Page 59 of Hush Darling
“It’s a rude sign of privilege not to eat when a meal is offered, darling.”
The food looked and smelled delicious, but she had no appetite.
When she still didn’t touch her plate, he said, “Are you afraid the food is poisoned? If I wanted you dead, you’d know.” He pulled her plate away, sliced her meat, and pushed it back. “Eat.”
Her hand shook as she stabbed into a cut of meat and brought it to her mouth, but she tasted nothing beyond her fear.
“What do you say?”
She looked up at him, confused. Then it clicked. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome.” His manners contradicted his cruelty, and she didn’t understand where this need for decorum stemmed from.
They ate silently as he studied her, his dark emerald gaze hooded and calculating.
She looked down at her plate. “For someone so strict about manners, you seem to forget it’s impolite to stare.”
“I don’t give a shit about manners. But I demand the respect of every single person on my ship, including you.”
“Aren’t manners and respect the same thing?”
“No. Manners are merely polite words. They hide a person’s true motives. Respect is an ingrained form of honor.”
“Well, some might say it’s disrespectful to stare.”
“I plan to do many disrespectful things to you tonight.”
Her fork stilled.
“Don’t look so terrified. Degradation can be quite liberating.”
She wasn’t exactly clear on what he meant by degradation, but it sounded horrible. She set down her fork to hide how her hand trembled. After wiping the corners of her mouth with the cloth napkin, she folded her hands in her lap, her gaze downcast.
He lifted his wine and leaned back, openly studying her no matter how uncomfortable his attention made her. “You’ll regret not turning away my generosity. It does have limits, and you’ll need your strength. I’m a hard man to satisfy, and I expect my satisfaction to be your highest priority.”
Her heart raced. She knew nothing about satisfying a man, let alone an evil man. “Perhaps if you told me what you like?—”
“It’s simple. I like the thought of you on your knees, begging to do whatever is my pleasure. My darker desires will feel quite dehumanizing to someone of your stature—at first. But you’ll learn your place quickly.” He sipped his wine and continued to study her with that calculating stare. “Right now, you’re thinking of all the ways you might escape your fate because this can’t possibly be happening to you.” He leaned forward and smirked. “But Daddy’s money can’t save you here. My ship is fast, and by the time anyone dares to approach, I’ll have had you every way a man can.” He chuckled when her eyes widened. “Don’t look so frightened, little mouse. Depravity has its rewards. By dawn, you’ll be preening every time I remind you that you’re now my filthy little whore.”
The shock of even hearing such cutting words left her staggered. No part of her could ever enjoy being called such terrible things. “I think I respond better to praise.”
“I’ll only praise you when you embrace that which will inevitably break you. Think of it as an experiment in willpower. Whose will is stronger, mine or yours?” He stretched out his legs and tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Or should the question be, which is safer—getting your way or giving into mine?”
Appalled, she said, “I don’t have a filthy side.”
“Of course you do. It’s the disgusting part of yourself you hide.”
“I don’t?—”
“Don’t bore me with lies, darling. Challenge me, and I’ll force you to your knees here and now to prove my point.”
Her breath hitched, and her thighs clenched as a strange tingle of sensation throbbed low in her belly.
“Ah.” He grinned. “I’ve struck a nerve. I bet your privileged life’s filled your pretty head with notions of love and self-worth. But this isn’t love, darling. And your worth is up to you. I’m afraid depravity is the only out you have.”
Her gaze dropped to her plate, her appetite gone. “You’re a monster.”
“Am I? Or perhaps your perspective is confused. Too many people are motivated by praise, but that’s not the world we live in. Praise is rarely genuine. And when it’s not honest, it’s a lie. The liars are the monsters, darling. Trust me on that.”
