CHAPTER 3: The First Dividend

— THE DISOWNED HEIRESS & THE SCARRED FRENCH MONARCH —

Lucian let go of my lips but he did not step back. His strong body stayed pressed tight to mine. I was stuck between him and the warm fire. My chest moved fast up and down. My lips felt sore and soft from his hard kiss. I could not think straight with him so close to me.

I could feel his hard part pressing right against my stomach. His body was very hot and ready just for me. Every small move he made made my legs feel weaker.

"You know who I am," I said quiet. My voice shook a lot. I tried to push his chest but it was like pushing a hard wall. He did not move even a little bit.

Lucian laughed low and dark. He touched the long silver mark on his jaw with rough fingers.

"Did you think you could hide from me Vivienne?" he said. His gray eyes looked straight into mine. "Your father tried for five years to break my work at sea. I know all about you. I know your stepmother lied about you. I know your father threw you away like trash."

My heart felt like it stopped beating. I looked up at him with wide eyes. "Then why buy me? If you hate my family so much leave me there."

"You are what I need," Lucian said. He stepped back and crossed his arms over his big chest. I felt cold right away when he moved away. "Your father thinks you are nothing. But you know all his secrets. You know his plans and where he is weak. And now you are mine."

He walked to the big wooden table on the other side of the room. He picked up a thick paper and a black pen.

"Come here little bird," he said. His voice was firm and I knew I had to go.

My legs felt soft like jelly but I walked slow to him. I looked down at the paper. It said in big letters: THE POSSESSION CONTRACT.

"What is this?" I asked. My voice still shook.

"This is your new life," Lucian said plain and cold. "Sign this. There are three simple rules. First: You are my wife and mine only for one full year. You go where I go and do what I say. Second: You tell me all your father's secrets so I can break his work and take everything he has."

I swallowed hard. My throat felt very dry. "And third?"

Lucian stepped close again. His big shadow fell over me. He ran the cold metal tip of the pen slow down my neck. I gasped loud at the cold touch.

"Third: You sleep in my bed every night," he said close to my ear. "Any time I want. Any way I want. You do exactly what I say."

Anger rose up inside me and pushed my fear away. I lifted my chin to look at him. "What if I say no? What if I will not be your toy?"

Lucian's eyes turned very dark. He leaned down so his lips almost touched my ear. "Say no and I give you back to the guards right now. Five other bad groups want you. They will lock you in a dark room and hurt you until you break. With me you get a nice house, soft beds, pretty clothes and good food. And you can get back at your father. Choose well Vivienne."

I knew he was right. I had no money, no family, no place to go. If I left this room things would be much worse. With him I could make my father pay for all he did.

"I want my father to feel pain too," I said strong and sure. "I want him to lose all he has."

A dark smile came to his face. He looked happy with my answer. "Good girl."

He put the paper flat on the table. I reached for the pen but he caught my wrist tight. I could not pull away.

"Ah! What are you doing?" I cried out in surprise.

"You do not sign like that," he said with a low rough sound. He pulled me fast and bent me over the cold hard table.

My hands pressed flat on the wood to stay up. My dress was open at the back so my skin felt the cold air right away. I felt so open and weak. He stood right behind me. I heard the pen click open.

I gasped loud when the cold sharp pen touched my lower back right above my hips.

"Lucian!" I tried to move but his big hand held my hip tight so I could not go anywhere.

"Stay still," he said rough and low. "I mark you first so everyone knows who you belong to."

I made a soft sound as he moved the pen slow on my skin. The ink felt cold then hot right on my back. He wrote his full name Lucian De Vitis right on my flesh. It felt scary and strange all at once. My body felt soft and warm for him even though I was scared.

When he finished writing he put the pen in my shaking hand. He leaned over my back. His big chest pressed on my spine and his breath was hot on my neck.

"Now sign your name on the paper little bird," he said. His big hand covered mine and helped me hold the pen right.

With slow shaking fingers I wrote my name. Vivienne Sterling.

The ink on the paper dried fast. But the ink on my back was still wet and warm against my skin.

Lucian threw the pen far on the table. His big hands pulled my dress up slow. The light from the fire shone on my bare legs. He held my hips very tight and pulled me close so I felt his hard part pressing right against me.

"All the paper work is done," he said dark and rough near my ear. His fingers dug a little into my skin. "And now I take what is mine."