trying my patience, Lila. I don’t make a habit of repeating myself, but I’ll ask one more time: why did you cry last night? Were you so disgusted by me you couldn’t take it or is it a habit of yours to weep after sex? If it is, it’s not much of a turn on.”
“It’s not something I ordinarily do.”
“Then answer my question.” He spoke with such dead calm, it sent a chill down her spine.
“I-I can’t.” As much as he’d just angered her, telling him the truth would probably hurt him and it wasn’t in her to do that to him.
“That’s what I thought. You make pretty speeches, but they don’t mean jack squat.
You’re starting to sound tedious and I’m getting tired of it. When you speak to me, you’re looking everywhere but my face.” He pushed his hair behind his ears, revealing the full extent of his disfigurement.
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Lila flinched, but not because she feared him, but because it saddened her as she imagined how horrible it must have been for him to suffer as he had.
“You say my scars don’t matter, so prove it. Come here and kiss me.”
Why did he have to ask of her the one thing she couldn’t do.
“Look at me, Lila.” His voice was soft but the underlying steel in his tone left no doubt in her mind that his statement wasn’t a mere request.
Tears stung the backs of her eyes at the raw pain she heard in his words. She didn’t want to look at him the way he ordered her to because then she’d start to care as she feared she was very close to doing so anyway. She couldn’t afford to care.
“Look at me!” he roared, making her jump.
A tear escaped the corner of her eye which she hastily wiped away. Lila shook her head. “Don’t make me.”
“You’ll fucking do as you’re told. I’ve had enough of your defiance and if you don’t do as I say, by God, I’m going to make you!”
www.samhainpublishing.com 75
Eve Vaughn
Chapter Nine
Hunter leaped out of his chair, rage guiding his movements. He’d had enough of her lies. She wouldn’t meet his gaze yet she chose to stand behind her lie. Lila was like the rest of the women in his acquaintance. No. She was far worse because she’d nearly had him believing that bullshit she’d been spouting.
He yanked Lila out of her seat and led her out of the dining room, moving so fast she had no choice but to follow him, otherwise she would have fallen.
She tried to pull away, slapping at his arm. “Stop this right now, Hunter! It doesn’t have to be this way.”
He turned to shoot her a glare before continuing on. “Yes it does. I promised you punishment and now it’s time to pay the piper.”
“No! You misinterpreted my words. If you would have given me a chance to explain why I couldn’t do as you asked then maybe you’d calm down.”
“Don’t bother. My bullshit tolerance is extremely low, and I’m not in the mood to hear any more of it.”
Digging her heels in, Lila halted. “What do you plan on doing to me? A-a-are you going to spank me?” she croaked.
Hunter smirked. “As tempting as that sounds, I’ve thought of something much more fitting. For every action, there’s a consequence and you’re about to find out what yours is.”
“Hunter if you go through with this—”
“What? You’ll hate me? I’ve heard that before, remember. It’s time you came up with some new material.” For a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of what looked like fear swimming in her eyes. Guilt surfaced inside of him. She had to know he wouldn’t hurt her physically. But he wouldn’t relent on what he planned on doing. He would make 76
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her eat her words. “I would rather you hadn’t tested me on this, but you’ve made your choice so now you’ll have to deal with it.”
Lila’s struggles renewed. Hunter wrapped his arms around her waist and carried her the rest of the way to his bedroom. He dumped her
“It’s not something I ordinarily do.”
“Then answer my question.” He spoke with such dead calm, it sent a chill down her spine.
“I-I can’t.” As much as he’d just angered her, telling him the truth would probably hurt him and it wasn’t in her to do that to him.
“That’s what I thought. You make pretty speeches, but they don’t mean jack squat.
You’re starting to sound tedious and I’m getting tired of it. When you speak to me, you’re looking everywhere but my face.” He pushed his hair behind his ears, revealing the full extent of his disfigurement.
74
www.samhainpublishing.com
Mistress to the Beast
Lila flinched, but not because she feared him, but because it saddened her as she imagined how horrible it must have been for him to suffer as he had.
“You say my scars don’t matter, so prove it. Come here and kiss me.”
Why did he have to ask of her the one thing she couldn’t do.
“Look at me, Lila.” His voice was soft but the underlying steel in his tone left no doubt in her mind that his statement wasn’t a mere request.
Tears stung the backs of her eyes at the raw pain she heard in his words. She didn’t want to look at him the way he ordered her to because then she’d start to care as she feared she was very close to doing so anyway. She couldn’t afford to care.
“Look at me!” he roared, making her jump.
A tear escaped the corner of her eye which she hastily wiped away. Lila shook her head. “Don’t make me.”
“You’ll fucking do as you’re told. I’ve had enough of your defiance and if you don’t do as I say, by God, I’m going to make you!”
www.samhainpublishing.com 75
Eve Vaughn
Chapter Nine
Hunter leaped out of his chair, rage guiding his movements. He’d had enough of her lies. She wouldn’t meet his gaze yet she chose to stand behind her lie. Lila was like the rest of the women in his acquaintance. No. She was far worse because she’d nearly had him believing that bullshit she’d been spouting.
He yanked Lila out of her seat and led her out of the dining room, moving so fast she had no choice but to follow him, otherwise she would have fallen.
She tried to pull away, slapping at his arm. “Stop this right now, Hunter! It doesn’t have to be this way.”
He turned to shoot her a glare before continuing on. “Yes it does. I promised you punishment and now it’s time to pay the piper.”
“No! You misinterpreted my words. If you would have given me a chance to explain why I couldn’t do as you asked then maybe you’d calm down.”
“Don’t bother. My bullshit tolerance is extremely low, and I’m not in the mood to hear any more of it.”
Digging her heels in, Lila halted. “What do you plan on doing to me? A-a-are you going to spank me?” she croaked.
Hunter smirked. “As tempting as that sounds, I’ve thought of something much more fitting. For every action, there’s a consequence and you’re about to find out what yours is.”
“Hunter if you go through with this—”
“What? You’ll hate me? I’ve heard that before, remember. It’s time you came up with some new material.” For a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of what looked like fear swimming in her eyes. Guilt surfaced inside of him. She had to know he wouldn’t hurt her physically. But he wouldn’t relent on what he planned on doing. He would make 76
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Mistress to the Beast
her eat her words. “I would rather you hadn’t tested me on this, but you’ve made your choice so now you’ll have to deal with it.”
Lila’s struggles renewed. Hunter wrapped his arms around her waist and carried her the rest of the way to his bedroom. He dumped her
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