Read Online Tarnished Angel by Elaine Barbieri - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elaine Barbieri
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ears.
''I was informed that you requested my presence. I am most happy to see you again, Mr. Dale."
Momentarily unable to respond, Harvey indulged himself in the total visual assault that was this young woman. More delicate than a fine Oriental porcelain figurine, she never failed to fill him with a sense of awe. Hair the color and texture of black silk was carefully braided and twisted above her ears in an elaborate hairstyle that he would have viewed with disdain on any other woman. But the coiffure only added to the delight of Lily's beauty, calling attention to her smooth unlined skin, the fragile contours of her face. His gaze touched the fine straight brows, delicate slashes above mysterious eyes, which never failed to intrigue him. He let his eyes trace her fine features and the scrupulous line of her cheek before they moved at last to her thin, well-drawn crimson lips, lips he had tasted many times.
Oriental perfection was Lily, truly the exquisite flower for which she was named. It seemed inconceivable that this tall, slender beauty was daughter to China Mary.
Harvey made an effort to rein his growing passion. In his attempt to rationalize the irresistible allure Lily held for him, he had decided the fact that she was the coveted daughter of China Mary definitely played a part. Strangely, considering his natural abhorrence of all others of her race, he had desired Lily from the moment he first saw her. In his wildest dreams he had never contemplated taking a woman of an inferior people to his body, but Lily was different. There was nothing inferior about Lily… nothing but the color of her skin, and even that was beautiful. Smooth, even-toned, it was softer than any he had ever touched. He remembered how this incomparable flower had come into his hands.
China Mary had come to him for financial aid several years before, after having been turned down by every other source in town. He had sensed a silent strength in her, his shrewd business mind immediately judging her a good risk, but he had not stopped there. A second sense had caused him to look further into China Mary's background, and in a maneuver of incredible brilliance, he had managed to lay his hands on some papers that could send her back to her native land to suffer harsh punishment. He had obtained those papers and concealed them in a spot where they would be immediately brought to the attention of the authorities should anything unexpected happen to him. That action, as well as the money he had ultimately advanced her, had earned him China Mary's unqualified cooperation and unfailing compliance with any request he made of her.
He was still applauding the stroke of genius which had guaranteed him that when financial considerations had been repaid, she would still be bound to him.
China Mary's power within the Chinese community had grown. Her control of work contracts for her people, the fact that not a person of her race worked in town without her permission, gave her access to information that was unavailable to most people, and Harvey found occasion to use that fund of knowledge to his advantage. But he did not realize the full potential of his power over China Mary until he first saw Lily.
He still remembered China Mary's protests when he indicated his desire for her darling daughter. She went into a silent rage, and after several controlled clashes between them, he was certain she was planning to abandon all she had achieved rather than allow him access to her precious jewel. Then, on the night when he was all but sure Mary was planning to leave, Lily had come to his office without her mother's knowledge and offered herself to him. She had come to him because she was unwilling to allow her mother to sacrifice all she had achieved in this new land.
A chill passed down Harvey's erect spine at the memory of his discovery that Lily was a virgin. He experienced again in retrospect
''I was informed that you requested my presence. I am most happy to see you again, Mr. Dale."
Momentarily unable to respond, Harvey indulged himself in the total visual assault that was this young woman. More delicate than a fine Oriental porcelain figurine, she never failed to fill him with a sense of awe. Hair the color and texture of black silk was carefully braided and twisted above her ears in an elaborate hairstyle that he would have viewed with disdain on any other woman. But the coiffure only added to the delight of Lily's beauty, calling attention to her smooth unlined skin, the fragile contours of her face. His gaze touched the fine straight brows, delicate slashes above mysterious eyes, which never failed to intrigue him. He let his eyes trace her fine features and the scrupulous line of her cheek before they moved at last to her thin, well-drawn crimson lips, lips he had tasted many times.
Oriental perfection was Lily, truly the exquisite flower for which she was named. It seemed inconceivable that this tall, slender beauty was daughter to China Mary.
Harvey made an effort to rein his growing passion. In his attempt to rationalize the irresistible allure Lily held for him, he had decided the fact that she was the coveted daughter of China Mary definitely played a part. Strangely, considering his natural abhorrence of all others of her race, he had desired Lily from the moment he first saw her. In his wildest dreams he had never contemplated taking a woman of an inferior people to his body, but Lily was different. There was nothing inferior about Lily… nothing but the color of her skin, and even that was beautiful. Smooth, even-toned, it was softer than any he had ever touched. He remembered how this incomparable flower had come into his hands.
China Mary had come to him for financial aid several years before, after having been turned down by every other source in town. He had sensed a silent strength in her, his shrewd business mind immediately judging her a good risk, but he had not stopped there. A second sense had caused him to look further into China Mary's background, and in a maneuver of incredible brilliance, he had managed to lay his hands on some papers that could send her back to her native land to suffer harsh punishment. He had obtained those papers and concealed them in a spot where they would be immediately brought to the attention of the authorities should anything unexpected happen to him. That action, as well as the money he had ultimately advanced her, had earned him China Mary's unqualified cooperation and unfailing compliance with any request he made of her.
He was still applauding the stroke of genius which had guaranteed him that when financial considerations had been repaid, she would still be bound to him.
China Mary's power within the Chinese community had grown. Her control of work contracts for her people, the fact that not a person of her race worked in town without her permission, gave her access to information that was unavailable to most people, and Harvey found occasion to use that fund of knowledge to his advantage. But he did not realize the full potential of his power over China Mary until he first saw Lily.
He still remembered China Mary's protests when he indicated his desire for her darling daughter. She went into a silent rage, and after several controlled clashes between them, he was certain she was planning to abandon all she had achieved rather than allow him access to her precious jewel. Then, on the night when he was all but sure Mary was planning to leave, Lily had come to his office without her mother's knowledge and offered herself to him. She had come to him because she was unwilling to allow her mother to sacrifice all she had achieved in this new land.
A chill passed down Harvey's erect spine at the memory of his discovery that Lily was a virgin. He experienced again in retrospect
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