Read Online Hawk's Prize by Elaine Barbieri - Free Book Online Page B

revealing more than he wished, Simon said, “Out with it! Why are you here?”
    “You insinuated you’d be interested in knowing more about Chantalle’s daughter and that fella she’s been keeping all to herself at the house. I found out the name he uses.”
    Angie halted, waiting for his response. He struggled for control as he said, “Well? What is it?”
    “He calls himself Drew Collins.”
    “Collins.”
    “He’s still sick, according to the perfect Miss Tricia, but I have my doubts about that.”
    “Meaning?”
    “Something’s wrong there. That big fella was in too much of a rush to get out of that bed when he woke up yesterday. He was lucid—for the first time, to hear Tricia tell it—and he immediately tried to leave the house. It was almost like something or somebody was chasing him.”
    “Is that right?”
    “Staying alone in that room with Miss Perfect all night didn’t seem to make a difference, and I’m thinking either she wasn’t too good at entertaining him or he was too busy looking over his shoulder to linger any longer.”
    “And you know all this because . . . ?”
    Angie moved her body in a sinuous way that tugged at Simon’s groin as she said, “Because you pay me well for information . . . but mostly because I like to please you.”
    Resenting the effect the worthless whore had on him, Simon gave a scoffing snort. “You like to please me? Isuppose that’s why you came here when I told you I never wanted to see you on my doorstep again. No . . . you don’t fool me.” Simon closed the distance between them so swiftly that Angie did not have time to retreat. Gripping her hair cruelly, he hissed, “Stupid—that’s what you are if you expect me to believe you! I pay you well, and that’s the only reason you do my bidding.”
    He drew her closer, his grip tightening painfully. He felt her heart pounding against his chest as he amended hotly, “No, that’s not right. You
want
me in a way you don’t want any other man. You hate yourself for it, but you came here tonight thinking you’d tease me into taking you again. But I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to satisfy you. I’m going to send you home
wanting,
Angie, with only material payment to soothe your carnal needs.”
    Releasing her so abruptly that Angie staggered a few steps backward, Simon was keenly aware that the greedy whore read his weaknesses well. For all his bravado, he felt an overwhelming desire to throw her across the fifteenth-century marble-topped chest he was so proud of, so he could take her just as he had once before. Instead, he moved back to his desk, removed a wad of bills from a drawer, and threw it at Angie. He watched her for a few moments as she stood breathing heavily, then ordered, “Pick them up. That’s all you’re going to get from me tonight.”
    Waiting until she scrambled for the bills, Simon added, “But your work for me isn’t done. I have a job for you. Drew Collins carries a ring in his money pouch. It’s damaged, but it has some sort of crest witha sailing ship and a Latin motto partially visible on it. I want you to find out where he got it. I need to know. But don’t come back here with the information. If you do, you’ll receive payment of a far different kind than you’re expecting.”
    The money clutched in her hand, Angie stood shaken and trembling when Simon added slowly, “You serve a very important purpose for me, Angie. Don’t spoil it. I’ll keep in touch. If you have something to tell me in the meantime, find another way to contact me.” He paused to add succinctly, “Your life may depend on it.”
    Simon led Angie to the rear door of the mansion, aware that she was shaking. Whether it was with fear or unsated desire, he could not be sure, but that was the way he wanted it.
    No, she’d never come to his house again.
    Simon closed the door quietly behind Angie. He locked it firmly, and then paused in the darkness to further consider what she had told him.