Wicked Designs novel Chapter 7

With a sigh, Godric climbed out of bed to get dressed. Emily danced back, well out of his immediate reach, her face a cherry red as she pretended to look away from his naked body. It was charming, her innocent belief that if she stayed out of his way she would be safe. If he truly wanted to, he could haul her to the bed and take her. But there was little fun in that. The journey of the seduction was half of the pleasure in bedding a woman.

She stopped fidgeting and met his eyes with a strong glare.

"Why ruin me? There are many other young heiresses with more money. Do you plan to marry me?" She raised a golden-brown brow at him, a silent challenge that he found amusing. Emily was a forward and brash little creature, he would give her credit for that.

"Revenge is my only interest in you. Is that a simple enough answer? Your uncle is to blame." Godric crossed the room to wash his face.

"My uncle?" Emily's brows drew together and her lips parted as though deep in thought over the revelation of being leverage.

Godric bent, washed his face in the basin at the bedside table and then toweled himself dry. Then he pulled on a robe.

"Your uncle acquired a great sum of money from me, and I have it on good authority he's paid off his other creditors with it rather than invest it. My money is gone."

"That still doesn't explain why I'm here." She bit her lower lip, an expression of keen intelligence in her eyes. It had been ages since he'd really looked at a woman's face and found intelligence attractive. Emily was certainly both.

"What is your intention towards me?" Despair laced her tone in such a way that she drew Godric's attention.

Emily sat down on the edge of his bed, her eyes wide in disbelief. Abandoning his quest for proper clothes, Godric crossed the room, caught her chin in his hand and tilted her head back so she was forced to look up at him.

"I must keep you here a while until I see your uncle thoroughly destroyed, then perhaps I'll return you to London. While you're here, you're welcome to share my bed." He tapped her nose with a fingertip, attempting to tease her, but his words only drew a deeper frown from her. He knelt in front of her. "No harm will come to you, Miss Parr. You have my word as a gentleman."

"Gentleman?" she scoffed. "Some gentleman you are. Dragging women from carriages, drugging them. You have not one ounce of honor. I don't even see what this has to do with my uncle. Men like you ruin women like me and never look back. I dare you to deny it."

He laughed. "I wouldn't dream of denying it. I do however insist you understand I only ruin women for a purpose, not for sport." He leaned one hip against the dresser, watching her intently. "I'm sure you know how easy it would be for your uncle to sell you to a man in marriage to settle his debts. Well, no one will take you if I've been there first."

Emily's eyes darkened. "So you hurt me to strike out at my uncle?" Her voice rose in pitch but it wasn't shrill. "Have you not considered me? I am an innocent party in this. My uncle will demand you marry me, and then we'll be stuck together."

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