A hard smile touched his mouth. ‘But I haven’t got what I want yet, have I? And until I do the lessons you’re learning will just get tougher and tougher, Serena, until one day…you just submit.’
‘Submission…’ she said hoarsely. ‘That’s the key, is it? You want to totally possess me, crush my spirit, make me surrender completely.’
‘That’s generally what happens at the end of a war,’ he said.
He released her suddenly, striding arrogantly to the drinks cabinet Serena watched him through her lashes, bitterly aware that their marriage was now nailed out in grim reality for them both to see. A war…a lesson in submission…how she hated him.
Why did I refuse to divorce him? she thought bitterly. I must have been mad. If I had any sense I’d walk out now and start to fight him, sue him to the hilt, drag him through the mud, besmirch his reputation in Boston and the rest of the world…
A painful sigh wrenched her as she realised she couldn’t do it. Just couldn’t contemplate it. The loyalty she felt towards him was stronger, if anything, than it had been when Phil first asked her to divorce.
Why did she feel this deep loyalty to Nick? Why…? It just didn’t make sense.
Nick turned, whisky glass in hand. The blue eyes ran coolly over her. ‘So,’ he drawled, ‘I think we’re beginning to understand one another.’
‘As well as we ever can,’ she said thickly. ‘I ought to thank you for opening my eyes to your true nature. I always knew you were a ruthless bastard—I just hadn’t guessed at the appalling extent of it.’
Nick watched her with cynical mockery. ‘My innocent little wife. You’d better stay that way, or I’ll have your head on a plate.’ His voice hardened suddenly. ‘If I ever catch Greyson or others like him anywhere near you, Serena, I’ll turn very nasty indeed. Do I make myself clear?’
‘As crystal,’ she said thickly, looking up. ‘And what of your mistresses? Does the situation continue as it always has? Or are you going to make my life unbearable by flaunting them in front of me?’
He walked coolly to her, smiling mockingly down at her. His hand slid to her naked throat. ‘Jealous, Serena?’
Angrily, she dashed his hand away. ‘I can’t stand the sight of you! Why should I be jealous?’
‘You can’t stand the sight of me,’ he repeated under his breath, blue eyes narrowing. He looked her up and down, then said tightly, ‘Get on the couch.’
She caught her breath, heart missing a beat. ‘No…’
He smiled tightly and then took her wrist in a hard grip, pulling her over to the couch while she struggled, heart banging in her breast, whispering humiliating pleas for him to stop.
‘Don’t…don’t…!’ She stumbled as he reached the couch, and flung her down on it on her back. Winded, she struggled to sit up, but he was already slamming his whisky glass down on the side-table and sliding on top of her. ‘Nick, please…’
‘You little bitch!’ he said hoarsely, hands pinning her to the couch. ‘You let him kiss you, touch you…you let him stand there and talk about destroying me—and then you tell me to my face that you can’t stand the sight of me!’ His hard body crushed hers, his ruthless mouth inches from hers. ‘Do you really expect me to be nice to you after that?’
‘You’ve never been nice to me,’ she whispered, heart slamming as she felt those hard thighs trapping hers beneath him. ‘I sometimes wonder if you married me in order to punish me.’
‘I didn’t,’ he said thickly. ‘But I sure as hell intend to now!’ His mouth touched hers angrily, pushing her lips apart as she struggled, making him angrier until his mouth became brutal, bruising her soft lips and making her give cries of hurt and anger.
He was deliberately punishing with his kiss, inflicting pain, his fingers hard around her wrists as he pinned her beneath him. Serena struggled violently, trying to slap him, scratch at him, but he was too strong for her, she couldn’t even lift her hands from the couch, and her kicking legs were completely restricted by his.
He laughed at her, blue eyes blazing as his mouth grew more demanding, more punishing.
‘You’re hurting me!’ she moaned hoarsely through bruised lips.
‘I want to hurt you,’ he said thickly. ‘Sometimes I’d like to kill you, Serena.’ He stared down at her, his heart thudding loudly, and whispered, ‘Sometimes I’d like to kill you!’
They stared at each other for a long moment, and there was blood on her lips, but her heart was pounding very fast and heated excitement was pumping through her body.
