forgotten more about stroking a woman’s
arousal and submissive instincts than most men would ever consider.
“I’ll have everything ready.” He
smiled slowly, envisioning the evening ahead. “See you at ten.”
He disconnected before turning his
head to stare back at the house. There was Adams skulking around the house
again. Matthews and Danford were watching him with a frown from their
positions. That left the fourth man in the house, most likely watching
Kimberly.
Bastards. Lowell and Adams were
riding his last nerve and if they weren’t careful they would find themselves
finishing out this assignment locked in the basement. He paused at the thought.
That wasn’t a bad idea, actually. Matthews and Danford he could trust. The
other two were the problem.
Yes, the basement was beginning to
look better every minute.
Kimberly could feel the tension
growing in her. It was worse than before. Like a bone-chilling craving she
couldn’t identify and had no hope of fulfilling. Was this how her ancestors
felt? Those women who had been restricted from fulfilling the heightened
sexuality that tormented her.
A curse they had called it. She
poured a cup of fresh coffee as she breathed out roughly, stilling the
trembling in her fingers as she carried the cup to the kitchen table. It was
worse than a curse.
She stared through the window,
watching Jared as he worked around the barns. Lean hipped, muscular. He moved
with a grace she had rarely seen in other men, and he mesmerized her.
Why was he different? Why had he
been the one to slip under her guard and steal her heart?
She turned away from him, her hands
wrapped around the cup as her head lowered, eyes closing.
She wanted so much more now than
she had ever dreamed of. Before learning the terms of the Trust, before the
betrayal of the exams, she had decided she would never endure the pain her
mother had known. Her virginity had been a matter of pride. Her self-respect
and her determination to know a life opposite of her mother’s had often been
all she’d had to hold on to.
After the shock of the examinations
she had fought back in the only way she knew how. Smug, triumphant, she had
learned she could have her cake and eat it too. She could assuage the lusts
that built within her body and still pass the tri-monthly tests her father
demanded.
And that had been enough. Until
Jared.
“What now?” she whispered, her gaze
returning to the window, to the man. “What do I do now?” Because she knew it
was no longer enough, and it never would be again. Now, she wanted it all.
Chapter Fifteen
“Kimber.” Jared’s voice had her
breath catching hours later as she walked out of the bathroom, tightening the
belt of her robe.
He stood across from her, leaning
against the footboard of the bed, his gaze dark, heavy-lidded, his jeans
straining at the crotch.
Kimberly stopped in the middle of
the room, watching him somberly.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” she
whispered. “Sometimes I…” She waved her hand, grimacing at her reluctance to
explain the turbulent emotions that filled her.
A gentle smile quirked his lips.
“That’s okay,” he said softly. “I’m
not upset, but I do think I’ll punish you for it.”
She stared back at him in surprise.
“Excuse me?” Her heart began racing
in her chest as she interpreted the dark expression that came over his face.
Now he looked dominant, dangerous.
A shocking thrill shook her body, making her tremble in awareness.
“The house is empty and will be for
the rest of the night,” he began to explain, his voice deep, throbbing with
arousal. “You’ll keep your virginity, Kimberly, but the rest of you belongs to
me. Unconditionally. Agreed?”
She swallowed tightly.
“How?” She licked her lips
nervously.
He shook his head firmly. “It
doesn’t matter how. All I need is your agreement. Unconditional surrender,
Kimberly. Can you sacrifice your control for tonight? No matter what happens,
no matter
arousal and submissive instincts than most men would ever consider.
“I’ll have everything ready.” He
smiled slowly, envisioning the evening ahead. “See you at ten.”
He disconnected before turning his
head to stare back at the house. There was Adams skulking around the house
again. Matthews and Danford were watching him with a frown from their
positions. That left the fourth man in the house, most likely watching
Kimberly.
Bastards. Lowell and Adams were
riding his last nerve and if they weren’t careful they would find themselves
finishing out this assignment locked in the basement. He paused at the thought.
That wasn’t a bad idea, actually. Matthews and Danford he could trust. The
other two were the problem.
Yes, the basement was beginning to
look better every minute.
Kimberly could feel the tension
growing in her. It was worse than before. Like a bone-chilling craving she
couldn’t identify and had no hope of fulfilling. Was this how her ancestors
felt? Those women who had been restricted from fulfilling the heightened
sexuality that tormented her.
A curse they had called it. She
poured a cup of fresh coffee as she breathed out roughly, stilling the
trembling in her fingers as she carried the cup to the kitchen table. It was
worse than a curse.
She stared through the window,
watching Jared as he worked around the barns. Lean hipped, muscular. He moved
with a grace she had rarely seen in other men, and he mesmerized her.
Why was he different? Why had he
been the one to slip under her guard and steal her heart?
She turned away from him, her hands
wrapped around the cup as her head lowered, eyes closing.
She wanted so much more now than
she had ever dreamed of. Before learning the terms of the Trust, before the
betrayal of the exams, she had decided she would never endure the pain her
mother had known. Her virginity had been a matter of pride. Her self-respect
and her determination to know a life opposite of her mother’s had often been
all she’d had to hold on to.
After the shock of the examinations
she had fought back in the only way she knew how. Smug, triumphant, she had
learned she could have her cake and eat it too. She could assuage the lusts
that built within her body and still pass the tri-monthly tests her father
demanded.
And that had been enough. Until
Jared.
“What now?” she whispered, her gaze
returning to the window, to the man. “What do I do now?” Because she knew it
was no longer enough, and it never would be again. Now, she wanted it all.
Chapter Fifteen
“Kimber.” Jared’s voice had her
breath catching hours later as she walked out of the bathroom, tightening the
belt of her robe.
He stood across from her, leaning
against the footboard of the bed, his gaze dark, heavy-lidded, his jeans
straining at the crotch.
Kimberly stopped in the middle of
the room, watching him somberly.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” she
whispered. “Sometimes I…” She waved her hand, grimacing at her reluctance to
explain the turbulent emotions that filled her.
A gentle smile quirked his lips.
“That’s okay,” he said softly. “I’m
not upset, but I do think I’ll punish you for it.”
She stared back at him in surprise.
“Excuse me?” Her heart began racing
in her chest as she interpreted the dark expression that came over his face.
Now he looked dominant, dangerous.
A shocking thrill shook her body, making her tremble in awareness.
“The house is empty and will be for
the rest of the night,” he began to explain, his voice deep, throbbing with
arousal. “You’ll keep your virginity, Kimberly, but the rest of you belongs to
me. Unconditionally. Agreed?”
She swallowed tightly.
“How?” She licked her lips
nervously.
He shook his head firmly. “It
doesn’t matter how. All I need is your agreement. Unconditional surrender,
Kimberly. Can you sacrifice your control for tonight? No matter what happens,
no matter
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