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My fists clenched and unclenched without command. “I’m not training you to do anything.”
“But you’re not denying you’ve thrown me in a damn cage, are you? You think so little of me you’re happy to lock me in here and not feed me for twenty-four hours. That’s downright abuse.”
My voice trembled, unrecognisably. “Don’t talk to me about thinking so little of yourself. You’re the one who put yourself up for sale.”
“No…” She had the guts to poke a sharp fingernail into my chest, but instead of breaking the entire hand, which was what I’d normally do, I craved the pain. “I put myvirginityup for sale, notme. But you don’t seem to have any intention of taking it, so you should just LET…”Poke. “ME…”Poke. “GO!”Poke.
I snatched her finger and held it tight as her eyes darted between our hands and my face. Chemistry combusted through my veins at the feel of her skin on mine, disorientating me. My rasping breaths competed with hers, both being the only sounds in the room. Her lips parted for a second, then she pulled back her hand.
“I’m not letting you go until you deliver what you agreed to,” I said, forcing my voice to sound less menacing and more human.
“Then take it. Now.”
I opened my mouth to reiterate my condition of purchase but her quick movements distracted me. She pushed her jeans down her legs and stepped out of them, then pulled the t-shirt over her head until she was standing in front of me wearing only a bra and pants. My errant gaze swept over her and the sight of such flawless skin and the sweet curve of her belly and hips took my breath away.
“Come on,” she demanded, although the conviction had left her voice. “Let’s get it over with.”
I couldn’t speak. It had been a long time since a woman had stood before me almost naked, and never before had one so perfect bared herself to me.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot.” She pouted and rolled her eyes. “Iwantit.”
Fury exploded in my chest and before I could stop myself, her back hit the wall, her wrists were captured in mine, and my mouth was so close to hers I could taste the soft hairs lining her top lip. Seconds passed while my heaving chest met hers. Her eyes narrowed like a cat’s and she stared at me, unblinking. My thumb brushed over her pulse and felt it raging beneath the delicate skin. I had to hand it to her, she was afraid but carrying it off as defiance.
I breathed her in, all floral-scented deliciousness of her, one last time. “Don’t give up the day job, Rose,” I growled. “You’re a fuckingshitactress.” Then I pushed myself off the wall and stepped back.
She lowered her arms, keeping her eyes on me. That was when I noticed her chin trembling. In any normal human, that should have inspired regret, shame, guilt. But I wasn’t a normal human. My skin had become thickened by scars and my purpose in life was constricted to selfish greed and nothing more. It was only through the privilege of family wealth I had more money than I knew how to handle. If I hadn’t had that, I would’ve ended my life before now. What was the point of living with the physical evidence of worthlessness when there was no money to suggest otherwise?
Her shoulders suddenly dropped, as though she was finally seeing the futility of her resistance. “How am I supposed to get into the part when you lock me in here all alone all day? If you want me to want you, you have to let me get to know you. I can’t just turn it on like a light switch.” She wrapped her arms around her middle.
I drew my gaze away and walked into the bathroom. From a cupboard I pulled out a freshly laundered bathrobe and carried it back out to the suite. Her gaze flitted about as I neared but softened when I opened the robe. She slid her arms through the sleeves and allowed me to tie the belt. My fingers brushed the cotton covering the side of her breast and we both froze.
I stood up straight. “What do you need Rose?”
She shrugged and glanced at the floor. “I don’t know… a date?”
Her awkwardness almost matched my own.
“I don’t do dates.”
She flicked her face back to mine. “And I don’t do desire-on-demand. Guess we’re going to have to compromise somewhere.”
I watched her as I took steadying breaths. “Dinner then. Here at the Hall.”
She brightened slightly. “When?”
I closed my eyes against the discomfort of having to actually spend time with another person. “This evening,” I said, with all the joy of an arachnophobe being forced into a tank of spiders.
I turned away and walked to the door, feeling her curious gaze on my back. “Clothes will be delivered,” I said, without turning round.
Then I walked out, locking the door behind me.
Rose
I laidon the bed and stared out of the window, paralysed with boredom, until a faint knock at the door made my heart thump. I reached for the bathrobe Dalziel had wrapped around me and threw it on just in time to see the door to my suite open and the maid from my second day step inside. This time though, she had company.
“A delivery for you, miss.”
I hugged the robe around myself as two men entered wheeling a covered clothes rack into the room. I stepped back to let them pass through to the bedroom. Neither one of them batted an eyelid at my clothes – underwear included – strewn across the floor. Without speaking, they removed the enclosure, revealing about twenty suit bags. Deftly, they unzipped each one and hung the garments in my cavernous wardrobe. They worked so quickly, I couldn’t identify what each item was but my heart fluttered at the sight of such beautiful fabrics, all in shades andtones that would complement my notoriously clashy colouring. Creams, corals and the palest of greens swayed together like a perfect sunset over a crystal sea.