‘I’d like to kill you, too, Nick!’ she whispered passionately, green eyes blazing. ‘I’ve never hated anyone as much as I hate you and I can’t stand it any longer…I can’t stand it!’
Nick gave a sudden rough sound of excitement, and then he was kissing her until her head span, his mouth hot and searingly exciting, sending waves of sensual pleasure through Serena as he released her wrists, his hands sliding to her body, and she needed to express her violent feelings so much that she found her hands moving to his strong neck, her fingers shaking as they thrust into his black hair, her mouth parting passionately beneath his, kissing him back with fierce emotion all blending into one dazzling explosion of desire made from anger, hatred, long-buried need…
His hands were moving over her, sliding up to close over her full breasts, and she arched against him with a hoarse cry, her nipples already fiercely erect.
Dizzy, drowning in the grip of primitive excitement, she offered her neck to him, whispering angry words of hatred as he kissed her throat where the pulse beat so hotly, clutching his dark head to her, moaning out loud as she felt him part her thighs with one hard leg and slide his strong hands down to cup her rear.
‘I hate you!’ she whispered, running her hands over his broad shoulders. ‘Kiss me…’
His mouth came back to hers, demanding and hungry, and her body was arching against him as that heartbeat deafened her, slamming violently above her; she realised suddenly that it was Nick’s heart, so she slid her shaking hands to his hard-muscled chest and felt the heavy thudding against her fingers as she clung to his ruthless mouth, kissing him blindly, her eyes closed and her body like liquid fire in his arms.
Nick raised his head, darkly flushed and breathing harshly. ‘Come to bed…’
It was like a slap in the face. She froze, rigid suddenly beneath him, all the passion draining from her as the colour left her face and she realised what she had done.
‘No,’ she said in a small, hoarse voice. ‘Let me go…I shouldn’t have done that…I didn’t know what I was doing…I—’
He held her down as she tried to get away. ‘You knew what you were doing,’ he said under his breath. ‘You’ve spent three years married to a man you want without ever letting him make love to you. My God, how much more frustration can you take, Serena? No wonder you blew a fuse just now. Don’t try to deny it, or run from it. Come to bed with me now and let’s end this war once and for all.’
‘Go to hell!’ Serena shook as she stared at him.
‘You want me,’ he said raggedly, his hand moving over her aching breast. ‘Tell me…say it…’
Hot colour burnt her face and she said in angry denial, ‘I don’t want you, Nick. I only kissed you back because I’d been driven half crazy with rage and I wanted to show it to you…take it out on you…’
‘That’s exactly what I want you to do,’ he said under his breath. ‘In bed. I want you to take it out on me…all of it, Serena…’
‘Well, I won’t!’ she said fiercely, tears stinging her eyes. ‘Not willingly, Nick! The situation hasn’t changed—can’t you understand that? It doesn’t make any difference how long you’ve stayed away. It could be three years or thirty-three! I still wouldn’t let you make love to me under these circumstances. Not ever.’ Her eyes blazed. ‘You can force me to give you an heir if you really want to, but I’ll make it as difficult as possible for you. I’ll fight you, Nick, just as I did on our wedding night And if you
take me I’ll scratch your face to ribbons.’
He studied her for a second in tense silence. Menace glittered in his eyes. ‘I see,’ he drawled with a dangerous smile. ‘It’s going to be a long and bitter war, then, before your ultimate surrender?’
‘There won’t be a surrender,’ she said fiercely. ‘Not ever, Nick.’
‘Don’t kid yourself, Serena,’ he mocked softly. ‘I almost had you just now. If I’d been prepared to take you here on the couch you would have been mine before you started to fight.’
Her face flamed. ‘Now who’s kidding who? No man has ever seen me naked, Nick Colterne. I’d certainly notice if you were the first!’
He laughed under his breath. ‘You have a point. An idiotic one, but a point.’ The blue eyes narrowed on her flushed face. ‘Which leaves me looking for a new strategy. I’m not making love to you until you admit you want me.’
‘Why should you care if I want you or not?’ she asked bitterly.
