Dare to be Mine Read Free Page B

anger in Percy's eyes. The clap of thunder
caused her to gasp aloud, and the pouring rain sounded constant during each
fall of his cane against the floor.
    Reaching Elyssa, Percy reached out and
touched the gossamer robe, his lips turning down in derision as he rasped,
"Did you really think this carnal thing would cause me to fall at your
feet?" Elyssa shook her head, the seduction not turning out at all as
she'd hoped it might. His voice raised to be heard
over the torrential storm. "Did you think that after all this time, it would only take playing the coquette to mend a
marriage that cannot be fixed?"
    "It might be a start," she
replied weakly, ignoring his insults.
    Inwardly Percy felt a slight yearning at
her words, just the faintest glimmer of hope that she might be sincere about
having a true marriage. But reality intruded before he allowed Elyssa to melt
his hardened heart, for Percy had already come to terms with the fact that
theirs was simply a marriage in name only, that there would never be an
intimate relationship between them. He had to make certain Elyssa would never
attempt this again in the future. He needed to make her see that he was immune
to her brazen charms.
    Percy grabbed her firmly by the arm, the
discarded cane falling to the floor. A peal of thunder shattered as he jerked
Elyssa roughly toward him. "What makes you think I would even want to lay
a finger on you?" came the taunting words, their
faces mere inches apart. Percy was satisfied to hear the soft cry of anguish
escape her lips.
    "You think you can dress up like a
whore with that makeup covering your face and lips, and that hair falling all
around you?" he bit out as his hand yanked her hair loose, its abundance
cascading about her shoulders. "This ugly dark hair,
blacker than the devil's soul! And those lying lips," he continued,
"it would be an abomination to kiss those lips." Pulling her arm free
from Percy's tight grip, Elyssa took a step backward from the hateful man
before her, nearly stumbling. He continued, "No man in his right mind
would want you! You look like the devil's own, yet when it comes to men you
don't know the first thing about satisfying one!"
    Covering her hands over her ears at his
hurtful onslaught, Elyssa could bear Percy's insults no more. Her robe was
snared in his hand as she turned to flee and Elyssa allowed the garment to fall
from her shoulders as she took flight from the study, her sobs unheard over the
storm. She headed toward the stairs, but couldn't force herself to go back up
to her lonely sanctuary. Her mind was a jumbled mess and tears streamed down
Elyssa's face as she ran down the hall until she reached the kitchen. She fled
out the back door, leaving behind the taunting sounds of Percy's rantings as he
continued on about her wretchedness.
    Once outside, the rain beat down on her
and it was only when another flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky that
Elyssa began shaking in fright. Of a whim she headed toward the stables. She
would stay the night there, if in fact she ever managed to get to sleep. All
that mattered was escaping her husband. Avoiding the
realization that he abhorred the very sight of her, fool that she was.
    Tears blinded her steps as Elyssa
trudged onward through the wet grass, the rain completely soaking her. Her head
down, she kept running onward, now halfway to the shelter of the stables.
Elyssa cried aloud as she ran into something blocking the path. Her eyes
widened as Elyssa looked up into the dark eyes of a stranger, her mouth opening
to scream, though nothing came out save a helpless whimper.
    She had to look up several inches to
meet the intense gaze of the man who grabbed her arms in order to keep her
aright. A face as she'd never seen looked down at her in curious wonder. He was
extraordinarily handsome, and looked to be in his mid-twenties. His eyes were
mysteriously dark, his lashes thick and black. The stranger's facial structure
was chiseled to perfection, only the