Brand of Possession

‘Nothing, thank you.’

He put his own glass down, empty now. ‘I agree with you, we have better things to do.’

Stacy backed away from him, fear clutching at her heart. ‘I’d like to leave, Mr Forbes.’

He gave a soft laugh at her formality. ‘Not yet, Stacy. Not now that I’ve actually got you here. I don’t like being thwarted, little gírl,’ he added threateningly. ‘And you made a bloody fool out of me by going off with Weston last night.’

‘I—’

‘You even got him to get your job back for you,’ he sneered, his face no longer good-looking, all charm leaving his voice. ‘After I’d told Payne to get rid of you.’

Stacy paled even more. ‘You told him to? But you said—’

He gave a harsh laugh. ‘I know what I said—and you fell for it.’

She saw it all now, now it was too late. This man was just as much of a swine as she had thought he was. He couldn’t bear the thought of another man having what he had wanted, so he had tricked her. He didn’t even want her any more, he just wouldn’t be seen to be made a fool of.

‘You really are as awful as people say you are,’ she accused disgustedly.

He gave an ugly laugh. ‘Probably.’

Stacy walked angrily to the door. ‘Well, at least now I know. I won’t be fooled again.’

He swung her round. ‘After tonight you won’t need to be. Once is all I want.’ His mouth descended on hers with cruel savagery, his teeth biting her soft lips.

Stacy fought against him for all she was worth, wrenching her mouth away. ‘Stop it!’ she panted, fear in her eyes. ‘Leave me alone!’

‘Not until I’ve got what I want from you.’ His fingers bit into the tender flesh of her arms, a determination in his face that would be hard to evade.

‘You’re disgusting!’ She struggled with all her might, but he wouldn’t be shaken off.

He laughed once more before claiming her mouth in the most punishing kiss she had ever received. He pinioned her arms to her sides while taking his time over kissing her face and throat. ‘You might as well try to enjoy this too,’ he growled.

Laughter choked in her throat, hysterical laughter. ‘No woman could enjoy being attacked,’ she said breathlessly. ‘You’re hurting me!’ Her mouth already felt swollen and bruised and there were dark bruises beginning to appear on the whiteness of her arms.

‘Some women like to be hurt,’ he told her fiercely.

‘I don’t!’ She shuddered.

His narrowed blue eyes raked over her face. ‘Didn’t Western hurt you? No,’ he answered his own question, ‘I can imagine he has an altogether different approach.’

‘Yes! He doesn’t need to resort to rape.’

It was the worst thing she could have said, his mouth tightening into a vicious thin line, his lips moving to take hers with a punishing thoroughness. His arms were like steel bands about her and all her struggling was futile against his superior strength. She was beginning to feel faint, all her strength deserting her. With one last desperate effort to escape him she bit painfully down into his earlobe.

He let her go with a yelp of pain, putting up a hand to his ear as blood appeared on his shirt front. ‘You little bitch!’

The dark anger in his face frightened her and she ran quickly to the door. But before she had got halfway there she felt the back of her gown caught in a firm grip, her determination to escape leading to the sound of ripping material as the thin shoulder-straps gave beneath the pressure.

She wrenched open the door, holding the front of her gown up as it started to slip beneath her breasts. ‘You’re an animal!’ she spat the words at him. ‘An animal!’ she repeated tearfully.

His mouth turned back in a sneer. ‘You don’t look so appealing any more, do you, Stacy Adams?’ He slammed the door in her face.

She could imagine she didn’t, with her hair a tangled mess, her lips swollen and bleeding, dark bruises on her arms and her dress in shreds. She hoped she could get to her room without being seen. She felt unclean, almost as if he had raped her.

As she turned to run towards the stairs she hit an immovable object. It was a man’s chest, a small amount of blood from her cut lip staining the snowy white shirt front.

She looked up with horror, raising frightened eyes. ‘Oh, Jake!’ her relief was obvious as she collapsed into his arms. ‘Oh, Jake, help me!’ deep sobs racked her body.