Page 61 of Hush Darling
“Tell me, darling, was the hand you imagined that of your sweet friend Peter Pangbourne?”
“What? No.”
“Then who?”
He was right. She had touched herself. But she never imagined Peter. It was always someone darker, someone without a face. “I don’t see Peter that way.”
“But you see yourself that way, don’t you?”
She licked her dry lips and met his stare.
“Tell me the truth. Tell me you act like a dirty little slut when you’re all alone, desperately wishing someone would treat you like one.”
She couldn’t deny it. He read her too well. “How…?”
The side of his mouth curved up. “You reek of secrets. I can smell them through your pretty manners as much as I can smell the arousal seeping down your thighs. And, because I’m so certain you’re not the good girl you pretend to be, I bet you're wishing I’d put my fingers back inside of you right now. Shall we check my theories and bring you some relief?”
No one had ever read her so flawlessly. He was right—about all of it.
“So you see, darling, I won’t treat you like a princess, or an heiress, or whatever you think you deserve, because I don’t care about society's expectations for you. I only care about my expectations, and you’re going to meet every last one. You’re my new personal toy, and I’ll show you exactly how men like to play with their toys. We’re destructive, and we love exercising power over others.”
She couldn’t look at him, let alone draw a full breath. “Not all men are mean.”
“Speak up.”
“I said, not all men are mean.”
He laughed. “There’s a lie. Men are mean by nature, which is why they’re refined from birth.”
“You obviously weren’t.”
“No, but they tried. At least with me, you get honesty, unlike those gentlemen you’re used to, the high society ones who act civilized but secretly mistreat their wives and blame life’s little pressures for making them snap.”
Leaning forward, he possessively glided a hand over her knee, and she stiffened. He applied no pressure or force but gave her a commanding look. Her knees parted slowly.
He chuckled. “See how easy that was? The least you could do is be honest with yourself and admit you're interested to learn what I can teach you.”
She was intrigued, but deep-rooted shame prevented her from admitting such truths, even to herself. She thought about Peter’s duality and how he performed so easily for society. Then she thought of how disappointed she was when his true selfishness came out.
“I can admit I’m curious.”
“How refreshing.” He leaned forward, his thick hair spilling like ink on a page as his honeyed voice dropped another degree. “Some men try to trap and hide their shadow-self. I embrace mine by letting the darkness run free. Wouldn’t you prefer to feel what it’s like to free all that trapped wickedness inside you?”
A hot flush burned her cheeks as he pulled back his chair. He stood in one fluid motion and went to the dresser.
“You don’t have to pretend you’re a good girl for me.”
She watched as he methodically removed the leather belt. Stripping away his weapons made him no less intimidating. At his core, he was a primal force, now unencumbered and perpetually untamed.
He was so fluent in her body’s responses that he didn’t need to look at her. “Your heart’s beating faster now, isn’t it, darling?”
“Yes.” So fast it nearly shook her words.
“Good. That’s your adrenaline. It heightens the senses, so there’s more pleasure, more fear. More everything.”
Seconds shortened to the span of her palpitating heartbeats, and the walls tightened around her.
He turned and finally met her stare, his smile nothing short of predatory. He was savoring the suspense and using it to make her more agreeable. Returning to her side, he caressed her jaw, and she closed her eyes, ashamed that she’d succumbed so easily.
