Read Online The Devil's Love by Julia London - Free Book Online
Authors: Julia London
Tags: Romance
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will be inextricably linked to your good name.” A devilish little smile played on her lips as she slowly lifted her gaze to his.
Michael lifted a brow. “I believe you have just thrown down the gauntlet, Abigail.”
“Oh, no, sir—you did! I merely picked it up.”
The smell of defeat at his own game was beginning to irritate him. With a frown,
he considered her for a long moment. Despite her ability to play the game, her
violet eyes exposed an odd mixture of anger and hurt. He could hardly blame her;
he himself would not have believed he could be such a cad, but circumstances had
forced him. He decided to make one last attempt, and in three strides, he
moved
to stand directly in front of her, peering down at her with his fists planted on
his hips and as grim a face as he could muster.
“I strongly recommend you not fight me on this; you cannot possibly win. I do
not desire a wife, and if I am forced to keep a wife, I will exact my revenge on
you every waking hour. Think long and hard about what I’ve said before you make
up your mind, Abigail.”
“You should have thought about that before you signed that silly agreement, or
whatever it was,” she responded quietly. His eyes narrowed with undisguised
rancor. She stood unsteadily. “If you will excuse me, I think I should like to
freshen up. Anything would be infinitely more pleasurable than this interview.”
She looked him directly in the eye, brazenly daring him to say anything more.
The sparkle in those angry violet eyes captivated him. He surprised himself by
suddenly catching her upper arms and jerking her to his chest. Abbey flung her
arms wildly, but he easily caught them and pinned them behind her back.
He held
her close, her slender body pressed against the full length of his hard, muscular frame. His gaze swept from her flashing eyes to her mouth, pursed with
fear.
“I am not given to assaulting women, if I correctly interpret that look. But you
will be my wife, and I will touch you whenever I please.” Fear clouded her eyes
and he took pity. He continued, a little more softly. “Abigail, your father’s will is clear in its stipulations. If we do not marry, your father’s business associates will not receive their shares. My father’s debts cannot be repaid. My
family will lose our ancestral home and you will lose your dowry. But I can settle all of that if only you will agree to end this so that we can lead our lives as we wish. I will attempt to settle a sum upon you to compensate the loss
of your dowry if you will but end this now.”
Abbey could not think straight and stared helplessly at him. He seemed different
now, almost sad. What game was he playing with her? Whatever his motives, she
did not want to be chained to a man who did not want her and openly resented
her. Her eyes stung with tears of bitter disappointment; she blinked and looked
down. Michael gingerly slipped two fingers under her chin and tilted her face up
to his.
‘ 7 think I hate you,’‘ she whispered before he could speak. A raw emotion flashed in his gray eyes just before his mouth swept down on hers. It happened
so swiftly and so brutally that she could not react. He crushed her to him, pressing her into his hard chest and thighs. His tongue battered at her lips,
insisting she open to him. Abbey struggled, but Michael pulled her even closer
than she thought possible. His body, hard and lean, burned her like an open
flame. Squirming against him, she gasped for air, and Michael plunged his tongue
inside her soft, sweet mouth.
Abbey was immediately caught in a gulf between fear and a depth of emotion she
could not possibly understand. His mouth was cruel until the roiling emotions
crashing through her made her relent. Then he softened, his lips carefully molding hers, his tongue gently probing, willing her to him. Humiliated and deeply hurt, Abbey felt a single hot tear fall down her cheek, followed by the
tender stroke of
Michael lifted a brow. “I believe you have just thrown down the gauntlet, Abigail.”
“Oh, no, sir—you did! I merely picked it up.”
The smell of defeat at his own game was beginning to irritate him. With a frown,
he considered her for a long moment. Despite her ability to play the game, her
violet eyes exposed an odd mixture of anger and hurt. He could hardly blame her;
he himself would not have believed he could be such a cad, but circumstances had
forced him. He decided to make one last attempt, and in three strides, he
moved
to stand directly in front of her, peering down at her with his fists planted on
his hips and as grim a face as he could muster.
“I strongly recommend you not fight me on this; you cannot possibly win. I do
not desire a wife, and if I am forced to keep a wife, I will exact my revenge on
you every waking hour. Think long and hard about what I’ve said before you make
up your mind, Abigail.”
“You should have thought about that before you signed that silly agreement, or
whatever it was,” she responded quietly. His eyes narrowed with undisguised
rancor. She stood unsteadily. “If you will excuse me, I think I should like to
freshen up. Anything would be infinitely more pleasurable than this interview.”
She looked him directly in the eye, brazenly daring him to say anything more.
The sparkle in those angry violet eyes captivated him. He surprised himself by
suddenly catching her upper arms and jerking her to his chest. Abbey flung her
arms wildly, but he easily caught them and pinned them behind her back.
He held
her close, her slender body pressed against the full length of his hard, muscular frame. His gaze swept from her flashing eyes to her mouth, pursed with
fear.
“I am not given to assaulting women, if I correctly interpret that look. But you
will be my wife, and I will touch you whenever I please.” Fear clouded her eyes
and he took pity. He continued, a little more softly. “Abigail, your father’s will is clear in its stipulations. If we do not marry, your father’s business associates will not receive their shares. My father’s debts cannot be repaid. My
family will lose our ancestral home and you will lose your dowry. But I can settle all of that if only you will agree to end this so that we can lead our lives as we wish. I will attempt to settle a sum upon you to compensate the loss
of your dowry if you will but end this now.”
Abbey could not think straight and stared helplessly at him. He seemed different
now, almost sad. What game was he playing with her? Whatever his motives, she
did not want to be chained to a man who did not want her and openly resented
her. Her eyes stung with tears of bitter disappointment; she blinked and looked
down. Michael gingerly slipped two fingers under her chin and tilted her face up
to his.
‘ 7 think I hate you,’‘ she whispered before he could speak. A raw emotion flashed in his gray eyes just before his mouth swept down on hers. It happened
so swiftly and so brutally that she could not react. He crushed her to him, pressing her into his hard chest and thighs. His tongue battered at her lips,
insisting she open to him. Abbey struggled, but Michael pulled her even closer
than she thought possible. His body, hard and lean, burned her like an open
flame. Squirming against him, she gasped for air, and Michael plunged his tongue
inside her soft, sweet mouth.
Abbey was immediately caught in a gulf between fear and a depth of emotion she
could not possibly understand. His mouth was cruel until the roiling emotions
crashing through her made her relent. Then he softened, his lips carefully molding hers, his tongue gently probing, willing her to him. Humiliated and deeply hurt, Abbey felt a single hot tear fall down her cheek, followed by the
tender stroke of
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