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"Perhaps you were dropped on your head as a child," she said sweetly "Or mayhap madness runs in your fa toward her "Not to e"

"Then your stupidity is all your own"

"I don’t think I’ht in front of her now, leaning into her face, too close, too personal

"Oh, yes," she said as she shoved against hie an inch, daled the fingers of one hand roughly in her hair He pulled her head back and placed his ainst her throat

"Tell ainst her skin

"You are the ain and when he still didn’t move, balled her fists and hit his chest and arms--"imbecilic man in the history of the world"

"No doubt," he sighed against her throat

He didn’t seem to mind or even feel her blows He tore away the bit of lace at her neckline and lowered his mouth to the upper slopes of her breasts "Tell me why, my sife"

"I have watched you," she panted, "for years I’ve seen you look at women--vapid, pretty women I’ve seen you choose which ones you wanted I’ve seen you stalk therew tired of theain"

He tore at the laces to her bodice, loosening and pulling aside the fabric of her dress and stays until he reached her bare nipple He pal strongly

She cried out

He lifted his head "Tell me"

She looked at hie Of pain "I saw you I saw you take them aside, saw you whisper in their ear Sahen you left with a particular wo her away to bed her"

Her whole face was contorted, tears strea her cheeks, and still he looked at her His expression was intent, his hands gentle as he thuentleness The dam had broke, and all the e forth She held his shoulders, used thee to reach up and bite him on the ear He jerked his head back and, in a swiftand loud, as he threw her over his shoulder and bore her to the bed He let her fall there, the i off her screas over hers, her wrists caught in one strong hand

A pounding came at the door

"Go away!" he shouted, his eyes never leaving her face

"My lord! My lady!"

"No one opens that door, do you hear?"

"My lord--"

"Goddamnit! Leave us alone!"

They both listened as the footman’s steps left Then Jasper leaned down and licked her neck "Tell s held her down, and she couldn’t get purchase "All those years"

He pulled off his neck clo›ff anth and tied her wrists to the bed rails over her head "All those years, what? Tell me, Melisande"

"I saw you," she panted She looked over her head and yanked on the neck cloth It didn’t give "I watched you"

"Stop struggling," he ordered "You’ll hurt yourself, sweet lady"

"Hurt!" She laughed and it had an hysterical edge

He took a knife fro away her clothes, each rip a sensuous tug against her oversensitive skin "Tell me"

"You bedded them, woman after wo pain He pulled the bodice entirely off her "So many I couldn’t even keep track Could you?"

"No," he said softly

He wrenched off her skirts and threw the off her shoes, he tossed them away as well "I don’t even remember their names"

"Daarters Her hands were bound above her, but her legs were free She kicked at hih

He fell on her heavily, his hips across hers His h the curls at the top of her thighs "Tell me"

"I watched you for years," she whispered The tears were drying on her cheeks, and heat was building within her If he would just touch her Touch her there "I watched you and you never sawaround a nipple He trailed his tongue across her breast and to the other breast, circling the nipple there Delicately Tenderly

Damn him

"You didn’t even know my name"

"I know it now" He tested her flesh with his teeth

Pleasure ht from her nipple to where his hand still played She arched, silently begging, and he relented, sucking the nipple strongly into histo focus her thoughts "You didn’t know I existed"

"I do now"

And he slid down her body, spreading her knees and draping her calves over his shoulders

She bucked, trying to dislodge hie him any more now than she could before

He lowered his head and licked her sex