Page 81 of A Story of Love

No wonder that cad Gregg had been staring at her.

She wanted to yell and scream at somebody, but the person responsible for her current situation was none other than the fool in the mirror.

She had strolled right into Lord Severn’s clutches as easily as a child who’d been offered a sweetie.

Fool! Fool! Fool!

Lori wanted to deny the accusation, but she couldn’t. This was all her fault. She was such an idiot.

The jingle of a key in a lock was like the lighting of a fuse and she rushed the door, the sudden, desperate need to escape overriding any rational thought.

Rather than a maid with a tray, she slammed right into a rock-hard chest.

“My, my, my,” a deep voice rumbled beneath her cheek as arms like steel bands tightened around her waist. “Look who is excited to see me.”

Lori glowered up at Lord Severn. “You—you swine! Unhand me!”

He released her so suddenly that she staggered back and would have fallen if he’d not reached out and steadied her.

She slapped his hand away. “I thought you’d left.”

“Not yet, love, but soon. I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you last night, but—

“I didn’t want you with me! You odious, arrogant, bas—”

“Shhh. Gently bred ladies don’t call their lovers such names.”

“Lover!” she shrieked.

He winced. “Darling, if you don’t moderate your voice then I’ll be forced to—”

“To what?” she yelled even louder. “Just what will you do? Tell me, my lord!”

“—put you over my knee and spank you.”

Lori backed away from him, until she was stopped by one of the posts on the massive bed. “You wouldn’t!”

“Would, too.”

“I dare you to even try to come near me. I will scratch out—”

“Ooh, I just adore a dare.” He closed the distance between them with breathtaking speed, not stopping until his body pinned hers against the post. “And I’ll tell you another thing I would adore, Lorelei. And that is spanking that lush bottom of yours.” His thin lips curved into a hungry, taunting smile. “And so would you.”

Her jaw sagged. “I would nev—”

“Hush. Now, listen to me. The sooner you accept your position here, the better it will be for you. Because I am not letting you go until your life is no longer in danger.”

“In danger from who?”

He frowned. “Shouldn’t that be whom?”

“Lord Severn. If you believe I find this amusing then, you are—”

“You don’t need to know the name of the person who sent the ruffian after you. All you need to know is that you are in danger.”

Lori wanted to scream and stomp her feet, but she knew that would only amuse him more. “I will stop investigating the story if you let me go,” she said in an admirably calm voice.

“That is a lie.”