For the most part, Miles leaves me alone, only towering over me when lunchtime arrives. Like a stubborn and sulky child, I tell him I’m not hungry despite the deep ache in my belly.
The bluff is blatant, but he doesn’t call me on it. He doesn’t push me to join him, either. Dinner is another matter.
“You’re looking a little pink, my queen.”
“I was raised in the tropics,” I remind him without bothering to open my eyes. “I don’t burn.”
“Maybe not, but you do need to freshen up for dinner.”
“If clothing isn’t involved, I’m not interested.”
“It wasn’t an offer.” He hoists me over his shoulder before I suck in a full breath.
“Hey! Put me down!”
His palm lands on my ass with a quick smack. “You’re in for a major attitude adjustment.”
“Don’t touch me.”
He strikes my ass again. “You’re mine to touch if I wish.”
“What gives you the right?” I almost growl the question as he drops me on my feet in the bathroom.
“What gives you the right to object?” he counters.
I open my mouth to argue my case, but I don’t have one. Experience has taught me women aren’t equal to men. Even my own parents, who were happy and madly in love with each other, followed a traditional and customary power-exchange dynamic.
In my limited world view, the men are always in charge, and if such a dichotomy is a familiar practice to me, then it’s reasonable to assume Miles knows nothing else, considering his upbringing. The same could be said of every man in the tower. Much like a parent holds dominion over their offspring, the men in the Zodiac Brotherhood were raised to believe they hold all the power over the queen.
Over me.
I turn my back on Miles and switch on the faucet, preparing to wash my face. From the corner of my eye, I spy his reflection in the mirror as he leans against the doorjamb. He folds his arms and observes me without a word. Foregoing makeup, I pile my hair into a messy updo—the best I can do under the circumstances.
When I face him, I decide to try a different angle. “I promise to do better. Please let me dress for dinner.”
“Absolutely not. You need this lesson.”
“Then you’ll have to physically remove me from this house.” To punctuate my challenge, I set my hands on my naked hips.
“As you wish.” He grabs me by the waist, and ignoring my shouted outrage, the bastard tosses me over his shoulder before marching through the front entrance. Only after we reach the main floor of the tower does he set me on my feet again.
Mortified doesn’t touch on the emotions boiling in my gut. Neither does anger. I’m beyond both as he forces me down the hall toward the circular dining room, my arm held tightly in his as the jacket of his suit brushes my side with each step. I’m a mess, on the inside and out, seething with outrage and unkept in appearance without a speck of makeup on my face.
As we approach the open doors, he comes to a halt. “I want you to know I didn’t intend to start the month like this.” His grip on my arm loosens, allowing me enough slack to pull away.
“That would make two of us.” I stride into the dining room ahead of him, chin raised and jaw clenched, focusing every ounce of attention on the seat two spaces down from where Sebastian sits.
The lion’s arctic gaze burns through me as I pass, as intense and tangible as my mortification, and I can only imagine the multitude of reactions on his face.
Because I can’t bring myself to look at him.
Several seats remain empty, including the chancellor’s. The early arrivals fall quiet, their baritone voices fading as my nudity captures their intrigue. I settle into my chair and cross my legs as Miles slides in next to me. That’s when Landon, Elise, and Lilith enter.
My world shakes under my feet, and my heart drops. I’ve never fallen victim to jealousy as intensely as I do now, knowing the drop-dead-gorgeous woman who shares my blood is carrying the baby of the man I love.
A maroon floor-length dress hugs Lilith’s body in all the right places, and there isn’t a sign on her bones that she’s carrying Sebastian’s child. Does she ever have a bad hair day, even in pregnancy? She’s the epitome of class compared to my humiliating presence, considering my pink-tinged skin from too much sun.
But my real issue with Lilith Astor has nothing to do with her impeccable style. No, my rancor stems from the fact she’s not accompanying Vance tonight. Everyone might think she’s visiting the estate to become better acquainted with Landon’s new bride, but I know better. My half-sister is here for other reasons.
Without thinking, my attention lands on Sebastian, and for the first time since I stepped into this room, I come face-to-face with his reaction to my nudity. His jaw is rigid, brows furrowed over turbulent eyes.