‘Because I find victory exciting,’ he drawled softly. ‘And you’ve been fighting me for three years. I shall relish your absolute defeat.’
Serena winced, her face white.
He smiled at her appalled expression. ‘But I think I’ll enjoy it even more if I conquer you on your own home territory.’ He laughed softly. ‘My defeated little aristocrat, surrendering where it all began three years ago.’ He lifted his dark ruthless head. ‘In Flaxton Manor. We leave tomorrow.’
CHAPTER SIX
NICK’S private jet flew them to London the following afternoon. Serena sat beside him, her slender body expensively dressed in pale cream silk, intensely feminine, her long red-gold hair a silk cluster of waves falling to her waist.
Through her seductive hairstyle, her slanting green eyes watched Nick’s hard face as he sat beside her, every inch the ruthless tycoon, the cynical line of his mouth devastatingly attractive to her. The thought of his ultimate conquest of her was beginning to take root in her, exciting her against her will, making her hate him even more than she had done for three years. How could a man like this make her want him, even when he was deliberately cruel to her? What made the situation even more unbearable was knowing that she would never, could never let him make love to her without love…
‘We’ll stay overnight at the London house,’ Nick told her coolly as they flew across the glittering azure Atlantic. ‘I’ve arranged an appointment with Sir Charles Warwick.’
‘But he’s the most respected art dealer in England!’ she said with a sharp frown. ‘You’re going to a lot of trouble…’
‘You’re one of my assets, Serena,’ he said flatly. ‘I shall enjoy having an aristocratic English wife who is also a talented and respected artist. Sir Charles will be calling at the house at six tonight for drinks and dinner.’
‘You certainly aren’t wasting any time,’ she said bitterly.
‘I always move quickly,’ he said, arching black brows. ‘As you’ll find out at Flaxton Manor.’
Excitement pulsed treacherously in her veins, but she fought it. ‘You mean you’re planning to take me to bed the first night we get there? How very exciting for me! I simply can’t wait!’ Sarcasm blazed in her eyes. ‘What will you do when I start to fight? Tie me to the bed?’
‘What an interesting idea,’ he drawled sardonically.
‘You obviously don’t realise I’m serious,’ she said tightly.
Nick gave her a cool smile. ‘Neither do you believe it of me. But I don’t talk idly of surrender and conquest, Serena. By the time we leave Flaxton Manor, I can assure you, you will almost certainly be not only my lover, but also—with any luck—pregnant.’
Serena jerked her face from him, staring unseeingly at the dove-grey walls of the private jet. How she hated him. Hated her own fierce response to him. The thought of arriving at Flaxton Manor suddenly filled her with dread. If he carried out his threat, she would have to fight. What other option did she have? She couldn’t possibly let him make love to her. Not knowing he was only using her, using her body for sexual pleasure and for getting an heir. It didn’t bear thinking about…
Her hand shook as she lifted her drink to her lips. It would be a bitter struggle between them, but she was determined. Nick Colterne would never find her a willing lover. Never.
They touched down at Heathrow. Whisked through Customs and passport control, they were met by a chauffeur and Rolls-Royce limousine, which sped through the elegant streets of Knightsbridge towards their house in Bellamy Square, Mayfair.
‘Welcome home, sir, my lady!’ Chivers, the butler, opened the elegant white door with a bright smile. ‘Oh, how lovely to have you back with us!’
‘Hello, Chivers!’ Serena gave him a warm look through her lashes. ‘Did Mrs Chivers find the cat in the end?’
‘Yes, my lady.’ Chivers closed the door and picked up their suitcases, his eyes filled with laughter. ‘Trapped in the spare bedroom, clawing at the door and kicking up a terrible fuss!’
Serena smiled. ‘It’s good to be back…’
Nick looked at his watch, white cuffs shooting back with the movement to show the Rolex on his hard, hair-roughened wrist. ‘It’s almost four. You’d better take a bath and get ready to impress Sir Charles.’
Serena nodded, and went upstairs to her bedroom. It was as elegant and beautiful as all her other bedrooms all over the world. Nick had chosen the décor, of course, and the intense femininity of the cream walls, cream and gold antique furniture and deep-pile beige carpet were echoed by the ravishing four-poster bed with its thick velvet curtains in rich cream.
