Page 8 of Twisted Proposal

After a few more steps, her back hit the wall.

My body followed, caging her in. "You did not let me finish. I will let you leave, but I cannot grant you your freedom."

She gasped. "Please, I?—"

"Do you have someplace to go? Somewhere that is not under your father's roof?"

She nodded but did not speak.

I placed a hand on the wall beside her head, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her skin. The dim light caught tiny silver flecks in her eyes, turning the fear into something more complex, more intriguing.

I cupped her jaw. "I need an actual response."

She sniffed. "Yes. I have my dorm room."

Despite the chill of the room, her cheek was warm beneath my palm. "Your dorm?"

"I finished my associate's degree and only just transferred to a four-year college to get my degree in Political Science."

"And your father allowed this?"

Her spine stiffened and she bristled. "He didn't approve, but I've worked to save my own tuition money as well as applying for every scholarship and grant I could find."

Her pride in paying her own way was evident and admirable…but it ended tonight. "I will allow you to return to your dorm, but it will be under my protection."

"I don't need your?—"

"I haven't finished," I ground out.

She tried to lower her head, but I cupped her cheek to keep her gaze on me. My fingertips lightly traced the bruise there. Her father and brother would pay dearly for what they had done.

The mark on her skin was an affront, a desecration of the beautiful piece of art that was Viktoria. My thumb brushed over it with a tenderness that contradicted the fury coursing through my veins. Thunder rolled in the distance, echoing my silent promise of retribution.

"You may return to school, but only with my permission. From this point forward, you answer to me."

Some of her earlier defiance returned, sparking in her flashing eyes. "So I'm to trade my father's control for yours?"

"Precisely."

Her lips thinned. "Absolutely not."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then I shall take your father's suggestion and arrange a suitable marriage for you to someone loyal, who will ensure your obedience."

"No! Please."

"It is your choice, Viktoria."

She considered the conversation for a moment, then nodded.

Even trapped between my body and the wall, she held herself with dignity. I hungered for the moment when that dignity would crumble by choice, not coercion.

The corner of my mouth lifted. "Words, princess."

She sighed. "I agree to your terms."

Resisting the temptation to keep her in my arms, I stepped back. "I will arrange for you to return to your dorm. Although it is late and I know you’re tired, I'm going to have a private doctor visit to give you something for the pain."

"I don't want your drugs."