“Surrender entirely,” she echoed, and he could tell that shock and bewilderment had dulled her sharp wits. She might even be drugged. There was no time for subtlety for Mirabelle could only delay the voyeurs a little.
“It’s act or do it in reality, Hippolyta.”
She jerked under his sharp tone. “You’re not going to…?”
“No. I promise I won’t harm you. I’ve made a wager I can make you willing, and without removing a stitch of clothing.”
He should have known that the word wager was like a red rag to a bull. “You could always lose your ridiculous wager,” she snapped, much more like his Amazon.
“Twelve hundred guineas?”
She gaped again. “What? How could you…?”
“Isn’t that sum worth a little acting?” He saw a powerful weapon. “You can have it if we win.”
“Twelve hundred guineas?” she whispered.
“A good start on your debts, isn’t it? And all from a man who can afford it and deserves to lose more. Agreed?”
She looked around dazedly, her puffed-up face and long dark hair making of her a changeling, but Portia all the same. Then her back stiffened, and her chin went up. “Agreed. But I haven’t the slightest idea what to do.”
“I’ll guide you. But don’t be too willing too soon. To begin with, be frightened.”
She was frightened, he knew, but she met his eyes. “I’d rather fight!”
“Excellent.” He picked her up and threw her on the bed. She landed in a sprawl of skirts then scrambled to her knees in outrage. Before she recovered, he launched himself at her and pinned her down. “Did I tell you we have an audience?” he whispered. “There’s twenty peep-holes in the wall and the man I made the wager with is behind one. We’d better do this well.”
She went limp with shock. “Watching?”
“And listening if we speak loudly, so be careful. Isn’t that terrible? Aren’t you angry about it? Now, try to hurt me. Come on. I know you’d like to hurt someone.”
Fire flashed in her eyes then and she did fight, not holding back at all. He goaded her so she did her damndest to get her nails at his skin, at his eyes even, spilling out all her fear and rage on him. He lost some skin and gained some bruises, but wasn’t in real danger until he grew careless and she almost got his balls with her knee.
He twisted quickly, laughing. “Someone’s taught you something, sweetheart.”
“Fort. Who would have found a better way than this?”
He hadn’t tried to use his strength before, but now he pinned her down ruthlessly. “Such sweet faith you show in him,” he hissed. “Your lover is he?”
She bared her teeth, fighting every ounce of his weight. “You…you…toad!”
He almost laughed that all her rage had resulted in such a mild epithet.
“Toad or not, it’s me you have to deal with.”
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t. You hate my world.” He brought his mouth close to hers as if to kiss. “A side wager, Hippolyta.”
Confusion turned her limp and she stared into his eyes. “What? You know I don’t gamble. I hate gaming!”
“You dice with the devil all the time, sweet Amazon. What we do here is going to be for show, but if I can truly make you want me, you are not allowed to hate me.”
She struggled again.“Wantyou? You must be mad!”
“The whole world seems to think so. Do you agree?”
“How can I not hate you?”
