Page 19 of Her Cruel Empire
“Why me?” The question tumbles out before I can stop it. “I’m not exactly your type.”
“And what do you think my type is?”
“Beautiful. Sophisticated. Like—like you. The kind of woman who belongs in a place like this.” I gesture around the room. “Not a kindergarten teacher-wannabe from Nevada who’s never been out of the country.”
“You’re right,” she says. “You’re not my usual flavor.” My heart sinks, but she reaches out, traces the line of my jaw with one finger. “But sometimes a palate cleanser is exactly what’s needed. Something simple after too much rich food.”
Is that what I am? A palate cleanser?
“Have you ever been with a woman, Robin?”
The question catches me off guard, heat flooding my cheeks. “I mean—yeah. What they said at the auction, that I was a virgin, it was just?—”
“I wasn’t at the auction. I sent Leon in to buy you.” She says it so casually that I can’t be offended. “But you’re not widely experienced?”
“No. I’ve been too busy to have time for relationships.”
Something flickers in her eyes. Something that might be surprise, or interest, or hunger. “Busy doing what?”
The question seems innocent enough, but something in her voice makes me wary. Still, I answer honestly.
“Working. Two jobs. My sister Maisie needs a lot of medical care, which I need to pay for, and…” I trail off, feeling like I’ve said way too much as Eva’s face goes completely still.
Arctic, in fact.
“How admirable.”
She sounds so cold compared to before that I take an involuntary step back. “Did I say something wrong?”
She almost speaks. Almost explains. But instead, she walks to the French doors that lead to the balcony.
“There are rules here,” she says without looking at me. Her voice is flat, empty of the playful heat that was there moments before. “One rule, actually. Only one that matters.”
She turns back to me, and I see once more the ice queen I glimpsed in Vegas. Beautiful. Untouchable.
Dangerous.
“There is a door in this castle that is locked,” she says. “You are never—never—to open it. Never try to unlock it. Never even consider it. Do you understand?”
I nod mutely.
“Say it.”
“I won’t open the locked door.”
“Good.” She moves toward the door, then pauses. “Of course, you’re not a prisoner here, Robin. You can go anywhere in the castle, explore the grounds, take a boat out on the lake if you like. But that door must remain unopened.”
“Why?” The question slips out before I can stop it.
Eva’s eyebrow raise is sharp as a knife. “Because I said so. And in my house, my word is law.” She studies me for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in those amber eyes. “Come. I’ll give you a tour of the castle so you won’t get lost. You don’t want to wander into the wrong place by accident. That would be…inconvenient.”
The way she says “inconvenient” makes my blood run cold and hot at the same time.
She extends her hand—an invitation or a command, I can’t tell which. When I hesitate, her smile turns predatory.
“Unless you prefer to stumble around in the dark alone?”
I take her hand. Her fingers are warm, strong, and they close around mine like a velvet trap.
