Read Online To Disappear by Natasha Rostova - Free Book Online Page B

lashes fluttered as she lifted them, heart hammering in her chest as she met his dark eyes. Would she never be able to read the expression in his eyes, never be able to fathom what he was thinking?
    She gazed at him for a moment, remembering how it had felt to lie helplessly over his lap, his big hand slapping her bare buttocks, feeling his huge erection pressing against her belly. Her face grew warm with the memory and an undeniable flicker of arousal.
    She moistened her dry lips with her tongue, her breathing growing shallow from the mere intensity of his presence, so wholly unlike Gabriel’s gentle domination and Preston’s malice. A trembling sensation began in her belly when he came towards her.
    ‘You should be ashamed of yourself,’ he said, his words as deep and cold as a well. ‘Your actions thus far have been entirely unacceptable.’
    Lydia lowered her eyes to the floor, disliking the guilt that rose in her chest. She forced herself to nod in agreement, even as her heart willed him to remember that she had faithfully obeyed his orders in the drawing room.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ she murmured.
    ‘You should be. And you’ll be sorrier still when your punishments are dealt.’
    Her gaze met his as a glimmer of fear sparked inside her. ‘What is he going to do?’
    Kruin frowned, making him appear even more menacing. ‘It is not only Preston, Lydia. You have angered us all. If this is how you uphold your agreements, then perhaps you should not make them.’
    ‘I’m sorry,’ Lydia repeated. She hated the way his evident irritation caused her shame to deepen to unfathomable levels. ‘I have to… please, I’m not accustomed to this. You must give me some time.’
    ‘You have time, Lydia. In fact, you have nothing but time. I suggest that you use it wisely.’
    He turned and went back into the house. Lydia released her breath in a long sigh of relief, thinking that not even Preston could unnerve her to the degree that the enigmatic Kruin did.
    She rose, the rocking chair squeaking on its rudders as if mimicking the noise of the crickets. She walked into the gardens as a cool breeze brushed against her skin. The grounds of the plantation were so vast that she wondered how long it would take to explore them all.
    Lydia smiled ironically. As Kruin had pointed out, she had plenty of time. She walked along the pathway that led towards the swamps, swatting at several wayward mosquitoes.
    As she approached one of the oak trees that spread like massive mushrooms over the grounds, she noticed a long, low building in the distance. Curious, she headed towards it and realized that it was the plantation stables.
    Did they actually keep horses here? A glimmer of happiness stirred inside Lydia at the thought. She quickened her pace, her skirt whipping around her bare legs as she hurried towards the stables.
    She pulled open the large, wooden door and inhaled the musky odor of hay and horse-flesh. Dim light shone through cracks in the ceiling, painting the hay a glossy golden color. Half a dozen horses were locked into stalls, nickering and stamping their feet.
    ‘Hey, boy.’ Lydia smiled with delight as she approached one of the horses and held out her hand. He snuffled and pressed his warm, velvety nose into her palm.
    ‘He’s usually not so friendly.’
    Lydia turned and saw Gabriel emerge from a corner of the stable, a pitchfork in his hands. He stabbed it into a pile of hay and approached her. He was wearing torn jeans and an old T-shirt, his skin covered with dust and sweat. He moved with a stealthy kind of grace, like a sleek, muscular panther.
    Lydia stepped closer to the stall, her hips encountering the hard slats of wood. ‘What’s his name?’
    ‘Pirate.’ He nodded towards the horse in the adjoining stall, a lovely white Arabian. ‘That’s Sugarfoot. Do you like horses?’
    ‘I love them.’ Lydia stroked her hand over Pirate’s nose. ‘When I was a girl, I had a horse named Butterfly. She was a