Her earlier concerns fell once more on her shoulders.King’s money that Loula had given her was still in her coin purse, but now that he’d taken them away from Maloney’s clutches and welcomed them into his home…
“I…” She cleared her too-tight throat, willing him to turn and look at her.“I’m sorry.About…about…”
“About lying?”he said.
She swallowed hard, her stomach sinking at the cold derision in his tone.When he finally turned and faced her she wished he hadn’t.
He was so closed off he might as well have been a stranger.There was no trace of the man who’d held her and murmured soft words of comfort when she was in pain.
This was King.The man she’d worked for.
The man she’d feared.
“I told you.Never apologize.”His smirk made her skin crawl.“You got what you were after, I supposed.”
Her mouth opened and closed as he crossed his arms, his formidable arms and chest on full display.
“But I am curious,” he said, his voice a dangerous drawl.“Whatwereyou hoping for?”
“I didn’t…I never…”I didn’t lie.But she hadn’t corrected him either.She hadn’t told the truth even though she’d known he’d gotten the wrong impression.“I’m sorry.”
He either didn’t hear her whisper or just chose to ignore it.“Who does the babe belong to?Did we leave your mother behind?”
He didn’t sound concerned, just tactical.
She shook her head.“My mother died giving birth to the twins.”
He gave a grunt that could have meant ‘how sad’ or just ‘it happens.’
“So the babe?”he asked.His gaze dared her to lie.
She wet her lips.“My sister’s.”
He nodded.“And your sister…”
“Is dead.”Her heart twisted at the thought, her heart ached at the wellspring of memories.She shoved them down.Tears would only make him angrier right now.He didn’t want to pity her.
And she didn’t want his pity.
She lifted her chin.“It’s up to me to take care of them.”
“And you’ll do anything,” he said.“You’ve made that clear.”
His bitter, cruel smirk made her insides go cold.But she couldn’t deny it, could she?She’d tried to sell herself—
No, shehadsold herself.
She moved her arms up, covering herself from his cold, calculating glare.Too little too late.He’d already seen everything.
All of her.And not just her bare skin.
She looked to the ground as a wave of unwanted emotions hit her hard.
“So what was your plan?”Again with the casual tone as he moved to the desk and reached for a snifter of brandy.
“My plan?”
He waved to the settee.“Did you think you could trap me, is that it?”