Read Online An Original Sin by Nina Bangs - Free Book Online

words. Dough and bundle meant money. He’d have to learn quickly.
    “I want my money back.”
    Leith stared at Fortune’s open palm poised at the end of his nose. “ ’Tis better that I keep it, lass, so I can protect it.”
    “And who’s going to protect it from you? It’s mine. Give it back. Now.” Uh-oh. Open mouth and insert foot.
    “Ye’d trust Blade wi’ yer money, but ye wouldna trust me.” He slapped the money into her open palm. “Take it, but ye’d better guard it well so I dinna steal it when ye’re not looking.”
    She studied his angry expression, glanced at his rigid stance. Yep, big mistake. Time for honesty. This wasn’t about the money; it was about control. When he took the money, he also took command. She resented it.
    He turned stiffly and strode out the door. She’d hurt his pride by depriving him of the one thing he had to offer, his protection. Again she remembered the feeling when her mother had thrown Skirky away— powerless . Leith must feel the same way now.
    Sighing, she followed him. If she said she’d changed her mind about the money, he wouldn’t believe her. She somehow knew he wouldn’t accept her pity. History disks had shown her what men looked like and told her how they’d acted, but not one disk had said a thing about the emotional storms men created.
    Leith climbed into the taxi, and she settled beside him. Leaping onto her lap, Ganymede curled into a comfortable ball. Blade started the taxi, then turned on some booming music with men chanting words in time to the rhythm. She winced.
    Leith showed no sign of speaking, and Fortune realized she’d have to begin the conversation. “So you’re from Scotland?”
    “Ye didna know?” His expression gave nothing away.
    “There was something familiar about your accent.” She cocked her head to the side and studied him. “I’d read about Scotland on history disks, but it was so long ago that—”
    “ ’Tis gone?” He looked like he’d lost an old friend.
    She’d said the wrong thing again. “Sort of. We don’t have separate countries, only member states in a worldnation, and everyone speaks the same language. No dialects.”
    He turned his face to the window. “Aye, I understand. A peaceful world where all are the same. Ye must be verra bored.” He glanced back at her. “I’m not a quarrelsome man, lass, but I’d be lying to ye if I said I didna enjoy a good fight. The pitting of my strength against an opponent makes me feel alive.”
    Puzzled, she shrugged. “I guess you’d be unhappy then. We don’t have wars. Everyone settles disputes in a civilized way.”
    He furrowed his brow. “If ye dinna fight, then ye have only sex for excitement.”
    She felt a need to defend her life, which was calm and satisfying in every way. Wasn’t it? “Exactly the comment I’d expect from a primitive mentality.” She leaned over until she was almost nose-to-nose with him. “We haven’t had men for fifty years, and we’ve done just fine without sex with real males, thank you very much.”
    She started to move away, but he gently grasped her chin, holding her in place. So close, she could see forever in the depths of his jade eyes, and it bothered her that she even noticed.
    “Ye canna turn awa’ without explaining yerself. No fighting? No men to fulfill yer womanly needs? Are ye certain ye dinna live in hell?”
    She nodded toward Blade, who’d turned the volume down on his music. Leaning close, Leith pushed her hair aside and whispered in her ear. “Ye’ll explain yerself when we get home.”
    Fortune swallowed hard. His scent excited her even after the day they’d been through. A tantalizing mixture of cool air and warm male. She almost forgot to breathe when he softly kissed the side of her neck.
    Fortune shuddered all the way to her toes. Primitive menmust’ve had some potent pheromones. Surely that was the only explanation for the way Leith made her feel. After all, she didn’t want to feel this