Page 34 of Mercilessly Bred


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“The Great Gatsby? I’ve read that.”

“Mmmm.” I settled for a non-committal sound, trying not to be drawn into the conversation.

Focus on your book.

But then, Belle started talking about the book I was reading, and I couldn’t quite ignore her insightful words.

“I think that the most tragic thing about it is his inability to move on from the past. If he’d let go of recapturing it, maybe he could have enjoyed the present or even had a real future.”

“When did you read this?” I asked.

“In high school. I used to compete in reading competitions, but my sister—”

Her words broke off, and I was now fully focused on her. I stared at her, hoping she would say more. However, she remained silent and kept her eyes fixed on the top of the island. It was clear to me that she didn’t want to discuss the matter any further, and I had a feeling that pushing the issue would be unhelpful. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder.

A beat of silence passed with tension heavy in the air. She chewed on her bottom lip in a distracting way that made me think of kissing her again. Instead, I shifted my focus.

“You really shouldn’t be using the stove. If you need something heated, you can ask the kitchen aide.”

Fire flared in her eyes, and I liked it more than her nervous silence.

“I’m not going to wake anyone up just to put a kettle on the stove. It’s not like I’m going to burn myself.”

Her eyes widened as she realized what she’d said, her gaze flickering to the exposed scars on my hand. Embarrassment heated her cheeks until they were pink, and she covered her mouth in horror.

“You’re going to pay for that,” I said, glaring at her as I shoved a piece of meat into my mouth. I watched her as I chewed.

As the kettle whistled, Belle swiftly rose from her seat and made her way toward the stove to prepare her hot cocoa. After pouring the powder into her mug, she added water and stirred the contents before taking a cautious sip. Observing her actions, I felt the barrier I was trying to maintain between us weaken as her innocence slowly crept into my heart.

Fuck.

Hastily, I finished my food while Belle futzed around the kitchen, presumably searching for a dessert to accompany her hot cocoa. I stood and gathered my bag and glass of liquor, preparing to exit the kitchen without a word. However, before leaving, I left the chocolate bar I had purchased for her on the island, hoping she would find it and know that I appreciated her company, despite my best efforts to distance myself emotionally.

Chapter17

Belle

Iawoke with a gasp at the sound of a door banging open. For one horrible second, I forgot everything that had happened over the last few weeks and thought I was back in a cage with some man coming to assault me.

But the warmth of my blankets and comfortable pillow beneath my head brought me back to reality quickly. I opened my eyes and saw that Sebastian had barged in and was standing at the foot of my bed.

He looked good in black slacks and a deep-blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway. He had one hand behind his back and the other one resting in his pants pocket. He was eyeing me as if I were a meal he wanted to devour, and I was equal parts turned-on and intimidated.

He came around the side of the bed without saying anything, and I still couldn’t see what he was hiding behind his back. I couldn’t help feeling curious, and I sat up, leaning forward to take a peek.

Sebastian snapped his fingers in front of my face to pull my attention back to him. I frowned.

“I’m not a dog,” I spat, glaring up at him. “You can’t snap at me like that.”

“I can do anything I want to you while you’re under my roof.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but what could I say? He was right, no matter how much it angered me. I’d signed his contract. I was living in a freaking castle for free.AndI was going to walk away from this with hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A little snapping didn’t seem too bad, but I still didn’t like it.

“That brings me to my next point,” he continued. “I have to take a little work trip, and I’ll be gone for a week and a half. When I come back, I want a baby brewing in your belly, or else there’ll be hell to pay.”

I frowned. I couldn’t make a baby by myself, and he was going to be gone. He was being unreasonable.

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