Read Online Wild Orchids by Karen Robards - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Robards
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savage, but not as savage as the light in his eyes. Lora stared at that pistol, and felt the sick horror return. She did not doubt that he would use it if she did not obey. The choice was between submitting to the unspeakable degradation of a sexual assault or dying. Her mouth quivered. She did not want to die. Her hand moved back to the zipper while he watched with narrowed, glinting eyes.
Her hands shook as she pulled the zipper down past her waist as slowly as she dared. When the dress was loose she shrugged out of the narrow straps and let it fall down her body. Staring fixedly at a point on the opposite wall so that she would not have to look at him, she stepped out of the soggy, crumpled circle of blue, and bent to pick it up. Carefully, she shook it out and hung it with his discarded clothes on the footboard. She felt his eyes on her all the while. Unable to resist the compulsion, she darted a quick, frightened glance at him, then just as hastily looked away. His face was predatory as he took in the sight of her clad only in her white strapless bra with the innocent little pink rosebud between the cups that she filled almost to overflowing and the matching panties that circled her slender waist with a narrow band of elastic decorated with yet another rosebud before flaring out to hug her curving hips with silky white nylon. The underwear was newly bought for the trip, and while it was pretty and feminine it was also modest. Or at least, it had been in the department store. Now, dampened, it clung to her skin so that she might as well have been naked. Looking down at herself, Lora was mortified to discover that her nipples, reacting to the chill, stood erect, pressing wantonly against the whisper-thin nylon that seemed to gleam in the flickering lamplight. Their rosy pink color was clearly discernable, as was the darker hue of the circle surrounding them. And, further down her body, could be seen the triangular shadow between her thighs.
"Take that off, too. Everything."
Lora clasped her hands before her, her fingers twining in an unconscious nervous gesture. To strip naked before this monster, this animal who was deliberately forcing her to humiliate herself as a prelude to heaping even worse brutalities on her, was absolutely beyond her. She could not do it… She looked up, directly at him for the first time since she had started taking off her clothes. The cold blue metal of the gun gleamed at her. His eyes were just as hard and cold as they met hers. Would he shoot her? With the Rodriquez family downstairs? If he shot her, he would have to kill them as well. Would he think of that? Would he care?
"Did you hear me?" The quiet rasp was ominous in its softness.
Lora's hands twisted again. She looked up at him helplessly. The gun in his hand terrified her, the man himself terrified her—but the thought of standing naked before him terrified her too.
"You won't shoot me."
"What?" He sounded dumbfounded.
Lora swallowed. She had barely managed to get the words out the first time. It wasn't surprising that he thought he might have misunderstood the hoarse croak.
"You won't shoot me." Her voice was a little stronger this time. He stood staring at her as if she had suddenly sprouted horns before his eyes.
"You have a death wish, or what?" he asked, eyes glittering as his mouth compressed. Lora quivered as the gun came up, pointed while his hand tightened. "I'm giving you one more chance, and one only. Take off those clothes!"
"If you shoot me, you'll have to shoot all of them, too. Downstairs. The police will come, and then they'll really be after you. The whole country will be after you…"
"Goddamn it!" The words were no less ferocious for being muttered. Before Lora realized what was happening, he grabbed her, shoved her against the wall, and pinioned her there with one hand around her throat. He squeezed just hard enough so that she had to gasp for air. Her eyes were wide and terrified as they met his. He was
Her hands shook as she pulled the zipper down past her waist as slowly as she dared. When the dress was loose she shrugged out of the narrow straps and let it fall down her body. Staring fixedly at a point on the opposite wall so that she would not have to look at him, she stepped out of the soggy, crumpled circle of blue, and bent to pick it up. Carefully, she shook it out and hung it with his discarded clothes on the footboard. She felt his eyes on her all the while. Unable to resist the compulsion, she darted a quick, frightened glance at him, then just as hastily looked away. His face was predatory as he took in the sight of her clad only in her white strapless bra with the innocent little pink rosebud between the cups that she filled almost to overflowing and the matching panties that circled her slender waist with a narrow band of elastic decorated with yet another rosebud before flaring out to hug her curving hips with silky white nylon. The underwear was newly bought for the trip, and while it was pretty and feminine it was also modest. Or at least, it had been in the department store. Now, dampened, it clung to her skin so that she might as well have been naked. Looking down at herself, Lora was mortified to discover that her nipples, reacting to the chill, stood erect, pressing wantonly against the whisper-thin nylon that seemed to gleam in the flickering lamplight. Their rosy pink color was clearly discernable, as was the darker hue of the circle surrounding them. And, further down her body, could be seen the triangular shadow between her thighs.
"Take that off, too. Everything."
Lora clasped her hands before her, her fingers twining in an unconscious nervous gesture. To strip naked before this monster, this animal who was deliberately forcing her to humiliate herself as a prelude to heaping even worse brutalities on her, was absolutely beyond her. She could not do it… She looked up, directly at him for the first time since she had started taking off her clothes. The cold blue metal of the gun gleamed at her. His eyes were just as hard and cold as they met hers. Would he shoot her? With the Rodriquez family downstairs? If he shot her, he would have to kill them as well. Would he think of that? Would he care?
"Did you hear me?" The quiet rasp was ominous in its softness.
Lora's hands twisted again. She looked up at him helplessly. The gun in his hand terrified her, the man himself terrified her—but the thought of standing naked before him terrified her too.
"You won't shoot me."
"What?" He sounded dumbfounded.
Lora swallowed. She had barely managed to get the words out the first time. It wasn't surprising that he thought he might have misunderstood the hoarse croak.
"You won't shoot me." Her voice was a little stronger this time. He stood staring at her as if she had suddenly sprouted horns before his eyes.
"You have a death wish, or what?" he asked, eyes glittering as his mouth compressed. Lora quivered as the gun came up, pointed while his hand tightened. "I'm giving you one more chance, and one only. Take off those clothes!"
"If you shoot me, you'll have to shoot all of them, too. Downstairs. The police will come, and then they'll really be after you. The whole country will be after you…"
"Goddamn it!" The words were no less ferocious for being muttered. Before Lora realized what was happening, he grabbed her, shoved her against the wall, and pinioned her there with one hand around her throat. He squeezed just hard enough so that she had to gasp for air. Her eyes were wide and terrified as they met his. He was
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