him. There’s nothing between us. I swear. Why would I even want a man who’d do that?”
She’d wondered about that herself, actually.
He regarded her warily, his eyes roaming over her form. Looking for evidence of some sin. “I don’t know. But I’m warning you, if you come to me without your maidenhead, you will regret it. You still have it, do you not?”
Cheeks burning, her hand came of up its own volition and she slapped him. Hard. Instantly regretting her actions, she still set her teeth and refused to apologize. Damn the man.
How dare he ask such a question of her?
“Swear it!” he demanded, grabbing both of her arms in a tight grasp and shaking her so hard her teeth clacked together and she tasted copper in her mouth.
She cried out, and he shook her again, her head snapping back. “I swear! Please! You’re hurting me!”
His grip only tightened. He crowded her body with his, forcing her hoop and bustle up, and wedged a knee between her thighs. His hands found her breast, clutching to the point of pain. “I should take it here.”
“No, no, please,” she whimpered, turning her face away. But her fear and her anger only seemed to excite him, and he ground his body against hers. She put her hand between them to create some distance, but failed.
He wrapped his arms around her, then kissed her on the mouth, bruising her lips. “This is your fault,” he whispered in a voice full of menace. “You dress like a whore and you’re going to get what you deserve. I just want to make sure I’m the one who takes it.” He kissed her again, harder. “You’re mine, remember? I’m the one who paid for you, not that pretty boy dandy or his friend. I don’t need to remind you of our bargain, do I?”
Tears pricked her eyes. “I remember. I assure you, Mr. Buchanan, there is nothing between Nicholas and I.” Coldly polite every other time they’d met, she wasn’t acquainted with this vile side of his personality.
A cold and loveless marriage she could handle. One marred by violence and jealousy? Not so much.
“Nicholas, huh?” he said, baring his teeth like a wolf. “Is that how you refer to him? Nicholas? A bit informal for an employee-employer relationship, don’t you think?”
Alarmed she had slipped, she cried, “There is no relationship, I swear! He asked me to come here, and I did. That’s all! I’d not have someone like him! You have no cause to be upset.”
“No? You dress like that and you think I won’t be upset? Every man in this place was staring at you, and there you are, on display like a common whore,” he ground out, his hand tightening on her breast. She didn’t even know how to make him let her go, and she swallowed against the bile rising at the back of her throat. “You decline my offer to buy out your debt, and then you come here with Wetherby? You dance with Campbell? If you’re going to play the part of a doxy, I’ll remind you, I’m the one who paid for you.”
She shook her head. “I only just met Mr. Campbell tonight. I know what I owe you. I swear there is nothing between Mr. Campbell and myself or between Mr. Wetherby and I. I swear.”
He thrust his hand up under her dress to cup her buttocks. Pulling her in to a painful kiss, he shoved his tongue in her mouth. She tried to wrench away, but his grasp on her was too tight. Gagging, desperate, unable to think of anything but escape, Lexie did the one thing she had left to her. She bit him.
He reeled from her, roaring. He raised his hand to strike her, but Lexie had lived with her father long enough to become accustomed to dodging blows, and she scampered out of his grasp. Her lips curling into a sneer as she tugged her gown back into place, she hissed, “Come toward me again, and I’ll scream. I’m sure my new friend the governor wouldn’t take kindly to you flogging me, regardless of our relationship.”
“I’ll tell them what you are to me,” he sneered.
“And I’ll tell them how it is that
She’d wondered about that herself, actually.
He regarded her warily, his eyes roaming over her form. Looking for evidence of some sin. “I don’t know. But I’m warning you, if you come to me without your maidenhead, you will regret it. You still have it, do you not?”
Cheeks burning, her hand came of up its own volition and she slapped him. Hard. Instantly regretting her actions, she still set her teeth and refused to apologize. Damn the man.
How dare he ask such a question of her?
“Swear it!” he demanded, grabbing both of her arms in a tight grasp and shaking her so hard her teeth clacked together and she tasted copper in her mouth.
She cried out, and he shook her again, her head snapping back. “I swear! Please! You’re hurting me!”
His grip only tightened. He crowded her body with his, forcing her hoop and bustle up, and wedged a knee between her thighs. His hands found her breast, clutching to the point of pain. “I should take it here.”
“No, no, please,” she whimpered, turning her face away. But her fear and her anger only seemed to excite him, and he ground his body against hers. She put her hand between them to create some distance, but failed.
He wrapped his arms around her, then kissed her on the mouth, bruising her lips. “This is your fault,” he whispered in a voice full of menace. “You dress like a whore and you’re going to get what you deserve. I just want to make sure I’m the one who takes it.” He kissed her again, harder. “You’re mine, remember? I’m the one who paid for you, not that pretty boy dandy or his friend. I don’t need to remind you of our bargain, do I?”
Tears pricked her eyes. “I remember. I assure you, Mr. Buchanan, there is nothing between Nicholas and I.” Coldly polite every other time they’d met, she wasn’t acquainted with this vile side of his personality.
A cold and loveless marriage she could handle. One marred by violence and jealousy? Not so much.
“Nicholas, huh?” he said, baring his teeth like a wolf. “Is that how you refer to him? Nicholas? A bit informal for an employee-employer relationship, don’t you think?”
Alarmed she had slipped, she cried, “There is no relationship, I swear! He asked me to come here, and I did. That’s all! I’d not have someone like him! You have no cause to be upset.”
“No? You dress like that and you think I won’t be upset? Every man in this place was staring at you, and there you are, on display like a common whore,” he ground out, his hand tightening on her breast. She didn’t even know how to make him let her go, and she swallowed against the bile rising at the back of her throat. “You decline my offer to buy out your debt, and then you come here with Wetherby? You dance with Campbell? If you’re going to play the part of a doxy, I’ll remind you, I’m the one who paid for you.”
She shook her head. “I only just met Mr. Campbell tonight. I know what I owe you. I swear there is nothing between Mr. Campbell and myself or between Mr. Wetherby and I. I swear.”
He thrust his hand up under her dress to cup her buttocks. Pulling her in to a painful kiss, he shoved his tongue in her mouth. She tried to wrench away, but his grasp on her was too tight. Gagging, desperate, unable to think of anything but escape, Lexie did the one thing she had left to her. She bit him.
He reeled from her, roaring. He raised his hand to strike her, but Lexie had lived with her father long enough to become accustomed to dodging blows, and she scampered out of his grasp. Her lips curling into a sneer as she tugged her gown back into place, she hissed, “Come toward me again, and I’ll scream. I’m sure my new friend the governor wouldn’t take kindly to you flogging me, regardless of our relationship.”
“I’ll tell them what you are to me,” he sneered.
“And I’ll tell them how it is that
Similar Books
