Read Online What a Rogue Desires by Caroline Linden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Caroline Linden
Ads: Link
that gleamed in the morning light. As he mounted the steps, seemingly untroubled by her writhing, a man opened the door, his expression completely neutral.
“Help!” she cried, not having to feign her fear. “He’s hurting me!”
The man didn’t even look at her. “Welcome home, my lord,” he said, stooping to pick up the hat her struggles had knocked from his master’s head.
“Ah, Bannet,” said Vivian’s captor, setting her on her feet but keeping a tight hold on her. He sounded a trifle out of breath, nothing more. “Have a guest room prepared at once for…” He hesitated a moment. “My guest.”
“I won’t stay here,” she shrieked, more, even more terrible, images filling her mind. Good Lord, this must be his home, and he could lock her up and do whatever he wished to do to her. Vivian had heard more than enough about the depraved behavior of upper-class gentlemen. At the realization that he meant to keep her a prisoner, subject to anything he wanted to do to her, she clasped her hands and jabbed her elbow back, right into his side. He gave a sharp hiss of pain, flinching away from her. Vivian lunged for the door, but his grip, though loosened, was still tight enough to keep her.
“Never mind, Bannet,” he said grimly, dragging her toward the stairs. “She can sit in the dust.”
“Very good, sir,” said the servant. He hadn’t moved a muscle since picking up the hat, which he still held. He wouldn’t help her, Vivian realized. She would have to save herself. Each step up the stairs seemed another step closer to whatever horror awaited her, and she screamed until her throat burned.
At the top of the stairs he turned left, jerking her back to her feet when she tried to pretend a faint. “It’s no use,” he said, as he opened a door. “I’m not in the mood to be fooled any longer.” And he gave her a little push, into a large, dusty room.
Then he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, turning the key in the lock.
Eyeing him warily, her chest heaving, Vivian took a step backward, and then another. He looked rather dangerous, to tell the truth. His black hair must have been tied back, for now it was falling loose about his face, much longer than most gentlemen wore their hair. His face was pale, but his dark eyes seemed lit by an unearthly light that was much more frightening even than his stance, arms folded across his chest and booted feet apart, like a sentinel at the door. He looked huge and dark and very threatening, and Vivian felt dizzy with fear as she caught sight of a bed, not four feet away from her.
“That was my broken rib, bloodthirsty wench,” he said. “I promise not to hurt you, but only if you don’t try to hurt me.”
Vivian licked her lips, inching backward and thinking frantically. “I didn’t know it was broken.”
“Somehow I think it wouldn’t have mattered.”
Vivian kept her mouth shut. Of course it would have, she thought; if I’d known, I’d have hit it harder, and sooner.
“Nevertheless,” he went on, “I shall overlook it. All I want are my belongings. Return them, and you’ll be free to rob and assault any other chap you choose. Do we have a bargain?”
“I don’t have them,” she said again. “Truly I don’t.”
He started toward her, his boot heels thudding loudly and ominously. “You’ll just have to get them.”
She swallowed and backed away. “How could I do that, locked in here?”
His mouth curled in a frightening hint of smile. “That’s for you to solve, isn’t it?”
In spite of herself, her temper was getting away from her. “You liar,” she cried. “How dare you say you want me to get you something I don’t have, then lock me up so I couldn’t get it even if I did! I’ll fight you, I will, you won’t have an easy time of it with me—”
“I’ve managed so far,” he cut her off. Vivian didn’t move, holding her ground but tensed for any action that might be necessary. His eyes were as black
“Help!” she cried, not having to feign her fear. “He’s hurting me!”
The man didn’t even look at her. “Welcome home, my lord,” he said, stooping to pick up the hat her struggles had knocked from his master’s head.
“Ah, Bannet,” said Vivian’s captor, setting her on her feet but keeping a tight hold on her. He sounded a trifle out of breath, nothing more. “Have a guest room prepared at once for…” He hesitated a moment. “My guest.”
“I won’t stay here,” she shrieked, more, even more terrible, images filling her mind. Good Lord, this must be his home, and he could lock her up and do whatever he wished to do to her. Vivian had heard more than enough about the depraved behavior of upper-class gentlemen. At the realization that he meant to keep her a prisoner, subject to anything he wanted to do to her, she clasped her hands and jabbed her elbow back, right into his side. He gave a sharp hiss of pain, flinching away from her. Vivian lunged for the door, but his grip, though loosened, was still tight enough to keep her.
“Never mind, Bannet,” he said grimly, dragging her toward the stairs. “She can sit in the dust.”
“Very good, sir,” said the servant. He hadn’t moved a muscle since picking up the hat, which he still held. He wouldn’t help her, Vivian realized. She would have to save herself. Each step up the stairs seemed another step closer to whatever horror awaited her, and she screamed until her throat burned.
At the top of the stairs he turned left, jerking her back to her feet when she tried to pretend a faint. “It’s no use,” he said, as he opened a door. “I’m not in the mood to be fooled any longer.” And he gave her a little push, into a large, dusty room.
Then he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, turning the key in the lock.
Eyeing him warily, her chest heaving, Vivian took a step backward, and then another. He looked rather dangerous, to tell the truth. His black hair must have been tied back, for now it was falling loose about his face, much longer than most gentlemen wore their hair. His face was pale, but his dark eyes seemed lit by an unearthly light that was much more frightening even than his stance, arms folded across his chest and booted feet apart, like a sentinel at the door. He looked huge and dark and very threatening, and Vivian felt dizzy with fear as she caught sight of a bed, not four feet away from her.
“That was my broken rib, bloodthirsty wench,” he said. “I promise not to hurt you, but only if you don’t try to hurt me.”
Vivian licked her lips, inching backward and thinking frantically. “I didn’t know it was broken.”
“Somehow I think it wouldn’t have mattered.”
Vivian kept her mouth shut. Of course it would have, she thought; if I’d known, I’d have hit it harder, and sooner.
“Nevertheless,” he went on, “I shall overlook it. All I want are my belongings. Return them, and you’ll be free to rob and assault any other chap you choose. Do we have a bargain?”
“I don’t have them,” she said again. “Truly I don’t.”
He started toward her, his boot heels thudding loudly and ominously. “You’ll just have to get them.”
She swallowed and backed away. “How could I do that, locked in here?”
His mouth curled in a frightening hint of smile. “That’s for you to solve, isn’t it?”
In spite of herself, her temper was getting away from her. “You liar,” she cried. “How dare you say you want me to get you something I don’t have, then lock me up so I couldn’t get it even if I did! I’ll fight you, I will, you won’t have an easy time of it with me—”
“I’ve managed so far,” he cut her off. Vivian didn’t move, holding her ground but tensed for any action that might be necessary. His eyes were as black
Similar Books
