Page 13 of Chain Me
Which, of course, he took his sweet time doing. I could see him within my peripheral vision, standing rigid, his eyes on me.
“You need to see a doctor.”
“I have a doctor.”
“Aqualifieddoctor—”
“Says who? I’ll have you know, I’ve beenperfectin fact, without your meddling, thank you.”
“I’m sure you have,” he countered. “Your friend Gabriel certainly seemed to be of the same mind. He looked liable to do more than take yourmoney. Bravo, Eleanor. No one would guess that you were a virgin only a couple months ago. I’m sure that, in my absence, you’ve added a few more conquests to your ever-growing list.”
I stumbled to a halt as my eyes went so wide that I figured he could see them dancing in my skull from his position.
“Don’t tell me I’ve insulted you,” he added.
“You…” I sucked in a breath, blinking rapidly.No.I refused to let him unnerve me. I needed to counter, regain my composure. Something cruel should have been on the tip of my tongue. Anything but, “You don’t get to act like this. Not after everything you put me through—”
“Oh?” He came up behind me, casting a shadow that swallowed the pool of light I was standing in. “And what have I put you through?”
I gasped as his hand captured my chin, tilting my head toward him. With his height, only a sliver of his jaw was visible from this angle. And his eyes. They were silver, spitting fury like lightning.
“Do be a polite girl and enlighten me. You can start with the part where I saved your life.”
“You left,” I blurted, obeying his instruction like a good, pathetic contractee. “You left without even an evil speech by way of goodbye I might add—”
“You don’t know, do you?”
A hitch caught in my throat. He sounded so furious at that fact. I came to him, crawling his way like a pathetic victim eager for more—and I didn’t even have the sense to knowwhythat fact irritated him so.
“Get off of me,” I spat, slapping his hand away. “I’ll tell you what Idoknow, though—I can press charges.”
“On yourself for trespassing?” He moved his grip to my throat, barely applying pressure with flexing fingers. “Do try it, Eleanor. Or have you forgotten? You came to me.”
I blinked. Something in his tone made my heart race, hammer a silent warning. “You came to me first,” I pointed out, even more perplexed than ever at the image of him lurking in the dining room. “Youstalkedme. Badly, I might add. You should try a disguise next time—”
“I can smell him on you, you do realize? Here.” An icy gust fanned the exposed hollow at the base of my neck, his finger, drawing an accusatory line over the flesh. “You could have showered before coming here, at least. It would have made a more desperate impression. I’m sure you and your sister have some demand to make of me, especially after this little ruse. With her resources, don’t pretend like you weren’t alerted the second I returned, and I know for a fact that she has been keeping out of the spotlight. What is she planning? Let’s not waste any more time. Say it.”
“The man I met was helping me,” I stammered, choosing to overlook his mention of Georgie—for now. If dealing with him had taught me one lesson, it was to stay focused. Ignore all bait. “I was—”
“Don’t play naïve,” he warned, applying more pressure to my throat. “You and I both know that he wanted more from you, Eleanor.Morethan your money. Perhaps a desire to corrupt the innocent heiress? It doesn’t matter.” His fingers flexed, with just enough tension to make me suck in a breath. “You forgot that you’ve already sold your body. Your soul. To me.”
The way he’d said those two words… My brain melted. Disintegrated. Poor Dr. Goodfellow had every right to be concerned, because this was true terminal danger. I gasped like a drowning victim, flailing for a lifeline. In my hazy, scattered thoughts, I found one.
“Is this your trick?” I murmured despite the fragile cage of his hand. “Distract me? Pretend and then gloat—”
“Still the same old Eleanor Gray, as stoic as ever.” He forced me to face him and my eyelids fluttered as I tried to withstand the intensity of his gaze. It was no use—I failed. “I did research into your dear Mr. Lanic. Why am I not surprised that you have a preference for dangerous, elusive men?”
A muscle in his jaw lurched, betraying the unbelievable. Hours back and he’d already inserted himself into my life, hunting down an acquaintance I barely knew.
But why?
“I…I thought you just returned to the country?”
“Your heart is racing, Eleanor,” he snarled over me. “Perhaps you should see that doctor? I’m running out of contracts to extend where your life is concerned.”
“Who says I need your help?” I pictured Goodfellow and her faked concern, but it was getting harder and harder to remember the weakness that had plagued me for weeks. The dizziness, or the coughing fits. Dublin Helos was the cruelest antidote to physical pain.
Around him, my thoughts were in more than enough turmoil.
