Beast Of Italy

Chapter Eight

Hair, smooth as silk...

Julius' ragged breath escaped his lips as he fought to keep the flames from consuming the entirity of his face. He felt the heat, the terrible, soul consuming heat gnawing at his skin! His lips falling wide open, he tried to scream, to cry out for help but his lips seemed incapable of producing any sounds.

Crumbling to his knees, brown eyes stared back at him, eyes that seemed to reflect the horrors of his soul.

He didn't want to look into those eyes, he decided, pulling his eyelids shut once more as the heat of the flames consumed him. Horrified, his lips tore open, “No!” His own voice ripped into his consciousness until his eyelids were snapping wide open, ending his torture.

Confused, his heart pounded loudly in his chest as he glanced down. With his palms pressed to the hardwood floors, he realized he was on his knees. Sweat prickled his skin, dripping off of the tip of his nose and falling to the floors where his fingers laid covered in it.

“My lord?”

His eyes snapped up, surprised to find that he wasn't alone in the room. Ira knelt before him, hand resting on his shoulder, a frown etched on her beautiful face and eyes glistening with tears. She had an expression on her face he couldn't read, but her eyes reflected her concern... Or was it pity he saw in them? Nonetheless, he didn't find fear in her eyes. For the first time since his accident, someone other than his mother beheld him without an inkling of fear.

“You were having a nightmare.” She whispered softly, face so close to his, he could feel the warmth of her breath.

He felt the familiar feeling of desire claw at him until he was leaning in close. Glad and pleasantly surprised she didn't pull away, “What did you seek to do, Ira, save me?” He offered a teasing smile, a strange emotion he couldn't explain, racing through his veins.

Her eyes clouded and she made to lean back but he was quick. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close until she was falling into his arms. She let out a surprised yelp the second her body made contact with his and he captured her lips.

He kissed her, more passionately than he had done only a few hours ago when he kissed her for the first time in the parlor. Then, he kissed her with uncertainty, restraint even. Now, he was kissing her with full certainty of what it was he wanted; her! He would make her his wife, he decided even as she moaned in response, he would make her his wife the second the sun comes up.

Her hands slid up his chest, palms pressing slightly against his breasts. He tightened his hold around her, drinking in the scent of her cheap lye and spices.

A part of him could hardly believe this was happening, a woman was seated in his arms and kissing him with nearly as much desire as he had for her. And the way she fit into his arms, he nearly felt certain she belonged there.

“Marry me.” He whispered breathlessly against her lips. “Marry me today, Ira.”

Her hands slid down his chest in that moment, lips disconnecting from his. She pulled away slightly, eyes wide.

Knowing his request surprised her, he nodded, reaffirming his intentions. “I shall have the judge here by breakfast and we shall be married by noontime.” He smiled, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He realized then how happy he was. Something about Ira excited him and for the first time in two years, Julius experienced joy.

Her lips fell open but just as quickly, clamped shut again. Leaning in once more, he tried to kiss her but she pulled away.

A frown settling on his face as a result of her action, “Ira? Perhaps you failed to hear me the first time, perhaps you failed to hear of my intention to be Wed to you by the end of today. Surely this news must excite you. ”

She scrambled to her feet then and folded her arms across her chest. “Forgive me for being anything but pleased, my lord, ”She bit out, anger lacing every word.
Utterly confused, a frown settled on his face. Surely she didn't mean to reject his offer?!  Surely she understood who he was and how privileged she would be if she married him.

“You are not pleased with my intentions? I am an Earl, a man of influence, possessing wealth beyond your imagination... ”

“...and I'm nothing but a servant with neither a will nor a mind of my own?!”

For a while, Julius was confused. Not only had his offer been received poorly, it had somehow managed to upset Ira. What was so upsetting about changing her life? Perhaps he wasn't appealing to look at, but he was wealthy and influential an marriage to him would introduce her to the highest class of society.

Struggling to his feet as well, Julius straightened. “It will do you well to agree to this marriage, Ira.”

Her eyes caught fire then, lips tightening. She straightened her shoulder as well and matched his stance. “No. ” Turning from him, his eyes trailed her movement to the door. Utterly confused, he called after her,

“What?! ”

She stopped then,  hand poised on the door knob. “Even if you have failed to request my opinion on your intent to marry me, lord Talbot, I shall hand my opinion to you nonetheless; No, I will not marry you. ”

♠♠♠

Her rejection was a slap to his face and a blow to his ego that left him enraged for several days unending. So enraged was he by it, he failed to listen to his mother when she tried to have a conversation with him or his solicitor when he gave reports on his shipping business.

Julius could do nothing, absolutely nothing but think of Ira, desiring her more with every passing day than he desired her before she turned down his proposal. Yet, she went about her business of serving him like the day of the proposal never happened. She was no longer the feisty woman who stood up to him in his dimly lit study and was now the submissive maid his mother had hired. The only problem with that was he desperately needed to ravish that feisty woman.

Unable to ignore his desire, he went in search of her one evening in the kitchen. He didn't find her, but he found a child sleeping on the kitchen floors.

The door was pushed open in that second and he turned sharply around, bumping into Ira. She fell back but he was quick enough to grab her arm and pull her back against himself. His hands instinctively wrapped around her waist for fear she'd fall back again and his eyes held hers.

Here she is again, he thought, immensely enjoying her closeness. It had been how long? Two, three weeks? He would have sworn it was forever, an entire eternity since he held the object of his burning desire in his arms.

She struggled to be freed of his hold, her eyes catching fire as he tightened his hold around her, refusing to budge. “You have a child? ”

“Unhand me,”

“What? Do you now address me so informally? ”

“Do you intend to keep me trapped here forever? ” She snapped and he decided he liked her, quite well he might add. He liked this woman who seemed determined to resist him. The only problem with that was his own determination to have her. Ah, but not as his wife, she already rejected that offer, bruising his ego. He would have her this time, as his mistress. Wasn't the child sprawled on the floors clear evidence of who she truly was; a woman of loose virtue? And now, she sought to act innocent, to withhold herself from him. Well, he would prove to her he couldn't  be rejected anything.

Leaning forward, he kissed her lips. She struggled against his hold but he was stronger. His hands slid down the curve of her waist and settled on her behind. She gasped in response. Releasing her lips, he slid his lips down the side of her face and nibbled on her ear. She clutched his shirt then, her body trembling against his as she collapsed into his arms.

He knew she desired him, the knowledge giving him a sense of power. He would set her ablaze with the same fire she had used on him, forcing him to lust over her and then rejecting his marriage proposal. He would make her desire him, take her and ravish her and finally satisfy his desires for her. Then, he would find himself a wife.

Pulling away suddenly, she gasped in protest. He stared into her eyes, a smile curving his lips at the look of desire he found in them. He would take her, but not today.

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