Read Online After the Abduction by Sabrina Jeffries - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sabrina Jeffries
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“Forgive me for laughing, but this notion of yours is madness. I understand why you’re eager for vengeance, but you wish to visit it upon the wrong person.” He spoke patiently, as if correcting a child. “The persons you should attack are the rascals attempting to ruin your reputation. Concentrate your powers of deduction on figuring out who they might be. Not on revenging yourself on your dead kidnapper’s brother.”
“This isn’t about revenge! I want to know the truth, that’s all. I want to know why you did it, what purpose was served by it. I think I have the right to know, especially if I shall have to suffer the consequences of it.”
The rawest remorse flashed over his features before he regained his iron control. “You do have the right to know. But I can’t tell you, no matter what you think. I have no idea why my brother acted as he did.”
The man was too infuriating to be believed. How dared he continue to stand there and deny his identity to her face!
For a moment, they stood eye to eye, neither one willing to give an inch. But as her temper cooled, she acknowledged that straightforward accusations did her no good. He knew he could hide behind his bulwark of family lineage and money, so no matter how damning her evidence, he’d ignore her demands that he confess.
Unless she tricked him into it. And Lord knows, he’d tricked her enough times.
Dropping her head, she began to sniffle. “You’re right, of course. I’m grasping at straws. But it’s only because I’m frustrated that your brother is beyond my power. I can hardly believe I’ll never have the chance to make him pay for what he did.”
“Was it really so very awful?” The tone of false concern had vanished. Now he sounded earnest, almost gentle. “You said he didn’t…assault your honor.”
She gave an exaggerated sigh and wiped away an imaginary tear. “What else could I say, with my family listening? I’m too ashamed to tell them what really happened—how that beast mistreated me, debauched me, and took my innocence.”
He swore a low oath. “You’re not claiming that he—”
“Yes.” She lifted her face in great distress. “That’s exactly what I’m claiming.”
She waited for him to explode, to deny it loudly and thus reveal himself.
He searched her face; then his look turned calculating, as if he’d guessed precisely what she was about. “So my brother deflowered you, did he?”
Swallowing hard, she nodded. She’d never told such a monstrous falsehood in all her life.
“You’re lying.”
Her pulse quickened. Success at last. “And how would you know?”
“Because my brother was a gentleman. He’d never have mistreated a woman.”
Disappointment knifed through her at his deft parry. “You said you barely knew him, so how could you possibly know his character?”
That flustered him. “I just do, that’s all.” He stepped closer, and the sudden glint in his eyes made her back up. “But I have a way to prove he didn’t debauch you.”
He advanced again, and her heart dropped into her stomach. She could think of only one way he could prove such a thing. “Surely you can’t mean to—”
“No, nothing so dramatic as that.” His arm snaked about her waist, tugging her flush against his lean body. “But if my brother introduced you to the seductive arts, then you probably know something about kissing. Let’s see, shall we?” And before she could even protest, his mouth covered hers.
She froze, swamped by memory. The last time he’d held her. The last time he’d kissed her.
This was the same, but different. His lips were softer now, more coaxing, sliding over hers with a heat and familiarity that startled a trembling in her belly. She tried the tactic that generally worked on her most impertinent suitors and went rigid in his arms. But how could she stay stiff as a poker with him ? It was too much to ask.
Especially when his hands roamed her ribs, his thighs pressed into her
“This isn’t about revenge! I want to know the truth, that’s all. I want to know why you did it, what purpose was served by it. I think I have the right to know, especially if I shall have to suffer the consequences of it.”
The rawest remorse flashed over his features before he regained his iron control. “You do have the right to know. But I can’t tell you, no matter what you think. I have no idea why my brother acted as he did.”
The man was too infuriating to be believed. How dared he continue to stand there and deny his identity to her face!
For a moment, they stood eye to eye, neither one willing to give an inch. But as her temper cooled, she acknowledged that straightforward accusations did her no good. He knew he could hide behind his bulwark of family lineage and money, so no matter how damning her evidence, he’d ignore her demands that he confess.
Unless she tricked him into it. And Lord knows, he’d tricked her enough times.
Dropping her head, she began to sniffle. “You’re right, of course. I’m grasping at straws. But it’s only because I’m frustrated that your brother is beyond my power. I can hardly believe I’ll never have the chance to make him pay for what he did.”
“Was it really so very awful?” The tone of false concern had vanished. Now he sounded earnest, almost gentle. “You said he didn’t…assault your honor.”
She gave an exaggerated sigh and wiped away an imaginary tear. “What else could I say, with my family listening? I’m too ashamed to tell them what really happened—how that beast mistreated me, debauched me, and took my innocence.”
He swore a low oath. “You’re not claiming that he—”
“Yes.” She lifted her face in great distress. “That’s exactly what I’m claiming.”
She waited for him to explode, to deny it loudly and thus reveal himself.
He searched her face; then his look turned calculating, as if he’d guessed precisely what she was about. “So my brother deflowered you, did he?”
Swallowing hard, she nodded. She’d never told such a monstrous falsehood in all her life.
“You’re lying.”
Her pulse quickened. Success at last. “And how would you know?”
“Because my brother was a gentleman. He’d never have mistreated a woman.”
Disappointment knifed through her at his deft parry. “You said you barely knew him, so how could you possibly know his character?”
That flustered him. “I just do, that’s all.” He stepped closer, and the sudden glint in his eyes made her back up. “But I have a way to prove he didn’t debauch you.”
He advanced again, and her heart dropped into her stomach. She could think of only one way he could prove such a thing. “Surely you can’t mean to—”
“No, nothing so dramatic as that.” His arm snaked about her waist, tugging her flush against his lean body. “But if my brother introduced you to the seductive arts, then you probably know something about kissing. Let’s see, shall we?” And before she could even protest, his mouth covered hers.
She froze, swamped by memory. The last time he’d held her. The last time he’d kissed her.
This was the same, but different. His lips were softer now, more coaxing, sliding over hers with a heat and familiarity that startled a trembling in her belly. She tried the tactic that generally worked on her most impertinent suitors and went rigid in his arms. But how could she stay stiff as a poker with him ? It was too much to ask.
Especially when his hands roamed her ribs, his thighs pressed into her