"Bastard!"

After spitting out a curse, Alexis shut her eyes, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath. Her struggle seemed to ignite a wildfire of lust in Leonel's eyes. Maybe he'd been holding back for too long, or maybe he was just itching for a reaction from Alexis, but he came on strong at first.

Then, he got downright filthy.

No husband should treat his wife like this. At the start, Alexis fought back, but eventually, she turned away, letting him have his way...

Her refusal to cooperate only made things worse for herself.

From start to finish, Alexis endured, her expression a mask of displeasure.

This pissed Leonel off royally. When he hit his peak excitement, he gripped her body and fucked her relentlessly. In the same breath, he whispered, "You belong to me. Always have, always will. Don't you dare think about anyone else!"

But Alexis didn't respond.

Her body felt numb, yet her thoughts were crystal clear.

She found herself wondering how things with Leonel had gotten to this stage.

Once it all ended, Leonel flicked off the lights, plunging the room into darkness. Alexis lay there, quietly staring out the window.

She lost track of time while Leonel took his anger out on her.

Glancing at the moon, she figured it was late. She told herself she should be grateful that Leonel wasn't seeing someone else-that he only turned to her when he needed sex.

Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open.

Leonel emerged in a bathrobe, water droplets trailing from his hair down his neck, lending him an unintentional allure.

He had a certain calmness about him, appearing content.

Actually, he seemed completely different from the rough guy just moments ago. Leonel dried his hair with a towel and sat down on the edge of the bed, gently touching Alexis' arm. "Does it hurt?" he asked in a soft voice.

Alexis sat up, pulling the quilt closer around her.

"Would you even stop if I said it did?" she retorted.

Leonel gave a faint smile. “You go freshen up. I'll go downstairs and warm up the food."