Grievous (Wanted Men #5) - Nancy Haviland Page 0,42

she’d just revealed she was willing to be one to get what she wanted?

Rubbing her hands up and down her thighs, she cleared her throat and would have killed to be able to pour herself some juice from the carafe, but she didn’t feel comfortable making herself so at home. She wasn’t really a guest here, she was a pet, and pets weren’t allowed to touch what was on the table. Right?

Shit. You’re starting to role play, idiot. She brought her fingertips up to rub at her eyes.

The sound of footsteps preceded Lucian returning. He took up his position again. “You have had few men since then.” In that way of his, he spoke as if there’d been no interruption.

She dropped her hands to her lap without trying to figure him out. “It took me some time to get over what I’d done.”

“You were ashamed.”

Conscious of Sorin less than twenty feet away, she lowered her voice and answered honestly. “Some of the girls I grew up with became prostitutes, and I was always proud of the fact that I didn’t give up and go that route to make a buck. But then I did, only it wasn’t to make money but to save it.” She shrugged. “It’s sad what you’ll do when you feel you have no other choice. It wasn’t until later that I realized I did have other choices. I could have gone deeper into debt, completely destroyed my credit rating, dropped out and tried again when and if I was ever in a position to afford tuition. I was just too tired to do any of it.”

Looking around the room, she wondered if he was ashamed of anything he’d done in his past. “I had enough pride not to have actual sex with him; even when he guaranteed me an A if I did.” Her lip curled. “Such an asshole. I wish I’d known someone like you back then,” she said, forcing a smile to try to lighten the somber atmosphere. “Maybe I could have borrowed one of your goons and they could have slapped him around until he promised never to do that to another girl.”

“You didn’t report him.”

It was funny how he wasn’t asking questions, but making statements as if he already knew the answers. But he couldn’t have because there was no one who knew about this except her and her professor.

“No. I didn’t. I knew there was no point. And, like I said, I was too tired at that point to withstand what would have come with filing a complaint. As a female growing up where I did, you get to know pretty early on that not many people side with our type. A poor girl with no support system, no family, no stable home, attending a school like NYU on grants and a full scholarship. If I’d ratted out an esteemed professor?” She snorted. “Please. They’d have pulled my funding and laughed me off campus before I could blink.”

He placed a hand on her knee and squeezed until she met his eyes. He held that look, feeding her need for the connection she craved. “I, too, wish you had known me back then. I would have gladly taken care of him the same way I took care of that nobody at Markus’s service. Fighting her battles; yet another sign I like my pet.” He leaned in and rubbed his nose against her cheek. His next words didn’t match the affectionate gesture. “Now, we are going to try this again. You will open this beautiful mouth of yours and take what I am offering you in the way of sustenance. Before I stand and feed something into it that has no nutritional value whatsoever.”

Mmm. “Which nobody at Markus’s funeral?”

He ignored her and fixed a fresh plate. He flicked his brows up when the fork was once more at her mouth.

“Tyrant,” she whispered before parting her lips.

♦ ♦ ♦

As was becoming common, frustratingly so, Lucian found himself watching Yasmeen’s emotions play out across her face. The desire that had emanated from her after her mild punishment had settled once more. As suspected, spanking this woman was another of life’s pleasures. The firmness of her flesh under his hand. Her willingness to accept the discipline without protest. His ability to show his displeasure. So satisfying. But none of that compared with feeling her enjoyment of the act. She’d been so aroused her tight little pussy had taken his fingers in with ease, her inner walls