Page 83 of Sinister Games

Without even a glance in my direction she left. The final sound was the closing of the far door.

“Do you like what you see?”

I screamed as I raised a hand to my heart.

Richard.

I had no idea where he had come from or how long he had been watching me.

Was his presence why none of the servants even dared to speak to me?

Wearing a gorgeous deep purple cashmere robe, he approached the cage. Pulling a brass key from a deep pocket, he held it up.

“Will my little bird try to fly away if I let her out of her cage?”

Crossing to him, I grasped the bars and leaned forward through the space. He was standing so close I could smell his sandalwood cologne. Pressing till the bars pinched my cheeks, I placed a chaste kiss on his chest where the robe exposed a small V of tanned skin and curling black hair.

“You’ve clipped my wings, my lord.”

I could feel the rumbling growl as his chest trembled at my words. His fingers dug into my hair and raised my head. “You are my treasure.”

Placing the key in the latch, the gold bar door swung open and I stepped into his strong embrace.

He hugged me close for a moment.

Not wanting to reopen a still fresh wound, I still needed to say it. “I’m sorry,” I rasped against the thick lapels of his robe. “I’ll never lie to you again.”

Holding my head between his hands, he stared down at me with those dark inscrutable eyes. “I can’t trust my actions when it comes to you, Elizabeth. I can’t explain why, but I feel too deeply for you. When you are not by my side, under my control, I feel this beast clawing inside my chest, raging to get out and find you. Please, don’t ever test me like that again. You have no idea what I’m truly capable of.”

My body trembled as I crushed his cashmere robe in my fists.

Looking up at the cage, then back at me, he threatened, “This is nothing compared to what I would do if I thought, for a moment, you would leave or betray me.”

His hands had tightened on my skull. Once again, I felt the physical power of his words.

“I won’t. I promise.”

Leaning down, he kissed my forehead. “Good girl.”

Taking a step back, he released the belt of his robe and let it fall. Underneath he was unabashedly naked, his thick, hard cock jutting out from a nest of black hair just above his heavily muscled thighs. Reaching for the straps of my leotard, he pulled the feather patterned fabric off my shoulders and over my hips. When I was naked, he put an arm under my knees and lifted me high.

Taking a few steps toward the bath, he lifted me over the rim and placed me gently into the water. I couldn’t hide my gasp of pain as the hot water rushed over my punished skin. Richard climbed in after me and pulled me to sit between his legs, my back against his chest.

The heated water quickly soothed my sore muscles and I relaxed into his arms.

Scooping up a handful of bubbles, he held it before me so that I might blow them into the air. Watching as the rainbow spheres floated high above us then burst.

Leaning over, Richard picked up a cloth from the silver tray affixed to the side and began to run it over my shoulders and back, gently bathing me.

I giggled.

“What is so funny, my love?”

“This is all so… so… not normal.”

We were taking a bath in a massive crystal tub next to an equally large custom-made birdcage in the middle of a conservatory.

I had become a heroine in a romance novel… and a dramatic, bodice-ripping one at that. The orphan girl being seduced by the dark and powerful duke. I said as much out loud.

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