I wanted to antagonise her to the point of giving in just so I could fuck her again. My blood was lava; my cock rock hard.
Trying to get myself under control, I snapped, “I forgot to complete a part of the First Debt. My father just reminded me.”
She stiffened. “Didn’t I pay enough for that monster? Twenty-one lashings complete with scars that will last a lifetime. Or did he find out you didn’t freeze me before making me bleed?”
Resentment radiated on her face.
How could I handle her like this? This belligerent?
“No matter what you think of me, I’m doing my best to protect you. I told you I would be in equal trouble for disobeying. I have no intention of explaining the truth.”
Despite herself, some of her temper dispersed, leaving resignedtolerance in her gaze. “If it’s not that...then what?”
My fingers curled tighter around her wrist. I winced as something sharp dug into my thumb. Holding up her arm, the glint of metal winked through the black fabric of her jumper. “Are there needles in your cuffs?”
She tried to jerk her arm away. Unsuccessfully.
“Hardly safe, don’t you think?”
She looked at the sharp pins as I pulled them free and dropped them onto a side table.
Her lips curled. “A hazard of the occupation. It’s convenient to have them there—I misplace them if I’m knee deep in material.” Her black eyes met mine. “Careful where you touch me, Jethro. You’ll never know if a needle will stab you to death.”
I froze. Everything she said came layered with hints and metaphors.
A chill scattered down my spine. “You’re beginning to piss me off, Ms. Weaver. If I didn’t know any better, I would take that as a threat.”
“Maybe you should.”
“Maybe you should say what you mean and be done with it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought I just did. I hate you. There, that blatant enough?”
Oh, my fucking God. This woman.
“You don’t hate me.”
She snarled. “Believe me. I do.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know more than I need and I don’t like what I know.”
My heart lurched. “You’re just like them. Judging me before you understand me.” The moment the words were free, I panicked.What the fuck?
My fingers twitched to wrap around her throat, to squeeze the knowledge of my secrets from her ears. She’d cut me out. She didn’t deserve to understand.
I moved forward, closing the distance between us, unable to ignore the twinges of cuts on my soles. “Stop punishing me for what happened yesterday.”
She laughed coldly. “Yesterday? You think my repulsion of you is from yesterday?”
I frowned. “Of course, it is. Before you saw what was on the moor, you liked me. You kissed me. You wrapped your legs around me whileI fucked—”
“And you fell for it, didn’t you?” Her smile was nasty. “I made you kiss me. I made you fuck me to prove a point.”
The fire in my blood suddenly snuffed out, leaving my heart blackened and charred and eager for the creeping icicles in the dark. My voice dropped to an emotionless void. “What do you mean?”
You used me.
