of light, he saw the heavy emerald velvet drapes that were drawn across the French windows, blocking out the early-morning sunlight. A canopied double bed stood in the dusky intimacy of the center of the room. An occupied double bed.
Jared sighed impatiently, curiosity gone and annoyance in bloom. "Another one of your imported whores, Betz? I thought I'd discouraged that particular practice."
"Look a little closer, Dr. Ryker."
He drew closer to the bed and, casting a casual glance at the sleeping woman who occupied it, suddenly stiffened. His body was as galvanized by shock as if he'd been stroked by an electric wire.
She looked almost childlike to him in that big double bed. Her small body was obviously naked beneath the cream satin sheet that covered her to her shoulders, and the dark shining hair falling over one shoulder was braided with silver and fastened with a tiny diamond star. The long sweep of her lashes against the curve of her cheek gave her a curious vulnerability that was absent when dominated by those blazing dark eyes. The silken sheet scarcely lifted with each breath; she was sleeping deeply. Too deeply.
"I thought you'd be pleased."
Betz's voice was redolent with satisfaction, and it served to jerk Jared from his state of bemusement at the sight of Tania Orlinov. He whirled to face the other man, his eyes blazing with an intensity of anger that caused Betz to take an involuntary step backward. "You arrogant son of a bitch!" Jared's voice was hoarse with rage. "Whatever gave you the idea that you could do this to someone?" He strode nearer to the bed and picked up Tania's wrist. The pulse was slow but steady. "What the hell did you give her?"
"She'll be quite all right in a little while," Betz said soothingly from behind him. "She breathed in an innocuous gas, which knocked her out immediately. On the plane she was accompanied by a competent physician, who kept her sedated at a very safe level of drugs. She'll wake up in a few hours without even a trace of a headache."
"My God, you actually kidnapped her." Jared was charged with incredulous anger. "Didn't it ever occur to you that she's an independent woman, with the right to make her own decisions? You can't ride roughshod over a human being this way."
"It was necessary," Betz said calmly. "We offered her a great deal of money, but she wouldn't take it. We had no other option but to use force." He frowned. "You needn't worry that the method of her arrival will spoil your pleasure. We've taken precautions against something like that happening."
"Take her back to New York!" Betz's eyes widened in surprise. "Back to . . ." He studied Jared's tense face and blazing eyes for long, thoughtful moments before he slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't do that, Dr. Ryker. Aside from the fact that our actions in abducting her might be discovered and make things difficult for the senator, the reason we took Miss Orlinov in the first place still exists." He paused. "You want her."
Oh, yes, he wanted her, Jared thought grimly. Even in his anger he could feel his swelling need for her push against the fabric of his jeans. The sight of her lying there before him, her shoulders and the upper swell of her breasts rising from the satin sheets, was like a delicate loving hand stroking him. His eyes turned compulsively to the pulse point his thumb was absently stroking even now. Her hand. He drew a deep breath and carefully laid her arm back on the counterpane. "It's the mark of a civilized man that he does not always take what he wants, even if he can have it. That quality separates us from the Neanderthal. Take her back to New York, Betz."
"No. The situation hasn't changed, so it would be unreasonable to undo all our work at this stage." He frowned. "I don't understand the problem, Dr. Ryker. It's been obvious that the reason you've been taking
these hazardous trips to New York was Miss Orlinov. Now the trips are no longer necessary. You have her here in the
Jared sighed impatiently, curiosity gone and annoyance in bloom. "Another one of your imported whores, Betz? I thought I'd discouraged that particular practice."
"Look a little closer, Dr. Ryker."
He drew closer to the bed and, casting a casual glance at the sleeping woman who occupied it, suddenly stiffened. His body was as galvanized by shock as if he'd been stroked by an electric wire.
She looked almost childlike to him in that big double bed. Her small body was obviously naked beneath the cream satin sheet that covered her to her shoulders, and the dark shining hair falling over one shoulder was braided with silver and fastened with a tiny diamond star. The long sweep of her lashes against the curve of her cheek gave her a curious vulnerability that was absent when dominated by those blazing dark eyes. The silken sheet scarcely lifted with each breath; she was sleeping deeply. Too deeply.
"I thought you'd be pleased."
Betz's voice was redolent with satisfaction, and it served to jerk Jared from his state of bemusement at the sight of Tania Orlinov. He whirled to face the other man, his eyes blazing with an intensity of anger that caused Betz to take an involuntary step backward. "You arrogant son of a bitch!" Jared's voice was hoarse with rage. "Whatever gave you the idea that you could do this to someone?" He strode nearer to the bed and picked up Tania's wrist. The pulse was slow but steady. "What the hell did you give her?"
"She'll be quite all right in a little while," Betz said soothingly from behind him. "She breathed in an innocuous gas, which knocked her out immediately. On the plane she was accompanied by a competent physician, who kept her sedated at a very safe level of drugs. She'll wake up in a few hours without even a trace of a headache."
"My God, you actually kidnapped her." Jared was charged with incredulous anger. "Didn't it ever occur to you that she's an independent woman, with the right to make her own decisions? You can't ride roughshod over a human being this way."
"It was necessary," Betz said calmly. "We offered her a great deal of money, but she wouldn't take it. We had no other option but to use force." He frowned. "You needn't worry that the method of her arrival will spoil your pleasure. We've taken precautions against something like that happening."
"Take her back to New York!" Betz's eyes widened in surprise. "Back to . . ." He studied Jared's tense face and blazing eyes for long, thoughtful moments before he slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't do that, Dr. Ryker. Aside from the fact that our actions in abducting her might be discovered and make things difficult for the senator, the reason we took Miss Orlinov in the first place still exists." He paused. "You want her."
Oh, yes, he wanted her, Jared thought grimly. Even in his anger he could feel his swelling need for her push against the fabric of his jeans. The sight of her lying there before him, her shoulders and the upper swell of her breasts rising from the satin sheets, was like a delicate loving hand stroking him. His eyes turned compulsively to the pulse point his thumb was absently stroking even now. Her hand. He drew a deep breath and carefully laid her arm back on the counterpane. "It's the mark of a civilized man that he does not always take what he wants, even if he can have it. That quality separates us from the Neanderthal. Take her back to New York, Betz."
"No. The situation hasn't changed, so it would be unreasonable to undo all our work at this stage." He frowned. "I don't understand the problem, Dr. Ryker. It's been obvious that the reason you've been taking
these hazardous trips to New York was Miss Orlinov. Now the trips are no longer necessary. You have her here in the
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