Testing me.
Trying to see how far they could push before I fled screaming back to the Transvaal.
But no. Their expressions were far too serious.
They had meant it.
And god help me, a shameful part of me wanted them to.
Two days later, I dared to emerge. I had continued to take my meals as they'd instructed, even if every bite tasted of sawdust. My nerves were stretched thin, but confinement had its own kind of madness. And so, late in the afternoon, I crept down to the drawing room, telling myself that perhaps they were out riding, and I could have a few quiet moments with a book.
I should have known better.
"Lisa."
The sound of my name rolled down my back like warm honey, and I froze. Leighton stood by the hearth, hands in his pockets, his scar lit by the fire's glow but his smile still as devastating as ever.
Magnus leaned against the mantle beside him, arms crossed, his dark gaze settling on me as though I had already disobeyed some unspoken order.
My throat tightened. "I was merely looking for something to read."
Leighton's smile deepened, kind but unrelenting. "Is that so? You're not out here hoping to run into us?"
"That does sound plausible," Mangus finished, his voice low, rough.
I lifted my chin, summoning what little defiance I had left. "And if I say you're both delusional?"
Magnus's mouth curved in something that was not quite a smile. "Then you're lying, little filly."
Heat flared in my cheeks, furious at being seen through so easily. "You think you know me, know everything. But you don't. Can you even begin to imagine how terrified I am by what you suggested? Do you even understand what you're asking of me?"
Leighton stepped forward, his eyes softening as though he would coax a wild bird to his hand. "We understand perfectly, Lisa, love. And we'll go no further than you allow. But you do want to learn, don't you? You are curious, aren't you sweet girl? Don't lie now. Be a good girl and tell your Daddies the truth."
My body betrayed me before my lips could form a denial, a sharp ache pulsing low in my belly at the thought of them guiding me. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to shake my head. "If I let you... if I... did such things, what's to say you won't lose all your respect for me?"
"Ah," Magnus's eyes gleamed, predatory. He pushed off the mantle, slow and deliberate, like a wolf uncoiling from rest. "There's no chance of that happening, little filly."
The silence pressed in on me, thicker than the velvet curtains drawn across the windows. I stood by the chaise like a schoolgirl awaiting punishment, fingers twisting in my skirts.
Magnus sat down in the leather chair as though it were a throne, broad shoulders sprawled, dark eyes locked on me. Leighton lounged at his side, deceptively relaxed, though the sharp focus in his gaze left no doubt I had all his attention.
I licked my lips, my throat parched. "You can't truly expect me to..." The words trailed off.
"We do." Magnus's voice cut through, firm but absolute. "It's time to listen to your Daddies."
A shiver ran down my spine, and I felt an ache in my most forbidden core and that naughty word.
Leighton leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his tone softer but no less dominating. "No one will touch you, love. Not me. Not Magnus. That way, no one can claim you've been compromised or ruined." His smile was coaxing, wicked and tender. "All you have to do is let us guide you. Show you how good it can be."
My pulse thundered in my ears.
"Let us see you, little filly."
"See?" The word was barely more than a croak.
Leighton nodded. "Every flicker of desire across your face. Every shiver in your body." Leighton's gaze swept over me like a caress. "You'll learn what pleases you, and we'll learn how to please you even better once you allow us full access."
I swallowed hard, a nervous giggle bubbling in my throat. "You make it sound so easy and simple."
