Page 23 of The Black Dragon
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Three nights.One night for each month he’d suffered at her father’shands.
Not a huge price to pay. But he knew it would cripple Leo’splans.
Bitter jealousy and rage filled him as he envisioned the puny, weak Parker with his pale hands roaming over Ariel’s nakedbody, lying atop her and thrusting inside her untried body, claiming her in theflesh.
Parker planting his seed deep into herwomb.
Parker at her side as Ariel birthed hisbabies.
Never! This Mage who thought Ariel could be purchased like one bought a parakeet would never haveher.
She ismine.
Bed her. Three nights of bliss, Ariel in your arms. You will giveher the pleasure she deserves, and have your revenge. You deserve it. And muchmore.
Yet he couldn’t deny that seducing Ariel was more than seeking justice. He hungered for her, couldn’t stop thinking about her. The lush mouth of hers, pursed in thought. Her silky brows, arched like the rock formations he enjoyed flying over. Ariel’s soft, smooth skin, which he longed totouch.
Her amputated limb, oddly enough, fascinated him. Not because of it, but her spirit in working through such a challenge intrigued him. She made the best of it, and during the time he’d been imprisoned by her father, she’d nevercomplained.
Part of him wanted her to know that the sanctimonious Parker and his family were wrong. Ariel wasn’t defective. Imperfect. Offering her marriage as ifshe could never find a true mate, findlove.
You deserve much more thanthat.
But anger radiated off her like a pulsing beacon. First he had to calm her down, make known the terms of hisoffer.
Business beforepleasure.
Justin reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a contract. “Here. To make everything legal, I had my attorney draftthis.”
As she satat the table, reading over the terms, Ariel pushed at the long fall of her hair. Finally she looked up, her gazewide.
“You want to make me yourwhore.”
He flinched. “My lover. For three nights only.” Justin wished he didn’t feel this tiny guilt winking inside him. “After, the house is yours to live in, free andclear.”
“And you’ll leave my fatheralone?”
Chest constricting,he shook his head. “Nopromises.”
“Then I refuse to sign.” She pushed the sheaf of papers away. “You can’t blackmail me, Justin. I regret, deeply, what my father did toyou…”
He’d anticipated her response. Hell, he’d anticipated almost everything, rehearsing it in the privacy of his tower room back in NorthCarolina.
Everything except this damn guilt and the gut kick he feltat the woebegone look on her prettyface.
I don’t want to hurt you. It’s your father I want. But you’re a packagedeal.
“If you don’t sign, it’s your right. I must warn you, by not signing, you’re in violation of the salescontract.”
Could her eyes grow any larger, her face any paler? Another kick of guilt. “Your father signed the contract at my lawyer’s office this morningbefore he left thestate.”
“He didn’t have alawyer!”
“Leo should have hired one.” Justin removed a single folded sheet from his back pocket and pointed to a highlighted paragraph. “Seller’s daughter must live with buyer and capitulate to his requests for a term of not more than, not less than, three days and nights, or contract is declared null and void, at which time seller mustreturn the money given to him, plus ten percentinterest.”
He couldn’t meet her shocked and horrified gaze. “Compoundeddaily.”
