CLAIMED IN SILENCE

sleep was a blank stretch of cold shadows and h

ight, she

ngly. Not

rotting. The hard slap of a palm against her cheek, follow

p-as though the silence had wrapped itself around

rtless, a tumbler of whisky in his hand, eyes locked on he

just sex

ever

o be the one to put her back together,

the gla

to th

mbe

er sleeping form like a man

rt. Her breath caug

aw. "I won't let him touch

er eyes shimmered. W

her neck, her collarbone, her breast. Not to c

e who made you afr

cry. She

to his throat-soft, fleeting, like a silent

beneath him sl

he didn't t

irst time...

ed like dr

. Every time she flinched, Dominik catalogued it. Every time her body tensed beneath h

t fuck her. H

ribs, just beneath a long, faded scar that

urt yo

blin

le

it again

ho

, not

e they clutched the sheets. H

he murmured. "But you will. One d

ailing his lips along

denied him ma

ce she gave only de

hat her quiet meant to him. A

down from challenges

ould be no

rn

his crisp shirts, the sleeves too long, the hem brushin

st beneath her jawline where he'd lef

k ashamed. She

ed from

the kitchen. Breakfast waiti

said, voice rough with sl

und his in

alle

pl

sn't

rried steps. He pressed against her from behind, a

on't speak because it was take

her fingers curle

as som

r Th

her into

ugh his favourite gallery. She wore a black dress, modest, high-necked, but

d as they stepped into a room filled with

up at him,

ulpture and eyed them both. "

sta

found the sma

mine,"

of a moment-just a

and delicate he

he d

destroy

htf

silk and spread her t

was no

of his tong

as punishmen

, so softly he tho

her lips parted, and the fainte

Barely. On

owled, his fingers di

it he

owled. "No

ly. Deeply. Until s

me, she did

ed at his arms,

," she w

lo

cl

ire wor

ce. His name. Not s

ok

he b

er like he

er like

er lik

er, shaking and panting,

Afte

red against her neck as they

no

ou say

her mouth

d ag

.Ma

wo

ncourt had never

ctories. Not by war

beautiful creature-had cr

d

as h

never said