Victoria Parker – To Claim His Heir by Christmas (страница 9)

Ethereal was surely the only word to describe her in that moment. Seraphic. And his ardour dulled as he was struck with the feeling that he was too dark to touch her. That he would taint her somehow.

Right at this moment she was crushed up against the door, as far away from him as she could get, and Thane hardened his body, trying to expunge the terrible self-awareness, the stomach ache that whispered of rejection. Not once had she rebuffed their volatile passion. Not once. The reason for which he wanted to know. Now.

‘You never answered my question,’ he said, his tone darkly savage. ‘Was it the food or the company that was so bad you could not eat?’

Her absurdly long, decadent eyelashes were downswept. ‘Does it matter?’ she asked softly.

Patience dwindling, he went in for the kill. Even though he was unsure if he could go through with this if she said yes.

Astounding and unthinkable as it was, if she did he’d rather put her on an Arunthian plane without another word. The ‘why’ of it wouldn’t be difficult to find if he cared to revisit his boyhood, watch misery trickle down his mother’s face as she pined for another. But delve into the past he would not. That long-ago place was a dark punishment he would never descend to again.

‘Are you in love with Augustus, Luciana?’

She massaged her temple as if he were a headache she wished to rub away.

‘I wasn’t born to marry for love, Thane. I have no choice over the direction my life takes.’ Her voice was tinged with bitterness and he felt a flicker of suspicion spark in his gut.

Frowning, he narrowed his eyes on her face, his guts twisting into a noxious tangle. ‘Have you been in his bed?’

If he’d blinked he would have missed it. Her wince of distaste.

‘That is none of your business.’

‘Have you been in his bed, Luciana?’ he asked again—harder, darker. Almost cutthroat.

‘What difference does it make?’

‘For hell’s sake, just answer the question!’

Up came her arms with an exasperated toss. ‘No! Okay? I haven’t been anywhere near his rotten bed. Would you

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