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The wo&039;s bed was not, by a far stretch of the ie and as green as a spring field Her hair, a silkyin wild disarray around her pale oval face The cut of her gown, even be it a si beneath her hee of heart, have you?"

She sed loudly "W-What?" she whispered

He shook his head He&039;d had this happen before, on several occasions, in fact Sterling had a rule about women in his bed Only the common, like hi woerous to a erous to her, as well

"You&039;re not the first proper on," he said "I&039;ll tell you what I told the others: I&039;ht&039;s pleasure Find your a eyes blinked up at hi realized that he stood before her naked Well, hell, like the other wohts Now she could plainly see that he didn&039;t stuff them to enhance his manly assets

"Oh ree "I&039;m afraid you don&039;t understand I did not sneak aboard your wagon; that is, I did sneak aboard your wagon, but not for the reason you have arrogantly assuht swoon, Sterling snatched the pelt off his cot and wrapped it around his waist "I hope that your coachman has followed discreetly behind, as has been the case for others like you in the past Then when I throw you out into the night, you won&039;t find yourself in an even erous circumstance"

"Throw me out?" Her head snapped back up "You cannot throw me out I have no protection"

"Bravery and stupidity walk a fine line together," Sterling cal woman affected him more than he cared to admit It had been years since he had tasted innocence, and she reeked of it Her lips, full and puffy froaze and held it Herher words

"Speak up," he de"

Her chin rose He knew the haughty expression well The wealthy learned it at an early age He lifted a brow in similar fashion

"I am not hysterical," the woman said more forcefully "I am shocked and sickened that you would steal into her "Your bed?"

A pretty blush suffused her cheeks "That is to say, your bed," she corrected "Perhaps I should explainupon the wagon floor "Make it quick The farther we travel from London, the farther the hen you return"

Her back straightened "I cannot go back I must throw myself upon your mercy"

She didn&039;t pitch forward and land at his feet, and she hadn&039;t lowered the superior tilt to her chin At least her hands shook as she fondled the expensive lace thatresented her immediately She was a reon isn&039;tfast The fall when you jump shouldn&039;t doentleaze to roam over her from head to toe "You&039;ve already discovered that Get out before I&039;ain"

The man was rude, crass to the core He stared at her with his unsettling gray eyes as if she were the one who&039;d taken liberties with him His hair was not silver, but blond, a few strands streaked lighter than the rest He was tall, and soive him that But she refused to show fear Animals, Elise had heard, sensed fear and were prone to act upon the e for all the world like so, probably had the mentality of a simple beast

"I have money," she said "I&039;ll pay you"

One of his dark brows lifted again "Pay me for what?"

Herover his hed His teeth hite and straight, she noted Seeing them exposed on her behalf did not please her He sobered aof coins to the inside of her cloak She fu, then handed it to him "It isn&039;t ers touched hers during the exchange and sent another shiver racing up her spine He held the bag as if weighing it, then frowned "I&039;ll wager this isn&039;t enough to pay your expenses even this far But it is enough to get your throat slit and your body tossed into a ditch by so back to her "Gather your belongings and leave"

Unbidden, a rush of tears sprang to her eyes Elise htened of being forced into the night Alone, on the dark roads, she would be an easy mark for thieves, or worse

"Please," she whispered "You areher thoughtfully "Escape? Who are you running frohtened or not, Elise had been schooled in proper manners "It wouldn&039;t be proper for hed "They callproper, you damn sure wouldn&039;t be here"

His rudeness wore upon her already frayed nerves "Has no one ever taught you manners?"

The wheels hit a rut and bounced hion He landed beside her Elise scrambled back - away from his nakedness, the heat that radiated from his powerful body For all his rudeness, he didn&039;t speak with a cockney accent like ht nose, strong jaw, high cheekbones, and well-defined lips

"Manners do not put food in erously close "What is your name?"

Did she dare tell him? It occurred to Elise that he could use her true identity to his gain and her loss Hea reward, or, worse, kidnap her and deh ransom for her return

"Elise," she provided stiffly

"Elise"

He said her na it for flavor He said it in a way that made her feel breathless and made her heart beat all the faster inside of her chest

"The name suits you"

She wished he&039;d move off of the cot and, for God&039;s sake, dress himself properly She could scarce look at hi of their own accord

"Beast Tamer does not suit you Have you a Christian name?"

"You avoid the subject Who do you wish to escape, Elise?"

Again, the sound of her na inside her stomach "I cannot discuss my problems with a man whose Christian na her attention to his broad, bare shoulders "If we have nothing further to discuss, it is tirabbed his arh her His flesh was muscled and his skin warm and sht I will tell you why I e to a man I do not wish to wed"

His response was a snort of a fro by the cut of your clothing and the way your nose is pointed at the ceiling, you not only know that it is your duty to secure yourself a prosperous husband, but you have been training for it since you were a little girl"

True, she knew ood match was the best most women of her station could hope for, the most they could aspire to in life, but Elise wasn&039;t likea lady because her uncle had insisted, but she&039;d always longed for a more adventurous life Elise did not have friends like other young woe The London ton cared little about her cold, impersonal uncle, and he less about them They were rarely invited to the best parties, and if someone sent them an invitation out of duty alone, her uncle had never attended, or allowed her to attend, either Her uncle hadn&039;t even given her a proper "coone behind her back to settle her future

"The man he wishes me to marry is old," she whispered "And very unattractive"