“Do you think I give a bloody damn whether you are here now or not?”
He flinched under her scorn. “You would rather go through this alone? I won’t let anyone else near you,” he warned.
“Of course you won’t. That would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?”
“I tried to return in time to cancel the order, but as I came up the stairs, your dinner tray was just being removed.”
“Spare me your excuses and lies. There is nothing you can say—”
Katherine stopped as a wave of heat seemed to roll over her, making her nerve endings vibrate. She bent over, arms wrapped around her middle, trying to hold back the turmoil inside her. She groaned, knowing she couldn’t.
Hearing Dimitri rise in concern, she lifted her head and impaled him with such a look of loathing that he didn’t move further. “I hate you for this!”
“Then hate me,” he replied quietly, regretfully. “But tonight—tonight you will love me.”
“You’re crazy if you think so,” she gasped, backing slowly toward the door. “I’ll get through this on my own…without…any assistance…from you.”
“You can’t, Katya. You know that. That’s why you’re so angry.”
“Just stay away from me!”
For long moments Dimitri stared at the closed door, and then the emotions he had held in check were released as he toppled the table in front of him, scattering food and drink across the room. The outburst didn’t help.
He couldn’t believe he had done this to her. She would never forgive him. Not that it should matter—Sweet Christ, it did matter. He should be horsewhipped. He could have had a woman at the snap of his fingers. He had no excuse for forcing this one, even if he was certain that she desired him and all she needed was an incentive to admit it. He couldn’t even do as she asked now and stay away from her. How could he? To let her suffer needlessly was unthinkable. But he would take no pleasure for himself. It was what he deserved, to see her in a constant state of arousal and do nothing to appease his own desire. To see her willing and deny himself.
Determined to keep that resolve if it killed him, Dimitri quickly disrobed and entered Katherine’s room. She was already on the bed. Her robe was thrown off, her skin too sensitive now to bear even the slightest touch that didn’t offer relief. And her body was twisting, undulating. Only the green satin sheets were missing for a reenactment of that first night in London.
His feet moved automatically toward the bed, his eyes transfixed by the curve of a thigh, the taut thrust of a breast, her belly turned to him now, now the smooth slope of her back. She was the most exciting, sensual woman he had ever known, and he ached for her, his body cried for her. He had been in a state of arousal ever since he saw her tray coming out of her room. He might despise himself now for what he had done, but his body had reacted to what it knew would happen, and now, now he must be mad to put himself through this torture with no hope of relief. He was on fire, had never wanted a woman so much in his life. And he couldn’t have her. He had set his own punishment.
“Dimitri, please!”
She had become aware of him. His eyes flew to hers and he groaned, seeing the wild plea reflected there. She had forsaken her pride already. He could do no less.
“Shh, little one, please. Don’t say anything. It will be all right, I swear. You don’t have to let me love you tonight. Just let me help you.”
As he spoke, he eased onto the bed, careful not to touch her until, with his eyes locked to hers, he slipped his hand between her legs to find the core of her agony. Her climax was immediate: her hips shooting off the bed, her head thrown back, a sharp cry—half pain, half ecstasy—on her lips.
Dimitri closed his eyes and kept them closed until he felt the tension drain out of her. When he opened them, it was to find her staring at him, her eyes inscrutable now, her features so relaxed that she could have been sleeping. He knew she was fully conscious, her mind clear and active while her body was temporarily free from the slavery of the drug. At this moment she was capable of any reaction, any normal reaction that was in character. In fact, he anticipated another lacerating tirade, not the calm question she finally asked.
“What did you mean, I don’t have to let you love me tonight?”
“Exactly that.”
He was leaning beside her; she had only to glance down to see his state of arousal. “You would let that go to waste?”
Dimitri nearly choked, seeing where her eyes were fixed. “It won’t be the first time.”
“But it isn’t necessary this time. I don’t have any fight left in me.”
“That’s the drug. I won’t take advantage of it.”
“Dimitri—”
“Katya, please! I only have so much control, and this discussion isn’t helping.”
She sighed in exasperation. He wasn’t listening. He was so set on getting her through this trial without deriving any pleasure from it himself that he couldn’t hear what she was really saying. The drug had nothing to do with her surrender. It had just hurried it along. But she wanted him to take advantage of it.Shewanted to take advantage of it. Why did he have to turn noblenow?
There was no time to convince him that she wanted him, with or without the drug. It was starting again, the fire rushing through her veins, the ache deep down in her loins.
