“My love is worth more than my pride, Tal. And you wouldn’t treat me this way if you didn’t care about me. It’s perverse, you know. Sometimes we hurt the ones we care about most because even the thought of loving them is too much. You’re scared. I wish you would tell me why.” It was said with an almost sympathetic tone as though she truly pitied him.
He couldn’t stand it. “I tricked you into marriage. I’ve likely tricked you into a pregnancy. How do you feel about that?”
She held his eyes, hers clear and honest. “I can leave, Tal. I’m not some prisoner. Given the chance, I fully intended to sleep with your brothers, so you tricked me into nothing there. Oh, there won’t be a pregnancy anytime soon. Just in case I decided to…expand my horizons, I went to the doctor the day before we left. He gave me a contraceptive shot. I’m good for another couple of months. Now, I should probably have insisted on condoms given where Kade’s been, but he assured me he’s healthy. As for the marriage, well, I have some time to deal with that, which is precisely why you should talk to me.”
She didn’t get it. And the thought that she’d blocked his play pissed him off. He didn’t have to pretend anger now. “Get off the birth control, Piper. You are of no value to me if you can’t fucking conceive. None of us is safe until you’ve spat out a couple of kids.”
Finally she flushed, her whole body going red. “You don’t mean that.”
A weak spot. He could use that. He wasn’t about to let her best him. “I mean it, Piper. I mean every word. I have no reason to fuck you if you cannot conceive. That shot lasts a few months? Well, I will see you then, my darling. Until that time, allow my brothers to service you.”
She pleaded, her arms reaching for him. “Don’t do this to us, Tal. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
But it did. He couldn’t stand it a second longer. He turned and walked out the door.
Chapter Thirteen
Piper pulled the clamp off her breast, not quite able to stifle her scream. She really should have taken him up on the aftercare stuff. Her nipple had gone numb, but the minute she’d pulled the clamp off and her circulation returned, pain flooded her system.
Nothing like the hurt that had nearly broken her heart mere moments ago. She could handle the biting pain in her breasts, but the ache she felt in her gut was another matter entirely.
She felt stupid and right at the same time. Stupid because she’d thought she could get through to him. Right because despite his protestations, she knew he was scared. She’d made a study of the man. There wasn’t a cruel bone in his body. He knew the names of every member of his staff, regularly asked about their kids. He was unfailingly polite. If he wanted a polite, friendly relationship, he would have sat down and talked it out logically with her.
But he’d plotted and schemed, and when he’d made love to her, he’d lost himself. There was nothing polite about the way he felt, but now she had to consider the possibility that Tal’s past was more than a match for her love.
“Piper?”
She gasped, nearly diving for her clothes. She’d almost forgotten she was naked. The door to the dungeon opened and she reached for the skirt Tal had tossed toward her.
Rafe walked in, concern on his handsome face. “Piper? I just saw Tal walking down the hall. He looked angry. What the hell happened? You were only supposed to check the room out.” He jogged across the room when he saw her. He pulled her into his arms before she could protest. “Habibti, what did he do to you?”
“He hurt her.” Kade stood in the doorway, his mouth a flat line. “Motherfucker.”
“Stop,” Rafe said, sinking to his knees and cuddling her close. “She doesn’t need more anger.”
Rafe felt so good, solid. Piper knew she should get dressed. She needed to think, but she needed Rafe more. She let her arms drift around his neck. “Just hold me for a minute.”
Rafe cradled her. “I need to get that clamp off you.”
She shook her head. She was fine with the clamp. She didn’t need that nipple. She would be all right with one. “It’s fine.”
Kade dropped down. “Bastard. He left her clamped. Habibti, this is going to sting.”
She’d already figured that out. She braced herself, wincing as he took it off. He leaned over and gently sucked her nipple into his mouth, laving it with affection. Sure enough, that took the sting out.
Rafe smoothed back her hair. “This is what our bastard brother should have done. How is your backside?”
Plugged. Spanked. “I, uhm, have something to take out of that, too.”