what you asked, and I've told you before
that it's impossible at the moment.'
'We're supposed to be a family, you know.'
A tense silence followed her quietly spoken remark, and he
turned to face her with barely concealed anger in the taut line of his
jaw.
'Are you suggesting that I'm shirking my
responsibilities?' he demanded with a dangerous calm that sent a shiver
up her spine, but she sustained his glance unflinchingly.
'I'm not suggesting anything of the kind, Anton, but you
have been away rather more than you've been home during the past weeks.'
His eyes narrowed, and that hateful cynicism curved his
hard mouth. 'Are you pleading Sally's cause or your own?'
Laura's back went stiff with resentment and anger, and she
rose to her feet jerkily to place her mug on the tray beside his. 'You
know very well that Sally has been looking forward to spending this
holiday at your cottage, and her plans have included you.'
'And you, Laura?' he mocked her. 'Did
your
plans include me as well?'
'I don't give a damn what you do!' she lied, turning her
back on him for fear of what he might see in her eyes, but Anton
reacted swiftly, and steely fingers snaked about her wrist, swinging
her about roughly to face him.
'I think you
do
give a damn!' he
said through his teeth, his eyes glinting steel-like down into hers.
'Let me go!' she cried, attempting to free her hand, but
succeeding only in having the other captured as well as he dragged her
up against him and rendered her helpless by pinning her wrists behind
her back.
The hard contact of his body against her own, and the
clean male scent of him, attacked her senses like the affect of a drug,
but as she threw her head back to glare up at him, he lowered his lips
to her exposed neck to explore the sensitive column of her throat where
every nerve and pulse quivered responsively.
'I've had the distinct feeling lately that, each time I've
been away, you've welcomed my return with a certain eagerness.'
'Only your egotistical mind could think up something so
absurd,' she argued, shutting her eyes in her desperate effort to fight
against the tremors of delight that rippled through her.
'Is it so absurd to think that you miss my lovemaking when
I'm away?'
'It's more than absurd,' she contradicted his taunting
re-mark. 'It's ludicrous! I hate you to touch me!'
He raised his head suddenly and something in his eyes made
her renew her frantic efforts to escape, but he merely laughed that
cruel, harsh laugh while he gripped both her wrists in one large hand,
leaving his other hand free to brush aside the wide collar of her gown
to expose one smooth shoulder.
'Is it hate that makes you tremble when I touch you like
this?' he asked mockingly, the deep timbre of his voice thrilling her
while his warm hand moved in a sensually arousing caress from her
shoulder to her breast, and despite her efforts to keep a tight rein on
her emotions, she could not prevent her limbs from weakening against
him as a shudder of ecstasy shook through her to prove, humiliatingly,
how effortlessly he could arouse her emotions.
'Anton, please!' she begged, but her heart was beating so
fast that it was an effort to speak. 'For God's sake, don't do this to
me!'
'Is it hate that lights the fire of your passion until you
cling to me and beg me to take you?' he demanded ruthlessly, ignoring
her pleas, and fully aware of the sexual excitement he aroused within
her while he undid the sash of her nightdress to gain access to the
rest of her pulsating body.
'I've never yet begged you to maul me the way you do,' she
protested, fighting him with every mental weapon she could find, but
she shrank inwardly from the stinging fury of his glance.
'You don't know what it's like to be mauled by a man, but,
by heaven, if you don't guard your tongue, I'll show you tonight!'
'I despise you!' she hissed frantically, but the next
moment a cry was torn from her lips as, with one sweeping movement, he
stripped her nightdress from her
that it's impossible at the moment.'
'We're supposed to be a family, you know.'
A tense silence followed her quietly spoken remark, and he
turned to face her with barely concealed anger in the taut line of his
jaw.
'Are you suggesting that I'm shirking my
responsibilities?' he demanded with a dangerous calm that sent a shiver
up her spine, but she sustained his glance unflinchingly.
'I'm not suggesting anything of the kind, Anton, but you
have been away rather more than you've been home during the past weeks.'
His eyes narrowed, and that hateful cynicism curved his
hard mouth. 'Are you pleading Sally's cause or your own?'
Laura's back went stiff with resentment and anger, and she
rose to her feet jerkily to place her mug on the tray beside his. 'You
know very well that Sally has been looking forward to spending this
holiday at your cottage, and her plans have included you.'
'And you, Laura?' he mocked her. 'Did
your
plans include me as well?'
'I don't give a damn what you do!' she lied, turning her
back on him for fear of what he might see in her eyes, but Anton
reacted swiftly, and steely fingers snaked about her wrist, swinging
her about roughly to face him.
'I think you
do
give a damn!' he
said through his teeth, his eyes glinting steel-like down into hers.
'Let me go!' she cried, attempting to free her hand, but
succeeding only in having the other captured as well as he dragged her
up against him and rendered her helpless by pinning her wrists behind
her back.
The hard contact of his body against her own, and the
clean male scent of him, attacked her senses like the affect of a drug,
but as she threw her head back to glare up at him, he lowered his lips
to her exposed neck to explore the sensitive column of her throat where
every nerve and pulse quivered responsively.
'I've had the distinct feeling lately that, each time I've
been away, you've welcomed my return with a certain eagerness.'
'Only your egotistical mind could think up something so
absurd,' she argued, shutting her eyes in her desperate effort to fight
against the tremors of delight that rippled through her.
'Is it so absurd to think that you miss my lovemaking when
I'm away?'
'It's more than absurd,' she contradicted his taunting
re-mark. 'It's ludicrous! I hate you to touch me!'
He raised his head suddenly and something in his eyes made
her renew her frantic efforts to escape, but he merely laughed that
cruel, harsh laugh while he gripped both her wrists in one large hand,
leaving his other hand free to brush aside the wide collar of her gown
to expose one smooth shoulder.
'Is it hate that makes you tremble when I touch you like
this?' he asked mockingly, the deep timbre of his voice thrilling her
while his warm hand moved in a sensually arousing caress from her
shoulder to her breast, and despite her efforts to keep a tight rein on
her emotions, she could not prevent her limbs from weakening against
him as a shudder of ecstasy shook through her to prove, humiliatingly,
how effortlessly he could arouse her emotions.
'Anton, please!' she begged, but her heart was beating so
fast that it was an effort to speak. 'For God's sake, don't do this to
me!'
'Is it hate that lights the fire of your passion until you
cling to me and beg me to take you?' he demanded ruthlessly, ignoring
her pleas, and fully aware of the sexual excitement he aroused within
her while he undid the sash of her nightdress to gain access to the
rest of her pulsating body.
'I've never yet begged you to maul me the way you do,' she
protested, fighting him with every mental weapon she could find, but
she shrank inwardly from the stinging fury of his glance.
'You don't know what it's like to be mauled by a man, but,
by heaven, if you don't guard your tongue, I'll show you tonight!'
'I despise you!' she hissed frantically, but the next
moment a cry was torn from her lips as, with one sweeping movement, he
stripped her nightdress from her
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