Read Online A Madam into a Mistress by Nadia Aidan - Free Book Online
Authors: Nadia Aidan
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very words he’d sworn he wouldn’t say went tumbling from his lips.
“Damn it, Cherie, I’m sorry.” He gave her a small shake, forcing her to meet his gaze when her eyes dipped to the floor. “I was wrong today to accuse you of what I did. When I look at you, I see a beautiful, sensual woman, with smarts and a keen business sense. Believe me when I say, the last thing I see when I look at you is a whore, and that is certainly the last thing I want in my bed.”
Cherie felt herself beginning to cave with his words, and she wished she could believe he was sincere, but he’d hurt her earlier with his accusations, his lack of faith dredging up memories from her past where men only saw one thing when they looked at her. She’d expected better from Shane, which is why his actions had hurt worse.
He released her with a sharp curse, and she watched as he stripped out of his clothes, and got into bed.
“I won’t make love to you tonight or any other night, not like this.”
A mixture of anger and regret filled her. She didn’t know how he’d turned this back on her, but he had. Shane was a proud man, and the fact that his apology had been met with her silence must have stung.
She blew out the lamp beside the bed and slipped beneath the covers, staring at his broad back. Her body ached for him, even as her conflicted emotions beat at her. She wanted him, with a fierceness that took her breath away, but she was so afraid. She wanted to believe his words, but what if he was lying? The cruellest thing he could do to her would be to charm her with lies, until she let her guard down and let him in, only to have him reject her, as many men before him had. She didn’t think Shane was a cruel man, but he was bent on revenge, and she knew from experience, a man bent on revenge would stop at nothing until he had it.
With a long sigh and a heavy heart, she turned over, her back to him. For a moment, she’d let herself believe that what she and Shane shared between the sheets could one day grow into something more, that he could one day see the woman beneath the façade and let go of his past and the bitterness he carried inside his heart.
After everything that had happened between them and with all the years that had passed, they still shared an undeniable passion for one another. She’d been convinced that was because there were feelings between them that went deeper. But that had just been fanciful thoughts, and as she let her silent tears fall, she cursed herself for succumbing to them. Something she hadn’t done in a long time, and something she wouldn’t make the mistake of doing again.
Chapter Seven
With all his heart, Shane wished he could have ignored her. He wished he could pretend he was asleep and that Cherie’s broken sobs, muffled against her pillow didn’t tear at his heart. But he couldn’t ignore her nor could he pretend. He cursed himself and whatever had transpired in the past eight years to wound the woman who slept beside him. And yet, as much as he hated whatever it was that caused her pain, he welcomed it. To know she wasn’t the same woman who’d left him behind—a practiced seductress with selfish intentions and little regard for others—chipped away at the ice that had been locked around his heart since the day he’d awoken in that jail cell alone.
He turned over when another sob pierced his ears, his callused hand brushing against her bare thigh. She stiffened beneath his touch, but he didn’t stop the caress of his hand, letting it lightly skim along her leg, pushing her chemise out of his way. She lay there completely still, and he leaned into her, burying his face against the crook of her neck. He breathed her in, kissing the smooth flesh along the column of her throat.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered between tiny kisses as he gently rolled her over beneath him. He tugged her chemise down the length of her body casting it aside, still kissing every inch of her
“Damn it, Cherie, I’m sorry.” He gave her a small shake, forcing her to meet his gaze when her eyes dipped to the floor. “I was wrong today to accuse you of what I did. When I look at you, I see a beautiful, sensual woman, with smarts and a keen business sense. Believe me when I say, the last thing I see when I look at you is a whore, and that is certainly the last thing I want in my bed.”
Cherie felt herself beginning to cave with his words, and she wished she could believe he was sincere, but he’d hurt her earlier with his accusations, his lack of faith dredging up memories from her past where men only saw one thing when they looked at her. She’d expected better from Shane, which is why his actions had hurt worse.
He released her with a sharp curse, and she watched as he stripped out of his clothes, and got into bed.
“I won’t make love to you tonight or any other night, not like this.”
A mixture of anger and regret filled her. She didn’t know how he’d turned this back on her, but he had. Shane was a proud man, and the fact that his apology had been met with her silence must have stung.
She blew out the lamp beside the bed and slipped beneath the covers, staring at his broad back. Her body ached for him, even as her conflicted emotions beat at her. She wanted him, with a fierceness that took her breath away, but she was so afraid. She wanted to believe his words, but what if he was lying? The cruellest thing he could do to her would be to charm her with lies, until she let her guard down and let him in, only to have him reject her, as many men before him had. She didn’t think Shane was a cruel man, but he was bent on revenge, and she knew from experience, a man bent on revenge would stop at nothing until he had it.
With a long sigh and a heavy heart, she turned over, her back to him. For a moment, she’d let herself believe that what she and Shane shared between the sheets could one day grow into something more, that he could one day see the woman beneath the façade and let go of his past and the bitterness he carried inside his heart.
After everything that had happened between them and with all the years that had passed, they still shared an undeniable passion for one another. She’d been convinced that was because there were feelings between them that went deeper. But that had just been fanciful thoughts, and as she let her silent tears fall, she cursed herself for succumbing to them. Something she hadn’t done in a long time, and something she wouldn’t make the mistake of doing again.
Chapter Seven
With all his heart, Shane wished he could have ignored her. He wished he could pretend he was asleep and that Cherie’s broken sobs, muffled against her pillow didn’t tear at his heart. But he couldn’t ignore her nor could he pretend. He cursed himself and whatever had transpired in the past eight years to wound the woman who slept beside him. And yet, as much as he hated whatever it was that caused her pain, he welcomed it. To know she wasn’t the same woman who’d left him behind—a practiced seductress with selfish intentions and little regard for others—chipped away at the ice that had been locked around his heart since the day he’d awoken in that jail cell alone.
He turned over when another sob pierced his ears, his callused hand brushing against her bare thigh. She stiffened beneath his touch, but he didn’t stop the caress of his hand, letting it lightly skim along her leg, pushing her chemise out of his way. She lay there completely still, and he leaned into her, burying his face against the crook of her neck. He breathed her in, kissing the smooth flesh along the column of her throat.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered between tiny kisses as he gently rolled her over beneath him. He tugged her chemise down the length of her body casting it aside, still kissing every inch of her
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