling himself between my thighs. I squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting the mental image of having this murderous beast above me.
As he leaves my breast and, singlehandedly, reaches for the button on his jeans, there’s a knock at the door. It’s gentle, surprisingly. Gasping in relief, I open my eyes.
Skull rips his mouth from mine and glances over his shoulder. “This better be good!”
His lips are swollen and red from a kiss that almost sucked the life out of me.
“A few problems have arisen with the investors.”
He rolls his eyes. “So take care of it.”
“I’m afraid this requires your immediate attention. Giles tried to flee the country, sir. Raymond caught him outside the airport. He took the product and now claims he has no money to pay you.”
Skull’s ears perk up. “No money? He’s a fucking billionaire! Where is he?”
“In the cell downstairs.”
He rakes his fingers over his face. “I’ll be right out.”
He pushes off of me, dropping onto his back beside me. I remain still, my face feeling like a balloon from the force of his slap. I keep my attention on the ceiling while his is on my face. With the back of his index finger, he strokes my swollen cheek, and I bite my tongue against flinching.
“Lucky for you, Daddy has some business to take care of.”
I grimace as he turns his back and swings his legs off the edge of the bed. Sighing, he puts his polo back on and grabs his phone. He doesn’t look at me, not until the cool, metal door handle is in
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