act of a pirate intent upon his
own pleasure and gain, caring not at all who he hurt in the process.
Blood drummed in her ears as she pushed futilely at the hard muscles of his chest. Then, when she thought he
wanted to smother her, she folded her fist and hit him just below the ribs. With her foot she caught his shin, and
as he straightened up, arched herself away, ready for flight.
But he did not let her go, though she must have hurt him. Instead his lips drew back in a snarl, those eyes blazed
with demonic purpose and he laughed deep in his throat. Man the hunter, that icy self-control removed by pain
and her resistance; Linnet felt real fear as she realised that she had loosed a demon. This was the man who had
driven one woman to suicide. She could believe it now.
'You little bitch! Justin dragged her against him, both hands pinioned in one of his behind her so that she was
unable to resist without further inflaming him by the movement of her body. She stiffened, waiting for another
onslaught like the last, her eyes enormous in her face, her bruised mouth held firmly straight. She would not
show her fear!
For a long moment he stared at her, then the fierce glare died from his eyes, to be replaced by a cold mockery
which repelled her even more.
Her breath came in gasps through her lips, but she 'managed defiance.’ Will you please let me go?' she asked. 'I
imagine you've had your kicks.'
'On the contrary.' He released her, put a hand on either side of her face and held it still, surveying her with
unsparing intensity. 'You were quite right when you said I would enjoy subduing you to my will. But brute
force is too easy—it lacks finesse. I prefer this way ...’
His mouth touched the sensitive skin at the base of her throat, moved with soft insistence up the vulnerable
length to rest in that other hollow beneath one ear. Al-though she Was rigid with outrage Linnet was too
relieved at the departure of his anger to resist as she would almost have certainly done otherwise; beside, she
found to her horror that some sort of magic was getting 'through to her, weaving a spell of glamour which
threatened her more than the anger of a moment ago.
‘No!' she exclaimed loudly, using the sound of her voice to bring back-sanity.
But he ignored her and his mouth continued to move over her face as if he were blind and he could only see by
touch. When his lips closed her eyes she began to tremble, caught by the potent attraction she had
subconsciously feared from the moment of meeting him.
'You're frightened;’ he whispered, half mocking, half surprised. 'Just relax..."
When she tried to answer him he kissed her mouth, softly at first, then with increasing urgency, using his
considerable expertise to win some response from her.
But Linnet could-only recall that young wife who had been wilful and laughing before she married him, and
Bronwyn, who hoped to marry him. And for some strange reason slow tears forced themselves beneath her
lashes.
'Eiluned!' Justin sounded startled, his massive self-confidence gone for the moment, and his hands fell from her
head.
Impelled by a feeling as primitive as it was overwhelming she took flight, running through the bushes as fleetly
as a deer. He called once, then there was silence, except for the soft sound of her feet on the grass and the
harshness of her breathing.
Miraculously she arrived at the gate in one piece, having negotiated the track without slipping once. As she
raced through it she glanced over her shoulder, but there was no sign of him in the thickening darkness beneath
the pines.
By the time she had, showered in the small bathroom between her and Sarah's bedrooms it was dark enough to
go to bed. Wrapped in her white towelling gown, she paced across her dark room, feeling a desolation of spirit
which appalled her by its intensity. It was, she told herself, because she hated the thought of being taken for a
cheap flirt and treated with such
own pleasure and gain, caring not at all who he hurt in the process.
Blood drummed in her ears as she pushed futilely at the hard muscles of his chest. Then, when she thought he
wanted to smother her, she folded her fist and hit him just below the ribs. With her foot she caught his shin, and
as he straightened up, arched herself away, ready for flight.
But he did not let her go, though she must have hurt him. Instead his lips drew back in a snarl, those eyes blazed
with demonic purpose and he laughed deep in his throat. Man the hunter, that icy self-control removed by pain
and her resistance; Linnet felt real fear as she realised that she had loosed a demon. This was the man who had
driven one woman to suicide. She could believe it now.
'You little bitch! Justin dragged her against him, both hands pinioned in one of his behind her so that she was
unable to resist without further inflaming him by the movement of her body. She stiffened, waiting for another
onslaught like the last, her eyes enormous in her face, her bruised mouth held firmly straight. She would not
show her fear!
For a long moment he stared at her, then the fierce glare died from his eyes, to be replaced by a cold mockery
which repelled her even more.
Her breath came in gasps through her lips, but she 'managed defiance.’ Will you please let me go?' she asked. 'I
imagine you've had your kicks.'
'On the contrary.' He released her, put a hand on either side of her face and held it still, surveying her with
unsparing intensity. 'You were quite right when you said I would enjoy subduing you to my will. But brute
force is too easy—it lacks finesse. I prefer this way ...’
His mouth touched the sensitive skin at the base of her throat, moved with soft insistence up the vulnerable
length to rest in that other hollow beneath one ear. Al-though she Was rigid with outrage Linnet was too
relieved at the departure of his anger to resist as she would almost have certainly done otherwise; beside, she
found to her horror that some sort of magic was getting 'through to her, weaving a spell of glamour which
threatened her more than the anger of a moment ago.
‘No!' she exclaimed loudly, using the sound of her voice to bring back-sanity.
But he ignored her and his mouth continued to move over her face as if he were blind and he could only see by
touch. When his lips closed her eyes she began to tremble, caught by the potent attraction she had
subconsciously feared from the moment of meeting him.
'You're frightened;’ he whispered, half mocking, half surprised. 'Just relax..."
When she tried to answer him he kissed her mouth, softly at first, then with increasing urgency, using his
considerable expertise to win some response from her.
But Linnet could-only recall that young wife who had been wilful and laughing before she married him, and
Bronwyn, who hoped to marry him. And for some strange reason slow tears forced themselves beneath her
lashes.
'Eiluned!' Justin sounded startled, his massive self-confidence gone for the moment, and his hands fell from her
head.
Impelled by a feeling as primitive as it was overwhelming she took flight, running through the bushes as fleetly
as a deer. He called once, then there was silence, except for the soft sound of her feet on the grass and the
harshness of her breathing.
Miraculously she arrived at the gate in one piece, having negotiated the track without slipping once. As she
raced through it she glanced over her shoulder, but there was no sign of him in the thickening darkness beneath
the pines.
By the time she had, showered in the small bathroom between her and Sarah's bedrooms it was dark enough to
go to bed. Wrapped in her white towelling gown, she paced across her dark room, feeling a desolation of spirit
which appalled her by its intensity. It was, she told herself, because she hated the thought of being taken for a
cheap flirt and treated with such
Similar Books
