Page 49 of Inflict

She didn’t even blink. “Because it wasn’t given to me.”

“What—why?”

“I’ll be gone one day. The name doesn’t matter.”

“Then being called by your name shouldn’t be a problem.”

Evelyn’s blank expression never changed as she said, “He didn’t like it, or the names the other ones had used. Sasha was better than the other things he called me. I don’t know who I am, but Sasha seems to be the easiest.”

“And a product of a man’s wants,” Connor replied.

“You’re a man—what do you want, Connor?”

It was the first time she’d used his name, and it struck him hard in the chest, like a weight crashing into him that he hadn’t been ready for. Connor decided to deflect her question with something else entirely, because he didn’t know how to answer.

“I’ll be gone for most of the day, but I’m going to call someone I trust to come over to keep an eye on you until I get back,” he said.

“You must think I’m stupid,” she whispered.

No, he certainly did not.

She was well spoken. She had a mind of her own and a questioning stare that told him there was a hell of a lot hidden beneath her exterior. He was not going to underestimate her in anything.

“I don’t,” Connor said.

“Then answer my question. You’re a man, so what do you want from me? They always want something; from the very start, each one has wanted something. I’ve filled a void, been used to enjoy, and even to be taught. I’ve been treated like a plaything to some, and like a sweetheart to others. What is your move?”

Connor damn near choked on his next question trying to get it out, “And how many has there been?”

She didn’t even think about it. “Seven, over the years.”

“All Russian?”

“The first one was not; he had a wife who liked me, and had three boys of her own, but no girls. He was just there to keep me, until I was passed on again. I was eleven when the wife left—I was passed on the next day.”

“What then?”

That spark of fire was back in her eyes. “What do you think?”

“I think you’ve misunderstood my intentions,” Connor murmured.

Evelyn tipped her head to the side, and her gaze dropped to his groin again. “Did I also misunderstand being in your bed, what you were doing in the shower, or the sounds you made at the end?”

Cac.

She had spied on him.

“I have to call that friend,” Connor said, refusing to indulge her further. “You should find something to wear that covers you.”

“I don’t think you mind.”

“I don’t, but I won’t be held accountable for reacting in an unpleasant way to an arsehole move from my guest.”

Evelyn’s lips curved into a sly, sensual smile.

It was shocking.

Beautiful, but shocking.