Page 198 of Merciless Desires

She hung her head and every part of me wanted to reach out to her. I only permitted my hand. I let it slide along the table, slow and trepid, until the tips of my fingers touched hers. They instantly warmed. Not just a hint of warmth, or a slight glow. It was a heat that took me by surprise. It made me want to both snatch my hand back and eclipse it beneath hers. She slowly raised her head and shone wide eyes at me, her lips parted.

Thankfully, I remembered what I was planning to say. “Then you should be proud of yourself. I’ve seen your CV, Rose. It’s beyond impeccable. You deserve a place at Edinburgh.”

“You really think so?”

Her question threw me. She didn’t truly care what I thought. Usually, I would have waved off a comment like that – yeah, sure, whatever. But this time, I cared less that she couldn’t possibly be genuine; I just wanted her to believe in herself.

“Yes, Rose. And I’ve been in this business long enough to know talent when I see it.”

A dusky blush crept along her skin. “Thank you. That really means a lot, Dalziel.”

Her fingers crept along mine and dipped beneath the knuckles, seeking cover. The warmth spread up my arm, across my shoulders and down my back.

“You can call me Dax,” I said, breaking another of my rules.

She blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“Dax,” I repeated. “It’s short for Dalziel. Most people call me Dax.”

“Oh, right. Dax.”

My name settled in her mouth like it was meant to stay there, and my heart ached. I wanted nothing more than for her to whisper that name in the throes of a climax, but I wasn’t sure I could give that to her. First of all, it wasn’t likely she’d ever truly want me, so an orgasm was unlikely. Further, according to my research, it was practically unheard of for a virgin to have an orgasm the first time. Chances were high that I would never hear my name fall from this woman’s lips in the way I wanted.

That thought ripped my hand from hers and I tensed instantly. I remembered Uncle Sinclair’s famous words: if you’re always on the attack, you need never play defence. This was my attack: to be impenetrable, to not show emotion, to not open myself up to ruin. I took from his catchphrase whenever I needed to feel strength or to justify when I’d been particularly hard on a tenant, and rarely more than that. Rupert and his younger brother Hector pretty much turned a deaf ear to it. But Ossian… Ossian Thorn, primary heir to his father’s fortune, and without doubt the most avidly avoided human on the island… he lived and died by that theory.

“Will you ever allow me to leave these rooms?” Rose’s face had hardened.

I frowned and looked around. “Why would you want to leave these rooms?”

Her eyes bugged. “To get some exercise? To breathe some fresh air? To feel for a few seconds like I might not be a total prisoner?”

I stared at her. The furnishings in this place cost the equivalent of a twin-engine aircraft. I’d made sure of it. The second I won Rose at auction, I had the entire suite ripped out and redecorated in the finest paints and furnishings.

“Where do you want to go?”

She sat back sharply. “Well… um… I’d like to see other parts of the house. Maybe if you have a library…”

“A library?”

I must have looked quite confused because her lips quirked at the corners. “Yes. You know, a place that houses books?”

I huffed. “I know what a library is. I’m just trying to understand why, when you’ve travelled all the way here, you want to visit a place you likely have access to at home.”

Her shoulders dropped. “No two libraries are ever the same. The editions, the variety, the smells… And think of all those stories hidden behind the spines.”

She shivered.

“Are you cold?”

“No. I’m just imagining what it feels like to stand in a library I’ve never visited before. It’s like making a new friend.”

Her tone was wistful and her eyes soft. In that moment I wanted to give her all the libraries in the world.

“We have one or two,” I said. “Or… five.”

She breathed in sharply. “You have five libraries?”

“For different purposes.” I waved a hand. “We have specialist libraries for things like business and professional interests. Mother has one of her own filled with what I can only imagine are romance novels, though I’ve seen a few dragons on the spines.” I mused with a shrug. “Father and Uncle have collections in their offices. And of course, there’s the master library.”

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