His Wicked Heart by Darcy Burke Page A

wasn’t her fault she reminded him of lost love. He
gave her a dark look. “Don’t warn her.”
    She nodded jerkily. He moved to stand behind
the door.
    Tilly went into the hallway. Jasper leaned
close to the wall. Their voices drifted through the crack near the
hinges.
    “Did he suspect anything?” The duplicitous
bitch .
    “No.”
    “Thank you, Tilly. I’ll bring your share down
later.” There was a pause, then, “Was he, that is…”
    “Worth it? ‘Course. I told you you’d regret
not doing him yourself.”
    There was a loud exhalation then feet
scraping across the floorboards. Olivia stepped through the
doorway.
    Jasper slammed the portal and flattened his
back against it. He glared at her with the weight of his wrath. “If
you don’t yet regret deceiving me, I promise you will.”

Chapter Four
     

     
    SAXTON’S EYES were like frost, the flesh
around his lips tight and drawn. Olivia moved farther inside and
stepped around the table, putting the barrier between them. “Are
you going to hurt me?”
    He prowled toward her. “You attempted fraud.
More disturbingly, you arranged for a stranger to assault me. Don’t
you think you deserve some sort of punishment?”
    God, she hadn’t thought of it that way. Her
belly squeezed with nausea, her limbs shook with shame. She
probably deserved something, but couldn’t bring herself to admit it
and put herself at his mercy. “No.”
    “The law would disagree. I could send for the
magistrate.” His body was rigidly calm, without visible sign of
agitation, save the savage expression on his face.
    Fear wouldn’t help her. She gathered her
courage and squared her shoulders. “You could, but we don’t have a
contract of any kind, especially if I return your payment.” She
strode to the dresser and retrieved her mother’s box. With
trembling hands, she withdrew his money and thrust it toward him.
“Here.”
    He accepted the bills and, without taking his
gaze from her, set them on the table. “I don’t want a refund. I
want you.”
    Olivia moved back behind the table. “I
thought a man like you would find one woman as acceptable as the
next.”
    Heat leapt into the ice of his eyes and his
hands fisted. He stood silent a long moment during which Olivia’s
heart tried to beat itself right out of her chest. “You couldn’t be
more mistaken.” His tone was soft, but razor-sharp. “I’m
disappointed you aren’t the least bit contrite, particularly after
I helped you the other night. Not to mention your insistence that I trust you.”
    Olivia cringed. He’d actually taken her words
to heart. If she were in his shoes, she’d demand punishment too.
“I’m…sorry.” It sounded pitiful even to her ears.
    He shoved the table to the side, eliminating
the barrier and stopping just before her. Though he didn’t touch
her, he effectively pinned her to the wall. “Regardless, I did trust you. We struck a bargain, and now you are
reneging. If you were a man, I would call you out.”
    She knew enough of men and their honor to
recognize that he wouldn’t hurt her, especially after what he’d
just said. He felt betrayed, but she didn’t think he’d resort to
violence to seek retribution.
    His gaze bored into hers with savage
intensity. He was terribly handsome, even in his fury. The already
hot room sweltered with the heat coming off his bare chest. Facing
him at dawn seemed a palatable notion. She was far more afraid of
his ability to seduce her.
    Olivia swallowed. “What are you going to
do?”
    “That depends.” Their impassioned breathing
filled the apartment as she waited for his response, every one of
her muscles tensely coiled. He speared her with a fierce stare.
“Tell me why.”
    Though she knew he’d be insulted, she gave
him the truth. “I need money, and your offer is my only hope at
present. But I didn’t want to lie with you.” She hadn’t, but now,
after pretending to seduce him… She could well imagine lying with
him. Probably would