Blackhawk's Sweet Revenge. Barbara McCauley

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СКАЧАТЬ destroyed not only Mason Hadley, but his daughter, as well.

      What did it matter if he laughed? she thought. If he threw it back at her? She had nothing to lose. He couldn’t do anything worse to her than take her house away.

      She stared at her own reflection in the mirror over the bar, hated the despair she saw in her own eyes. “My father and mother lived in a small house in town after they were married. My grandparents owned all the Double H land then, and they lived in the house by the creek. My father was always gone on business, but my mother and I used to visit my grandparents almost every day. We’d work in the garden, plant flowers in the front yard, vegetables in the back.” She ran a finger over the rim of the crystal wine glass still in her hand. “I used to fish in the creek with my grandfather. My grandmother baked bread and chocolate chip cookies.”

      She couldn’t bear to look at Lucas. Knew that if she did, if she saw disdain there, she’d crumble for certain. She’d started this, and she would finish. “My grandparents had both died by the time I was eight. My mother inherited all the Double H land, along with the ranch my grandfather started and a great deal of money, but the house and five acres was put in trust for me. My father was so busy spending my grandparents’ money building his new house, he let mine deteriorate.”

      “Why didn’t your mother keep it up?” Lucas asked dryly.

      “She tried, but my father had control of the money then. They argued about it often.” It seemed useless to point out that any argument with her father was futile. “After her car accident when I was thirteen, my mother was never the same. She never went out anymore, had very little interaction with anyone. I tried to keep my grandparents’ house up myself, but it was impossible.”

      Her father had made sure of that. He’d hated her grandparents’ house as much as she’d hated the cold mansion he’d built. Up until his investments had turned sour the past two years, her father had been the richest man in Wolf River. He’d had power and prestige. He’d made certain that no one would hire her, and no one would work on her house if they wanted to stay in business.

      “Nothing’s impossible if you want it bad enough, Julianna.”

      She started at his whispered comment She hadn’t realized he’d moved so close behind her. And still, she couldn’t turn and face him, couldn’t stand to see the pity or disgust in his eyes.

      “Name your price, Lucas. I’ll get the money.”

      “Where will you get the money?” He touched one finger to the back of her neck, made a lazy circle. “A rich boyfriend, maybe? I know there’ve been no husbands, but certainly there have been lovers, men appreciative of your... charms.”

      His touch burned through the cotton knit of her sweater. Her knees turned soft; she had to concentrate to keep each breath steady and even. “How much?”

      His finger skimmed her neck, gently up, then down again. “Why have there been no husbands, I wonder? Too attached to leave Daddy?”

      She stiffened, whirled to face him. Immediately realized what a mistake she’d made with him standing so close. Their bodies touched, front to front, and he made no move to back off.

      “So there is heat under that cold exterior,” he said thoughtfully, keeping his dark gaze on her. “And there is something you care about.”

      How could he not know? she thought frantically. How could he be so blind? Her heart pounded in her chest, in her head. “Dammit, name your price.”

      “All right.” He brought his hand to her face, softly ran his knuckle over her cheek. “The price is you. I want you to marry me.”

      Three

      His words shocked him as much as they had obviously shocked her. He watched her face turn ashen, felt her body go still against his. For a long moment it even seemed as though she’d stopped breathing.

      “What did you say?” she whispered.

      He could simply laugh now, tell her he’d gotten the response from her he’d been looking for. sheer terror. That he’d wanted to rattle her perfect composure, shake up her cool self-control.

      Instead, he smiled and tucked a loose strand of silken blond hair behind her ear. She winced at his touch, as if he’d scorched her.

      “You want something from me.” He let his finger skim her earlobe, then move down her neck. “Maybe I want something from you, too.”

      Color flushed her pale cheeks. “You don’t have to marry me for that.”

      “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not talking about sex.” He leaned in closer. “Though, if we did marry, I would certainly expect that. In fact—” he watched her eyelids flutter as he brought his lips close to her ear “—I would insist on it.”

      “You’ve ruined my father.” Her voice shook. “Isn’t that enough?”

      “Mason Hadley manipulated paperwork to steal my father’s ranch, shot him, then had him falsely sent to prison where he died. Tell me what’s enough. How much will it take before that wrong is made right?”

      Her eyes opened wide now in understanding. “And you’d use me to complete your revenge? Saddle yourself with a woman who would only remind you of that pain every day?”

      “It’s your father who will be reminded every day,” he said harshly. “I’ll have his land and his daughter. And a man would hardly consider himself saddled to a woman with your looks, sweetheart. In fact, you could be quite an asset.”

      He watched her close her eyes tightly, as if she were trying to shut out the horror of it all. He should feel extreme satisfaction at her obvious distaste of marriage to him, but he felt a cold rage instead. He could almost hear her thoughts. How dare the lowly half-breed propose marriage to a woman of her stature. How appalling. He could still hear her words to him this afternoon when he’d bent to help her pick up the broken coffee cup in her father’s office. Keep away from me, Lucas.

      Remembering those words, he leaned in even closer to her. “It might not be awful,” he said huskily. “Women say I know how to please. I bet I could even please you.”

      He brushed his lips over hers—barely a whisper of a touch—felt and heard her soft intake of breath. He lingered there a moment, surprised that she didn’t jerk away, that she didn’t raise her hand to slap his face. Even more surprised at the shudder he felt move through her body. Was it repulsion, he wondered, or desire? Either way, his own body responded instantly. He curled his hands around her arms, brought her up against him, a mixture of anger and longing raging through him. He could take her right here, right now. She’d let him, he was certain of that

      Thunder shook the windows, and Julianna’s eyes opened wide. He saw the confusion there, the fear and something else, something he couldn’t name. A second crack of thunder brought him back to reality, and he released her.

      She fell back against the bar, steadied herself as she drew in a long, slow breath. “I still don’t understand, Lucas. You wouldn’t have to marry me. You could just...I mean, I could...”

      “Be my mistress?” he finished for her.

      She nodded. “I would think that would be more convenient for you.”

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