husband and at this point any gentleman with wealth will do. I know how it sounds but I don't care, it is the truth.”
“Damn it! You can't just pull a name out of a hat.”
“That is a good idea,” she said thoughtfully.
“No, it isn't,” he snapped coming to his feet.
“What do you care?” she demanded. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”
He clenched his jaw. He knew that his words would some day come back to bite him. It was true, he had made it clear he wanted her to marry, get bored with her husband, and move on to him, but not anymore. He could not stand another man touching her.
“Dorian, I have to do this, I have to keep my sister. It is the only way.”
“I will not allow you to throw your life away.” He was beginning to panic and it did not sit well with him. He would not lose her. “You can't just settle on any man. You are a special woman, Victoria.”
She was surprised by his words and even more surprised when he pulled her up by her shoulders. He tilted her chin up and gazed into her eyes.
“There is one man that you have not considered, one man that is not on your list.”
77
“Who?” Her voice was a whisper.
“Me,” he stated plainly. “Marry me.”
“Oh, be serious,” she scoffed pulling away from him.
“I am being serious.”
“Surely, you jest.”
He was not laughing, not chuckling, not even smiling. She was growing uncomfortable under his intense sober stare.
“I am completely sincere, I assure you.”
He had gone mad. He had felt cornered and there was no way to escape. She threatened to go off to another man's bed. He had thought that was what he wanted, but he was dead wrong. He could not, would not share her with any man, he wanted her for his own and by marrying her he would get exactly what he wanted.
And so would she.
“I don’t think that is a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“I'm sorry, Vlakhos, but I can be a jealous woman and I would not want my husband sneaking off in the middle of the night to go entertain himself with a common trollop.”
“You have me all wrong,” he said gripping his chest in mock pain. “You wound me to the heart.”
She raised an unbelieving brow at him.
“I don't bed common trollops,” he clarified.
Victoria rolled her eyes, “I fail to see the difference between a low born loose woman and a high born loose woman.”
“The titled ladies tend to smell better.”
“What about the gypsies?” she tossed back.
Dorian laughed, he was not surprised she had heard that story. “They were clean. I made sure of it.”
She snorted at his insinuation. “Can you tell me why I should marry you?”
“Well, it is partly my fault that you are in this mess, if it weren't for me you would still have another two weeks to find a husband. The ton already thinks that we are having an affair and in their eyes it would be right and proper if we marry. I am also a man of great wealth and class. You and your sister will be well provided for. You will want nor need for anything and only receive the best.”
Every word rang true and Victoria was stunned into silence. There was nothing she could say.
“If you marry me, we will both get what we desire.”
78
She turned and found him gazing down at her, his eyes burning with hot flames. He smiled and stepped toward her. He slipped his hand behind her neck and lowered his head. His lips just a fraction from hers, he whispered, “I desire you.”
She could have melted into a puddle. His hand felt so warm on her flesh and she longed for him to move them over her body. They would sear her flesh with pleasure. His touch shattered her thoughts and boiled her blood. Her heart pounded.
“And you desire me,” he said, moving his mouth to her ear. His voice shook her very bones.
She closed her eyes tight trying to grasp her thoughts and senses. There was nothing that she would like more than to become Mrs. Dorian Vlakhos, she had often times fantasized what it would be like to have
“Damn it! You can't just pull a name out of a hat.”
“That is a good idea,” she said thoughtfully.
“No, it isn't,” he snapped coming to his feet.
“What do you care?” she demanded. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”
He clenched his jaw. He knew that his words would some day come back to bite him. It was true, he had made it clear he wanted her to marry, get bored with her husband, and move on to him, but not anymore. He could not stand another man touching her.
“Dorian, I have to do this, I have to keep my sister. It is the only way.”
“I will not allow you to throw your life away.” He was beginning to panic and it did not sit well with him. He would not lose her. “You can't just settle on any man. You are a special woman, Victoria.”
She was surprised by his words and even more surprised when he pulled her up by her shoulders. He tilted her chin up and gazed into her eyes.
“There is one man that you have not considered, one man that is not on your list.”
77
“Who?” Her voice was a whisper.
“Me,” he stated plainly. “Marry me.”
“Oh, be serious,” she scoffed pulling away from him.
“I am being serious.”
“Surely, you jest.”
He was not laughing, not chuckling, not even smiling. She was growing uncomfortable under his intense sober stare.
“I am completely sincere, I assure you.”
He had gone mad. He had felt cornered and there was no way to escape. She threatened to go off to another man's bed. He had thought that was what he wanted, but he was dead wrong. He could not, would not share her with any man, he wanted her for his own and by marrying her he would get exactly what he wanted.
And so would she.
“I don’t think that is a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“I'm sorry, Vlakhos, but I can be a jealous woman and I would not want my husband sneaking off in the middle of the night to go entertain himself with a common trollop.”
“You have me all wrong,” he said gripping his chest in mock pain. “You wound me to the heart.”
She raised an unbelieving brow at him.
“I don't bed common trollops,” he clarified.
Victoria rolled her eyes, “I fail to see the difference between a low born loose woman and a high born loose woman.”
“The titled ladies tend to smell better.”
“What about the gypsies?” she tossed back.
Dorian laughed, he was not surprised she had heard that story. “They were clean. I made sure of it.”
She snorted at his insinuation. “Can you tell me why I should marry you?”
“Well, it is partly my fault that you are in this mess, if it weren't for me you would still have another two weeks to find a husband. The ton already thinks that we are having an affair and in their eyes it would be right and proper if we marry. I am also a man of great wealth and class. You and your sister will be well provided for. You will want nor need for anything and only receive the best.”
Every word rang true and Victoria was stunned into silence. There was nothing she could say.
“If you marry me, we will both get what we desire.”
78
She turned and found him gazing down at her, his eyes burning with hot flames. He smiled and stepped toward her. He slipped his hand behind her neck and lowered his head. His lips just a fraction from hers, he whispered, “I desire you.”
She could have melted into a puddle. His hand felt so warm on her flesh and she longed for him to move them over her body. They would sear her flesh with pleasure. His touch shattered her thoughts and boiled her blood. Her heart pounded.
“And you desire me,” he said, moving his mouth to her ear. His voice shook her very bones.
She closed her eyes tight trying to grasp her thoughts and senses. There was nothing that she would like more than to become Mrs. Dorian Vlakhos, she had often times fantasized what it would be like to have
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