She smiled. “The Heavenly Sire has truly gifted you,mein geliebtes Herz. ‘Tis a waste to cover such excellence.” She paused and waited a few seconds, listening for movement in the hallway. She wanted to make sure the servants had gone. “Disrobe,mein Engel, mein Bruder, and I will do the same. Let us not hide ourselves.”
When they were both resplendent in their nude perfection, he sat in the chair beside his sister and took in her beauty as she reclined over the deep green settee. Green had always been her color. It highlighted the golden undertones of her pale skin, and brought out the flecks of silver in her eyes. Whenever she had the chance, she wore green, accessorized with it, or added green furniture to her surroundings. Her suite at Hughgate Hall was the only green guest room, and she made sure she got it.
She always got what she wanted.
“Dinner was a success, though I did not have a chance to charm Miss Edwards as I had hoped.”
Divinia’s eyes narrowed. “I do not like how she spoke to you, as if you were some common pest beneath her notice. She nearly challenged you outright.” Twisting to turn to him, uncaring of her nakedness, she spat, “I will have her tongue on my fork, and then I will pound it with the heel of a boot until it is a lump of pulverized tissue—then I will make her eat it.”
He laughed at her witty rant. “Your viciousness is well placed and much appreciated, my heart, but you are speaking of the woman whom our Heavenly Sire has provided for me to accomplish my master work. You cannot harm her. She is mine.” He whispered last word, but her contrite expression meant his warning was clear.
“I meant no disrespect to our Sire, I would not wish to interfere in your commission, but I cannot tolerate one such as her—an imperfect being conceived in sin—to treat you so terribly.” She rose from her seat, and knelt before her brother, taking his hands in hers. Her soft pink nipples brushed against the hair of his legs. Her eyes, familiar and so like his, were filled with love, adoration, and appreciation. No one could love him like his twin. No one would ever adore him as his dearest sister did. No one would ever understand his purpose, his mission, as she did. She was his everything. No one on earth compared to her.
His Sire had provided him with a canvas nearly as perfect as his sister, a canvas for him alone. The perfect female body for his knives to slice.
“How does your campaign for the duke progress?”
She stiffened. Her beautifully rounded lip curling up in a sneer.
“Your paragon has him entranced. Did you see the way he looked at her throughout the meal? In the music room? And afterward, how he stared at her as we gathered to leave? No matter where she stood, his gaze would follow. It sickens me, but I will not give up. The Duke of Caspire is the perfect stepping stool on which I will stand to reach my position of power and prestige among the vauntedTonof England.”
The confident and ferocious expression on his sister’s face left no doubt in his mind that she would succeed.
Divinia Kroger always got what she wanted.
She stood, looked down at her brother, and smiled.
“So, dearest, how shall we move our plans forward: yours for your perfect canvas, and mine for my duke?”
“I have already set things in motion,” he purred.
“How can you be so sure, brother?” She ran her fingers over the generous mounds of her breasts where they rested above herheart, and he followed the movement, his eyes well acquainted with what they saw.
His sharp smile curved at the tip like a scimitar.
“What God has set in motion, no man can hinder.”
“These people don’t know any better. They will try to stop you.”
His smile widened.
“They can try, sister, and I will gladly cut them down for their ignorance.”
Chapter Forty-One
Millie’s bright smile was a welcomed sight to an overwrought and exhausted Haven. After leaving Logan’s bed, she’d spent the rest of the early morning hours weeping into her pillow. She hadn’t done that since the night Elgin left. Something about being rejected for a dead woman just didn’t sit right. It hurt.
A lot.
Even after every other man in her life robbed her of joy, she thought Logan would be worth the effort, but he took her gift and tossed it aside for a beautiful specter. She’d hoped he was different. She wanted to believe her heart was safe with him, but she couldn’t have been more wrong.
Forcing a smile, she took a seat at the table, and allowed a footman to pour her a cup of coffee. It smelled like a skunk would taste, but caffeine was the best medicine for a sleepless night. The stronger, the better.
She could really go for a java face slap.
Millie’s voice cut through the morning like a cleaver. “I can see you had a late night.”
Startled, Haven nearly spilled her steaming coffee into her lap.
