Captivated

his visions of a future full of wealth and luxuryfor them both.

Did any woman ever have a choice?Had her mother?

The silence of the house was disturbing. A house of secrets, she thought despairingly, behind whose walls she was already immured as absolutely as a nun.

And she would know all the secrets of a woman and a man before the day was over.

The ring felt odd on his finger: constricting, eternal, foreverthere.

What a man did in the space of a moment that irrevocably altered his life…

He might not have married for years, if it weren't for the lure of Oak Bluffs…

And Drue.

He climbed the steps slowly, thoughtfully. It would be so easytoo easyto just give in to his carnal impulses. He wished he were a creature of the senses, like that blasted Lenoir. Then he'd have no conscience about taking what he wanted and the hell with the consequences.

Lenoir had been so sure that Oak Bluffs would be his. And Drue.

But all that was over now. Victor was contained, for the moment, although he had no illusions about that. Lenoir was goneCourt had made sure of it before they even left the church grounds. And now all that awaited him was the moment of truth with Drue.

He had set up the scenario; the only thing he didn't know was how it was going to play. Without a doubt, she still cared for Lenoir, which was going to make his possession of her that much more difficult.

And his highhandedness had probably made her either scared or furious. Hewanted her full of spit and sass, like that flash of fire she'd shown at the reception.

For him.

He didn't want a doll that he could prop and pose any way he desired. He could buy that on any street any night in New Orleans.

You couldn'tbuy a lady. Naked. In your bed.

His blood burned at the thought.

You bought Drue.

He quelled the thought and shrugged out of his frock coat, tossing it at one of the console tables, as he reached the landing.

He was no shining knight and he was the first to admit it. His motives were just as base as any man in heat, except that he had gone after one woman, one body, one object he wanted to possess.

But he was not a man of indiscriminate tastes.

His tie went next, draped over a piece of useless porcelain. His boots, kicked across the hallway.

His lust escalated moment by moment.

How often did a man get to set the scene for his seduction? The thought of Drue beyond that door, naked, quivering, waitingwaiting for him made his juices boil.

Even if she didn't want him…

He was certain she heard the rasp of the key in the lock, but she didn't turn from the window as he eased his way into the room.

He didn't know what he expected, but certainly not Drue wrapped up like a mummy, staring out the window and looking impossibly fragile.

He locked the door behind him, slowly, carefully, buying time. Drue was furious and not a little wary as she slanted an uneasy glance at him.

He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the door, waiting.Goddamn it, goddamn it. She was thinking about Lenoir. Saving herselfas if she couldfor that jack dandy.

Over his dead body. He'd kill the bastard first. And he was going to destroy every memory of him from Drue's mind, if he had to kill her, too.

The silence stretched uncomfortably. She had thought for sure he would come in making demands, making it easy for her to resist him, fight himhurt him so he wouldn't want to touch herever.

But he said nothing. No, that wasn't strictly true. His eyes spoke. His eyes burned with a message that even she, in her innocence, could read. He had come to collect on his investment.

Andshe was the payment.

'I want my clothes,' she said tightly.

'No clothes.' His voice was like iron.

Her heart fell.Noclothes. No mercy.

What had she thought? He would come with pearls and poetry, petting and pleas?

He was rough and rude and accustomed to getting what he wanted.

So be it.

She turned and climbed stiffly onto the bed, dragging the bedspread behind her. 'I'm ready.'

He suppressed a flare of annoyance. There was no one less ready than Drue, with her martyred expression and thick cocoon of the bedspread swathing her more securely than a chastity belt.

She needed a strong, firm hand. Drue was not stupid. Or unaware. But what had he expected? The fawn was skittish and prone to hide from her predator. And his job was to lure her out and then dominate all her virginal impulses until she begged for surrender.

'I'm not,' he said bluntly. 'And this isn't how it's going to go.'

'The only way it has to go is that you get it over with,' Drue snapped, wriggling into an upright position.

That was better: the fawn was showing some teeth.

He didn't change his stance. Not yet. Not yet. This was not Drue's game, even if she refused to admit it. She had still to learn who had the power to make demands, and who must submit. But hewould have his way. And he would haveher, even if he had to discipline her to get her.

'This is the first thing we get over with,' he said evenly. 'Two conditions, little fawn, and they arenot negotiable.'

Her expression turned mutinous. 'You've already dictated the terms, Court. I won't abide any other considerations on top of that.'

'Two conditions,' he said inflexibly, ignoring her. 'You never,ever hide your naked body from me'

She made an angry motion.

'… and number twoyou willnever deny me anything I demandin our bedroom.'

Her heart swooped down to her toes. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. She wanted to kill him. He'd bought her and now he had stripped everything from her, right down to her clothes.

He owned her, body and soul. There was nothing left of her now that didn't belong to him. And if she had thought to hold him off with words or with a puny wall of cotton, she had underestimated his determination to get most use of his newest possession.

He was her master and she was nothing more or less than a body to service him:his slave, to his whims, his control, his lust.

For all the days of your life… Her breath caught as the impact of those words struck her. Linked to him forever, never to know any other love, any other life.

'Did you hear me?' Court murmured, his voice deceptively, dangerously, low.

Her voice caught. 'I… heard you.'

'Did you? Youheard me? Youknow what I wantyouheard what I want and you haven'tyet complied? Isthat what I'm to understand, little fawn? That my wishesaren't paramount with you? That the two small inconsequential requests I have made are to be disregarded altogether by you?'

'I' She almost choked. Themaster was speaking, his voice like iron, his eyes cold, his expression impassive. He meant to exert every measure of control, to make her understand that he could do with her whatever he wanted, because he had paid for the right to do so.

Off the auction block and into his bed. What was the difference after all?