Page 79 of The Beauty and the Boxer
“How much,” he said slowly. “Do youneed?”
“Jack, I…” she began but then she swallowed.She closed her mouth before answering his question. “I need fivethousand pounds.”
To her surprise, he didn’t flinch, but thatsum had made her ill. He bent over the desk and began to writesomething, when suddenly he was done and tore it from a book thatshe couldn’t see from where she was sitting. He came back to herand handed her a piece of paper, written out with his name, anaccount and a subject line filled with the amount she needed.
“Take it to Lloyds tomorrow. They’re closednow, but they’ll cash it at once.”
Meredith glanced down at the paper in herhands and felt a new wave of shame and gratitude. Why was this manconstantly supporting her in ways that she had barely allowedherself to dream about? It was almost as if he knew her needsbetter than herself.
Still, the thought of taking this amountfrom him made her feel queasy. But she couldn’t give it back, notwhen it was all that separated her from her freedom. She held ontothe paper, careful not to crumple it.
“Thank you,” she whispered softly, as shestood up, a tear falling down her cheek.
She looked at him, his dark eyes cold andshuttered. He was angry, she knew it and yet he had given her thehelp she desperately needed without demanding anything in return.She knew she could leave this room without uttering a single wordand he would let her leave, completely unsatisfied with herunwillingness to trust him.
That fact and that fact alone made her heartburst with undue emotion. Could a man be so accommodating, sounderstanding? A deep, thundering sensation coursed through her asshe watched him. It was as if the very blood in her veins yearnedfor this man and she knew in that moment that while she may not beable to trust herself, she did trust him.
Shedidtrust him and she didn’t wantto leave without at least showing him how much she did. The longershe stared at him, the more uncomfortable he seemed to become. Hismouth strained shut and his eyes dropped a fraction, seeminglyunwilling to gaze at her anymore. For the life of her, Meredithcouldn’t understand why her feet wouldn’t move, to take her awayfrom this place and return to Clyde. She needed to pay him off andbe out from under his thumb once and for all, but in doing so herdebt would be transferred to Jack.
A shiver of intense pleasure ran down herspine at the thought. Of course, Jack would never expect her to payhim back, but she would. Lord help her, she would find a way to doso.
She took a step as her body moved towardsJack.
He stood perfectly still, as she came beforehim. She was close, too close for decency. She let the check dropfrom her hand as she went to touch his face, his stubble feelingoddly soft. He pulled his face away instantly, as if her touchburned him.
“Don’t,” he said huskily.
But Meredith couldn’t stop. She wastransfixed by his cravat for some reason and her fingers moved tountie it. Instantly, her wrist was caught in his rough grasp.
“Don’t,” he repeated, his words sticking inhis throat. “Don’t tempt me, Meredith.”
She could see the restraint in him, almostas if he was holding back. She would be lying if she hadn’timagined what it would have been like to see him in the boxingring, all that masculine energy and power unleashed in one of theonly settings it was permitted. What would it be like if hesyphoned that energy into the act of lovemaking? She felt her kneesgo weak at the idea of being under his authority. At his mercy.
“I’m not trying to tempt you,” shewhispered.
“I don’t require anything,” he said, shakinghis head as he tried to find the right words. “What I mean to sayis, you don’t owe me anything.”
Meredith’s heart seemed to beat twice asfast at his words.
“Kiss me, Jack,” she said as her other handcame up to his cheek.
“Careful, Meredith,” he said, his voice softand dangerous. “You’re playing with fire.”
Deciding that this was what she wanted, whatshe needed in this moment, her fingers went to the back of his headand entwined in his dark, curling hair.
“Kiss me,” she repeated.
In an instant Jack was kissing her, crushingher soft body against his in a grip that would have been painful ifit hadn’t been exactly what she felt like she needed. His mouth waspunishing and he kissed her with an untampered heat that she hadnever known.
Meredith felt wild with lust as they bothseemed to be out of their depths. She clawed at his jacket, pushingit off as her hands came up to untie his cravat, while his handsroamed over her tightly laced gown.
“Bloody hell, where does it open,” hegrowled into her mouth as he nipped at her neck.
“The front,” she breathed as his fingersworked tirelessly to undo the row of buttons that ran from her neckto her midsection.
Meredith was without morals, withoutconsequence. She needed to be with Jack, touch him, feel his skinagainst hers and they were both seemingly unable to stop.
Jack was quick with her buttons, and pushedthe gown down her sleeves to undress her. She stepped out of thegown and pulled the long strings at the back of her corset to untieit as he removed his vest and shirt and when he did, Meredithgasped at what she saw.