In the warm, flowered bathroom, Serena relaxed in the scented steam. It was the first time for months that they had both been in the house together. A prickle of deep awareness ran over her naked body. She closed her eyes, wondering what would happen, how she would cope, when he decided it was time to take her to bed…
The thought of it made her tremble, her skin flushing delicate pink. Getting out of the bath, she wrapped herself in a fluffy green bathrobe and padded barefoot and wet-haired into the bedroom.
Nick was lounging indolently on the bed.
Her heart stopped and she halted, staring at him, feeling his blue eyes move with stark sexual appraisal over her as her heart began to pound a fierce rhythm and the flood of hot colour surged into her face.
‘What are you doing here…?’ she whispered thickly, although she knew, and felt defenceless, deeply aware of her nudity beneath the bathrobe.
Nick got to his feet. ‘I came to see you.’
She backed, suddenly feeling very vulnerable indeed.
‘You said you’d wait…not until Flaxton Manor, you said…’
He walked towards her, his eyes dark with intent, and she started to shake, unable to move away from him, her green eyes enormous whirlpools of hunger in her flushed face.
‘I want to see you,’ he said under his breath, and his hands slowly loosened the belt of her robe.
‘No!’ she protested, stopping his hand.
He tugged on the belt and the robe fell open. Serena struggled bitterly, but he was implacable, his mouth a tough line.
‘Stand still, Serena,’ he commanded, and pulled the robe open to expose her.
‘Oh, God…!’ she whispered, closing her eyes, helpless, dazed, her heart thumping violently, appalled at her vulnerability as she felt his blue eyes burning over her naked body.
‘You’re beautiful,’ his voice said thickly, and when his strong hands slid to her naked waist she opened her eyes and stared at him with violent hunger. Slowly, he lowered his dark head to kiss her shaking mouth and the passion swept them together immediately. Her hands clung to his shoulders, her mouth opening beneath the hot onslaught of his kiss, and when he ran his hands over her naked body she moaned, shivering with desire, squirming away from him, angrily aware that she loved the feel of his hands on her.
‘I’m no match for you like this,’ she moaned against his mouth. ‘But I’ll still fight if you try to take me.
’
‘Why?’ he asked thickly, raising his flushed face an inch from hers, his mouth almost touching hers. ‘You want me, Serena, and your desire gets stronger every time I kiss you.’
‘Desire?’ she whispered through love-bruised lips. ‘What’s desire when it’s fuelled by hatred instead of love?’
‘Infinitely more exciting,’ he said softly, kissing her.
‘No.’ She ran her hands over his hateful, strong neck. ‘It’s not lovemaking at all, Nick. That’s why the phrase was coined, isn’t it? To make love is to be in love, and we hardly qualify.’
‘Is that what you think? That you can’t make love without being in love? I must teach you how exciting lovemaking can be when you just let go of childish illusions and satisfy adult demands…’
His hard mouth closed over hers, making her moan in heated response, hating him, her hands pushing at his broad shoulders, but her naked body was trembling, flushed with hot colour as he pressed her against his hard male body, and the desire was suddenly flooding her veins like fire.
The strong hands moved expertly over her, wringing tortuous pleasure where they touched, caressing her bare breasts, sliding down to cup her rear, pressing her sensually against his hardness.
‘I want you like hell!’ he bit out thickly, hands shaking on her slender naked thighs. ‘Come to bed…submit…’
‘No…’ she whispered thickly, her hands in his dark hair as her mouth moved passionately against his and her body was like pale fire against his masculine body. ‘Never…’
His hands were parting her thighs, her gasps turning to hoarse cries, and as she heard the rough gasp of excitement from the back of his throat she felt the increased pressure on her mouth, felt those hands move higher, sending the sweet rush of excitement through her.
‘No!’ she said with sudden, violent determination, and dragged herself from him. ‘I won’t let you do it, you bastard! You think you can coax me into it because cause my body is weak, but my mind is stronger, Nick!’ Her eyes blazed. ‘I’ll fight you to the end!’
Ruthless Lover Page 9
