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Authors: Sara Craven
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it’s not my imagination. You did plan all this.’
‘Why, yes,’ he said softly. ‘And my plan succeeded better than I could have hoped. I, too, like to gamble for high stakes, but I can afford to lose.’ He paused. ‘Unlike the man Vernon, who took the bait, as I was told he would, and is ruined as he deserves.’ He added, ‘He has the bitterness, also, of knowing that his woman now belongs to me, so he has lost everything.’
‘How could you do such a thing?’ Joanna asked, her voice shaking. ‘What kind of barbarian are you?’
‘A rich one,’ he said flatly. ‘And one whom it is unwise to cross—unless you are prepared to suffer the consequences. But perhaps, thespinis, you thought you were immune—you and your companion.’
‘How could I possibly have crossed you?’ she protested. ‘Twenty-four hours ago I—I didn’t know you existed.’
‘Whereas I have been aware of you for the past year,’ he said. ‘And looked forward to our meeting. I do not think I shall be disappointed.’
The dark eyes went over her. Slowly and quite deliberately stripping her naked, she realised dazedly.
‘Please me,’ he went on, ‘and you will find me generous.’
She said thickly, mind and body recoiling, ‘And if I don’t please you?’
He shrugged, and her throat tightened as she watched, as if mesmerised, the play of muscle under the smooth skin of his shoulder.
‘Then you will learn to do so, and quickly,’ he returned almost indifferently. ‘You have no other option, as I am sure you will come to see when you have considered the matter further.’ He paused. ‘And you will have time to do so. Your clothes and other possessions have already been packed, and tonight you will be flown to Greece, where you will wait for me on my island of Pellas.’
His slow smile made her shiver.
‘I find anticipation increases the appetite—don’t you?’
For a moment, shock held her mute. She’d thought that being made to surrender her virginity to him there on that bed was the worst that could happen to her. Had steeled herself to endure it. She had never expected—this.
When she could speak she queried hoarsely, ‘You’re—taking me to Greece? But you can’t.’
‘And what is there to stop me?’
‘The law. Because it’s kidnap.’ Joanna flung back her head. ‘And that’s a criminal offence in any country.’
‘You have a short memory, Joanna mou.’ Hands on hips he regarded her, the dark face forbidding. ‘You are forgetting that I won you from the man Vernon in a poker game in front of witnesses. If you objected to your body being wagered in such a way, you should have said so at the time.’ He paused. ‘You may cheat others, my girl, but do not try to do the same to me. It is too late for that. And Pellas is where I keep all my prized possessions—until, of course, they no longer have the value of novelty and begin to bore me.’
‘And what—what happens then?’ The words almost choked from her.
‘I sell them,’ he said. ‘To a new owner.’ He added softly, ‘I expect you to bring me a handsome profit, my lovely one, when I have finished with you at last.’
CHAPTER FIVE
H uis words seemed to echo and re-echo through the silence that followed.
Joanna stared at him, almost giddy with horror and disbelief, trying to tell herself that he didn’t—he couldn’t—mean what he was saying.
But if he was trying to frighten her then he’d succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
She said in a voice she did not recognise, ‘Why are you doing this?’
‘You have brought this upon yourself, thespinis.’ There was renewed harshness in his voice. ‘You have chosen to use your body to turn men into fools. You would have attempted to do the same to me earlier tonight, if I had allowed it. Do not bother to deny it,’ he added contemptuously as her lips parted in shock. ‘Your guilt is known. But now things have changed for you, and it is your turn to be used. Used, then
‘Why, yes,’ he said softly. ‘And my plan succeeded better than I could have hoped. I, too, like to gamble for high stakes, but I can afford to lose.’ He paused. ‘Unlike the man Vernon, who took the bait, as I was told he would, and is ruined as he deserves.’ He added, ‘He has the bitterness, also, of knowing that his woman now belongs to me, so he has lost everything.’
‘How could you do such a thing?’ Joanna asked, her voice shaking. ‘What kind of barbarian are you?’
‘A rich one,’ he said flatly. ‘And one whom it is unwise to cross—unless you are prepared to suffer the consequences. But perhaps, thespinis, you thought you were immune—you and your companion.’
‘How could I possibly have crossed you?’ she protested. ‘Twenty-four hours ago I—I didn’t know you existed.’
‘Whereas I have been aware of you for the past year,’ he said. ‘And looked forward to our meeting. I do not think I shall be disappointed.’
The dark eyes went over her. Slowly and quite deliberately stripping her naked, she realised dazedly.
‘Please me,’ he went on, ‘and you will find me generous.’
She said thickly, mind and body recoiling, ‘And if I don’t please you?’
He shrugged, and her throat tightened as she watched, as if mesmerised, the play of muscle under the smooth skin of his shoulder.
‘Then you will learn to do so, and quickly,’ he returned almost indifferently. ‘You have no other option, as I am sure you will come to see when you have considered the matter further.’ He paused. ‘And you will have time to do so. Your clothes and other possessions have already been packed, and tonight you will be flown to Greece, where you will wait for me on my island of Pellas.’
His slow smile made her shiver.
‘I find anticipation increases the appetite—don’t you?’
For a moment, shock held her mute. She’d thought that being made to surrender her virginity to him there on that bed was the worst that could happen to her. Had steeled herself to endure it. She had never expected—this.
When she could speak she queried hoarsely, ‘You’re—taking me to Greece? But you can’t.’
‘And what is there to stop me?’
‘The law. Because it’s kidnap.’ Joanna flung back her head. ‘And that’s a criminal offence in any country.’
‘You have a short memory, Joanna mou.’ Hands on hips he regarded her, the dark face forbidding. ‘You are forgetting that I won you from the man Vernon in a poker game in front of witnesses. If you objected to your body being wagered in such a way, you should have said so at the time.’ He paused. ‘You may cheat others, my girl, but do not try to do the same to me. It is too late for that. And Pellas is where I keep all my prized possessions—until, of course, they no longer have the value of novelty and begin to bore me.’
‘And what—what happens then?’ The words almost choked from her.
‘I sell them,’ he said. ‘To a new owner.’ He added softly, ‘I expect you to bring me a handsome profit, my lovely one, when I have finished with you at last.’
CHAPTER FIVE
H uis words seemed to echo and re-echo through the silence that followed.
Joanna stared at him, almost giddy with horror and disbelief, trying to tell herself that he didn’t—he couldn’t—mean what he was saying.
But if he was trying to frighten her then he’d succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
She said in a voice she did not recognise, ‘Why are you doing this?’
‘You have brought this upon yourself, thespinis.’ There was renewed harshness in his voice. ‘You have chosen to use your body to turn men into fools. You would have attempted to do the same to me earlier tonight, if I had allowed it. Do not bother to deny it,’ he added contemptuously as her lips parted in shock. ‘Your guilt is known. But now things have changed for you, and it is your turn to be used. Used, then
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