She immediately fell over, her upper body landing on the arm of the couch. She wanted to close her eyes. Just for a second. But he wouldn't let her.
"Damnation," she thought she heard him murmur. But then he came to her again, grabbing her arms. "Tell me how to get into your father's private room."
So that was what he wanted. Access to the hidden room off her father's office. How. . .funny.
"Ariel."
"Just a little bit of sleep," she murmured. "That is all I need. Then I will deal with you and your devious, tasty drugs later."
"Ariel!"
She closed her eyes and was firmly, blessedly, asleep.
8
"What have you done to me?" Lady Ariel D'Archer asked nearly two hours later. Her hands were tied to the headboard of her bed in her father's town home.
Nathan stared down at her. He sat in an armchair next to her bed, a comfortable fire snapping to his left, darkened window with frilly rose-colored drapes to his right. He'd rather liked the sight of her lying there earlier, though he knew he should not have. He'd had ample opportunity to study her while she slept, ample time to admire her perfection as he reclined next to her bed. Her hair had lain beneath her like black, satin ribbons. Dark lashes inky smudges against alabaster skin. Her face relaxed such as he'd never seen before. Now her eyes glowed with inner fire as they stared up at him. Cheeks that had looked pale moments before were filled with color. His manhood stirred. That she was his enemy and a woman as deceitful as the woman who'd given him his scar deterred his lust not a whit. He'd begun to realize that he would always want Ariel D'Archer , even as he would firmly never allow himself to have such a conniving woman.
"Well?" she demanded again.
"Why, nothing but bring you up to this room, my dear." She tried to sit up, but the ropes he'd used wouldn't let her. "Do not try to struggle, for it will do you no good."
"Then I'll scream."
"No one will hear you. I've given your servants an unexpected night off. No doubt they think we mean to have a secret tryst. A good number of them watched me carry you up here, you see."
"You bastard."
"Aye."
"I feel like a fool for not realizing sooner what depths you would sink to."
"That is a bit heavy-handed coming from a woman equally capable of deceit."
"It was nothing less than you deserved."
"And just why did you continue to see me, knowing who I am?"
"I was trying to find out what you were after. Plus, after learning that your offer of friendship was nothing but a sham, I was only too willing to turn the table on you."
She stared up at him, her eyes filled with accusation and hurt. He looked away, telling himself he should not feel guilty. After all, she was only too willing to play a game of deception, too. It only served to confirm what he'd always known. She might have been beautiful, but she had a traitorous heart, like the rest of her sex.
"Well. Do you deny that you were going to use me?"
He looked back at her. "No," he said firmly.
She lifted her chin. "' Tis as I thought," he heard her murmur as if there was a part of her that had hoped he'd befriended her out of kindness.
He almost told her that he had not time for kindness. But he held his tongue, his eyes firmly fixed on the emotions crossing her face. Sadness. Anger. Disappointment.
"So, now that we know where we both stand, would you mind untying me?"
"I would mind very much, especially since I have no doubt you will try to escape."
"Bastard," she repeated.
He smiled. "No, just cautious."
She tested the strength of the ropes, clearly uncomfortable with his stare and the bonds. "What do you plan to do with me?"
He forced himself to concentrate. It was the eyes. Those damn, mysterious gypsy eyes. With her staring up at him while lying supine the bed, he suddenly felt rather sordid. "That depends on you."
Her gold eyes narrowed. "How so?"
"If you cooperate, I shall be out of your life within the hour. If, however, you prove to be uncooperative,
"Damnation," she thought she heard him murmur. But then he came to her again, grabbing her arms. "Tell me how to get into your father's private room."
So that was what he wanted. Access to the hidden room off her father's office. How. . .funny.
"Ariel."
"Just a little bit of sleep," she murmured. "That is all I need. Then I will deal with you and your devious, tasty drugs later."
"Ariel!"
She closed her eyes and was firmly, blessedly, asleep.
8
"What have you done to me?" Lady Ariel D'Archer asked nearly two hours later. Her hands were tied to the headboard of her bed in her father's town home.
Nathan stared down at her. He sat in an armchair next to her bed, a comfortable fire snapping to his left, darkened window with frilly rose-colored drapes to his right. He'd rather liked the sight of her lying there earlier, though he knew he should not have. He'd had ample opportunity to study her while she slept, ample time to admire her perfection as he reclined next to her bed. Her hair had lain beneath her like black, satin ribbons. Dark lashes inky smudges against alabaster skin. Her face relaxed such as he'd never seen before. Now her eyes glowed with inner fire as they stared up at him. Cheeks that had looked pale moments before were filled with color. His manhood stirred. That she was his enemy and a woman as deceitful as the woman who'd given him his scar deterred his lust not a whit. He'd begun to realize that he would always want Ariel D'Archer , even as he would firmly never allow himself to have such a conniving woman.
"Well?" she demanded again.
"Why, nothing but bring you up to this room, my dear." She tried to sit up, but the ropes he'd used wouldn't let her. "Do not try to struggle, for it will do you no good."
"Then I'll scream."
"No one will hear you. I've given your servants an unexpected night off. No doubt they think we mean to have a secret tryst. A good number of them watched me carry you up here, you see."
"You bastard."
"Aye."
"I feel like a fool for not realizing sooner what depths you would sink to."
"That is a bit heavy-handed coming from a woman equally capable of deceit."
"It was nothing less than you deserved."
"And just why did you continue to see me, knowing who I am?"
"I was trying to find out what you were after. Plus, after learning that your offer of friendship was nothing but a sham, I was only too willing to turn the table on you."
She stared up at him, her eyes filled with accusation and hurt. He looked away, telling himself he should not feel guilty. After all, she was only too willing to play a game of deception, too. It only served to confirm what he'd always known. She might have been beautiful, but she had a traitorous heart, like the rest of her sex.
"Well. Do you deny that you were going to use me?"
He looked back at her. "No," he said firmly.
She lifted her chin. "' Tis as I thought," he heard her murmur as if there was a part of her that had hoped he'd befriended her out of kindness.
He almost told her that he had not time for kindness. But he held his tongue, his eyes firmly fixed on the emotions crossing her face. Sadness. Anger. Disappointment.
"So, now that we know where we both stand, would you mind untying me?"
"I would mind very much, especially since I have no doubt you will try to escape."
"Bastard," she repeated.
He smiled. "No, just cautious."
She tested the strength of the ropes, clearly uncomfortable with his stare and the bonds. "What do you plan to do with me?"
He forced himself to concentrate. It was the eyes. Those damn, mysterious gypsy eyes. With her staring up at him while lying supine the bed, he suddenly felt rather sordid. "That depends on you."
Her gold eyes narrowed. "How so?"
"If you cooperate, I shall be out of your life within the hour. If, however, you prove to be uncooperative,
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