Page 128 of Entangled

“It is another thing entirely, Lucien.” His eyes flash. “Indelicate as it may be, there is a benefit to his approach with her. She has freedom, agency—the ability to fight back. She can reclaim her control with him. With me? I will take it from her.”

“You don’t have to be like that with her,” I mumble after a moment. “You can be... nice.”

He arches a very unimpressed eyebrow. “No. I can’t.” He takes a breath, then releases a sigh. When he looks at me, his eyes are dangerous—a slow burn of heat. “I want to hurt her, Lucien. I want to hurt her so badly I can taste it.”

I shiver, intrigued and frightened by that look.

“She’s a sweet thing. Still so innocent.”

His tongue slides over his lower lip, like he is tasting it. Like his want for her is on his mouth. In his skin. He’s turned on, I realize. Painfully so. He usually takes care to make sure I don’t see it, but he’s not even trying now.

He’s making a point.

Those dark eyes envelop me again. “If you put her in my hands, dear boy, I will break her... and I will enjoy every moment of it.”

I believe him.

Something happens in me then—a violent kind of arousal, followed by an equally urgent surge of protectiveness.CouldEden enjoy Jasper’s brand of pain?

I think of her bandaged wrists and her exhausted, haunted eyes.

And I stay quiet, silently acknowledging the warning.

“She knows why I refused her,” Jasper continues softly. “If she ever desires to truly try, then I would be willing, but not before.” The heat extinguishes in his eyes, leaving them cold and lonely and touched with longing. “Eden is... an uncommon woman. I want to see her thrive.”

My own longing throbs through my body, and I nod unhappily. “Fine. Fine. But I have to try for myself. I’ll romance her or talk to her. I’ll do whatever I need to, but I’m going to get through to her.”

Jasper walks over to me, then adjusts the flower in my hair. “Then, my love, it seems we have similar quests.”

And then he kisses me.

For a long, long time, hekisses me.

Chapter31

Eden

Survival tip #328

Move in with the gorgeous man.

For protection and stuff.

Iexplode into my room, my eyes blurry with tears, and as soon as the door shuts, I press my back against it, letting the sobs take me. I’m here, I’m back at Bristlebrook.

And everything is still falling apart.

“Hey, hey now.”

I snap my head up, scrambling to my feet in alarm, only for the slow, coaxing words to register. Beau is in the middle of a messy pile of his things in the sitting area, holding a table lamp. Through my tears, I give it a puzzled look. He sets it on the coffee table and comes toward me.

“That’s the best lamp in this whole lodge. Perfect for night reading. I’ll share a lot with the new folks, but we’re keeping the lamp.”

We’re. He’s moving in with me. We’re going tolive together.

I feel my lip quivering again and look down, sniffling. It’s repulsive. Damn it. This is getting absurd. I can’t keep crying. What a pointless exercise.

Why does my freedom seem to have come at the expense of my self-control?

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