Read Online Heiress's Defiance by Lynn Raye Harris - Free Book Online
Authors: Lynn Raye Harris
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happened to you.”
She felt him tense beneath her touch. “Nothing terrible happened to me,
glykia mou.
I had to work hard or I wouldn’t have had money to eat. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a very normal thing for anyone not born into privilege.”
She swallowed. She’d felt close to him for just a second, like she understood something about him, but he’d just proven to her that she understood nothing. No, she’d never had to worry about her next meal or the roof over her head. But she had lived without much affection, and that seemed to be a poor existence indeed.
Christos would not agree, she was certain. She pulled her hand away and folded it in her lap, suddenly self-conscious.
He tipped her chin up with a finger and she found herself looking into deep, dark blue eyes. “Careful, Lucilla,” he said softly. “I might think you care.”
She sucked in a breath, steadied herself. “Well, I don’t. I was just being polite.”
He laughed. “You seem to do that a lot.”
“Be polite? It’s the way I was raised.”
“And I was raised to say what I think and take what I want.”
Her heart thumped against her chest wall. “We can’t always have what we want, Christos.”
He stroked a finger down her cheek, over the column of her neck. Her skin prickled. “Why can’t we?”
She licked her lips as need and fear twined together in her belly. “Because sometimes it’s a very bad idea.”
His gaze dipped to where her pulse beat in her throat, back up again. His eyes glittered with heat and promise. The lights flickered and she wondered insanely if he were somehow in control of them.
“Sometimes. But sometimes it’s a very good idea. What if this is one of those times?”
CHAPTER FIVE
C HRISTOS WATCHED HER throat move as she swallowed. Her pulse tripped along like a trapped butterfly’s wings. He wanted, very much, to press his mouth there and feel the beat of her heart. He felt the compulsion as fiercely as the storm raging outside, but he would not do so without her invitation.
“I don’t know how you can say that,” she said. But she picked up the wine with trembling fingers and he hid a smile of satisfaction. She was not unaffected by this pull between them. That, at least, was gratifying.
“Passion,
glykia mou.
It is all about passion. Our passion might spring from intense … disagreement, but it is still passion.”
She arched an eyebrow then. “I can’t imagine how you see an affair between us going. Won’t your style be cramped when I don’t conveniently disappear from your life the next morning? You’ll have to face me overa conference table on a regular basis. It will be awkward.”
“You’re making excuses, Lucilla. We don’t know what it will be like until we’ve traveled that path, do we?”
“I’m still not convinced.” She pulled in a breath and stood, gathering plates and silverware. “I can’t even believe you have me thinking about this. Earlier today, if I could have vaporized you with a look, I would have happily done so.”
That made him laugh. Because it wasn’t the usual reaction he got from women. “Then I should be thankful you cannot.”
He stood and began to help her by closing up the containers again. They worked in silence, moving the dishes to the sink and the food to the refrigerator. When she walked away from the sink, he went over and started the water running.
“What are you doing?”
He slanted her a look. “Washing dishes.”
Her jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why not?” He nodded toward the sink. “They’re dirty, aren’t they?”
“I was planning to get them in the morning. Besides, it’s storming. What if we lose power?”
“Then the dishes will be half done. But at least we can try.”
Probably she had a maid come in and tidy up for her, but he didn’t know that for certain. He’d learned the pleasures of having domestic help a long time ago, but he was still capable of cleaning up a mess here
She felt him tense beneath her touch. “Nothing terrible happened to me,
glykia mou.
I had to work hard or I wouldn’t have had money to eat. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a very normal thing for anyone not born into privilege.”
She swallowed. She’d felt close to him for just a second, like she understood something about him, but he’d just proven to her that she understood nothing. No, she’d never had to worry about her next meal or the roof over her head. But she had lived without much affection, and that seemed to be a poor existence indeed.
Christos would not agree, she was certain. She pulled her hand away and folded it in her lap, suddenly self-conscious.
He tipped her chin up with a finger and she found herself looking into deep, dark blue eyes. “Careful, Lucilla,” he said softly. “I might think you care.”
She sucked in a breath, steadied herself. “Well, I don’t. I was just being polite.”
He laughed. “You seem to do that a lot.”
“Be polite? It’s the way I was raised.”
“And I was raised to say what I think and take what I want.”
Her heart thumped against her chest wall. “We can’t always have what we want, Christos.”
He stroked a finger down her cheek, over the column of her neck. Her skin prickled. “Why can’t we?”
She licked her lips as need and fear twined together in her belly. “Because sometimes it’s a very bad idea.”
His gaze dipped to where her pulse beat in her throat, back up again. His eyes glittered with heat and promise. The lights flickered and she wondered insanely if he were somehow in control of them.
“Sometimes. But sometimes it’s a very good idea. What if this is one of those times?”
CHAPTER FIVE
C HRISTOS WATCHED HER throat move as she swallowed. Her pulse tripped along like a trapped butterfly’s wings. He wanted, very much, to press his mouth there and feel the beat of her heart. He felt the compulsion as fiercely as the storm raging outside, but he would not do so without her invitation.
“I don’t know how you can say that,” she said. But she picked up the wine with trembling fingers and he hid a smile of satisfaction. She was not unaffected by this pull between them. That, at least, was gratifying.
“Passion,
glykia mou.
It is all about passion. Our passion might spring from intense … disagreement, but it is still passion.”
She arched an eyebrow then. “I can’t imagine how you see an affair between us going. Won’t your style be cramped when I don’t conveniently disappear from your life the next morning? You’ll have to face me overa conference table on a regular basis. It will be awkward.”
“You’re making excuses, Lucilla. We don’t know what it will be like until we’ve traveled that path, do we?”
“I’m still not convinced.” She pulled in a breath and stood, gathering plates and silverware. “I can’t even believe you have me thinking about this. Earlier today, if I could have vaporized you with a look, I would have happily done so.”
That made him laugh. Because it wasn’t the usual reaction he got from women. “Then I should be thankful you cannot.”
He stood and began to help her by closing up the containers again. They worked in silence, moving the dishes to the sink and the food to the refrigerator. When she walked away from the sink, he went over and started the water running.
“What are you doing?”
He slanted her a look. “Washing dishes.”
Her jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why not?” He nodded toward the sink. “They’re dirty, aren’t they?”
“I was planning to get them in the morning. Besides, it’s storming. What if we lose power?”
“Then the dishes will be half done. But at least we can try.”
Probably she had a maid come in and tidy up for her, but he didn’t know that for certain. He’d learned the pleasures of having domestic help a long time ago, but he was still capable of cleaning up a mess here
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