She narrowed her gazefuriously. “Loyalty? You deserve a bullet for the crimes you’vedone.” She said viciously.
It must’ve been effectivebecause Ivan released her and looked a little shocked. She was sickof paying for her father’s sins. This was just another man thinkingshe owed him something. She’d been kidnapped, beaten and kept undera roof of a man she hated, and now this man thought he had theright to tell her what to do. She wouldn’t stand for it! The wineshe consumed that night probably gave her a little couragealso.
She pointed a finger athim. “You! You are just as much as a filthy liar and murderer as heis. I blame you for what happened to me too! And if you ever touchme again, I’ll shoot you myself!” She turned abruptly, opened thedoor, stepped through it, and slammed it behind her. She leanedagainst it and desperately tried to catch her breath. She’d neverspoken like that to anyone. She was terrified, yet exhilarated atthe same time. She reached over and slid the lock on the door. Shewas worried he’d recover and come busting in. To her relief sheheard his heavy footsteps down the hall.
Should she worry about whathe’d tell her father? No, if Ivan had something he would havealready taken it to him. She was sure of it. Whatever he saw wasn’tproof enough. Now she understood what he was up to. He was tryingto get a reaction out of her over it, and it didn’t work. She couldthank Ryan for that. He always told her to use those feelings ofrage to keep her focused, and it worked. She was sure she wasconvincing. She crossed her fingers.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Please say something,” shesaid softly.
Ryan had returned to theirrooms twenty minutes after Ivan left and she told him what hadhappened. He hadn’t said a word during or after she’d talked, andshe honestly couldn’t decipher his expression. It was the same onehe’d wear if he was reading a newspaper. He just lifted her arm toexamine the bruise on her wrist. His fingers traced itgently.
“Ryan?” He met her eyesand she clamped her jaw tight. Oh, therewas definitely something there. He wasenraged. “I’m okay.”
He raised her arm to hismouth and placed a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist as his eyesremained on hers. “I know you are.” His voice wassofte—concerned.
She smiled. The angerwasn’t toward her.
He then pulled her into hisembrace and kissed the top of her head.
“You obviously aren’t angrywith me.”
“Uh-uh.”
“Um, penny for yourthoughts?”
“Nope.”
“That bad?”
“Yup.”
“Do you need a drink to calm down?” sheteased, trying to lighten the situation.
He moved her back fromhim. “No, but I do know something that would help.” He took her mouthaggressively stifling her gasp.
Her hands rapidly fumbledat the buttons on his shirt, and the zipper got stuck on her gown,so he just ripped it while pulling it down to bare herbreasts.
“That’s a two thousanddollar dress,” she murmured against his mouth. There was laughterin her tone.
“I’ll replace it,” he saidhuskily, lifting her to him.
She groaned feeling herbare breasts brush his naked torso. He was warmer than she was, andfor some reason the hair on his chest felt erotic on her skin. Shewrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in hishair kissing him passionately.
He turned and walked pastthe bed to the large chair in his room. She didn’t understand whathe was doing until he sat in it with her straddling him. Hegathered the material of her dress and pulled it up her barethighs. “Your skin is as silky as this material.”
She reached down and undidhis slacks, then lowering his zipper, followed by his underwear tofree him. All the while her mouth never left his.
He cupped her bottom andlifted her onto his member, releasing a deep groan of satisfactionas she enveloped him.
They certainly didn’t getall their clothes off before he drove into her. His shirt was openand hanging off him, and her dress was still on but around herwaist. He only managed to get his dress pants down to hisankles.
She laughed softly at theirdisheveled state before his mouth smothered the sound. He made loveto her possessively; hard and fast, and she knew then, that shebelonged to him.
An hour later, they werestill in the chair with her laying against him. Her head was tuckedunder his chin. She could have stayed there forever because duringmoments like this, it washed everything evil out of herlife.
“A penny for yourthoughts?”
His deep voice brought herhead up. “I was just thinking how you seem to take me away from allof this destruction.”
His hands smoothed down herback and over her bottom. “You realize that it actually goes bothways. I’ve never known such peace until I’m with you.”
Her eyes searched his asthey started to water. That was the first deeply emotional thing headmitted to.
“I love youKat.”
Now she wascrying.
“Shh.” He moved her headdown to his shoulder. “I’m not leaving you, and I’m not leavingthis place without you.”
She knew he wouldn’t saysuch a thing unless he truly meant it. She also never knew whattrue love was until that moment. “What if this goessour?”
“It won’t.”
She knew he was just sayingthat to reassure her, but it still didn’t take that dreaded worryaway. What if she lost him too, just like her mother? The onlyother person in the world to truly love her.
He shifted, and pulled herback. “Time for bed. We’ll wake up sore sleeping likethis.”
They removed the rest oftheir clothing and wrapped themselves around one another for apeaceful sleep.
***
The next morning she awokewith him lying on his side, with his head propped up on his arm,staring at her.
She rubbed the sleep fromher eyes. “How long have you been doing that?”
“Long enough to appreciateyour beauty.”
She blushed and hit himplayfully. “That’s so embarrassing. I know I’m a mess.”
He smiled. “You lookedthoroughly ravished, and trust me, it’s appealing.” He lifted hishand and used two fingers to move hair off her face. “You’re cheeksare flushed and your eyes are vibrant.”
His hair was mussed up andhe had thick stubble on his chin and jaw. “You should talk.
