Читать книгу A Man's Black Heart - Nuria Farai - Страница 8

Chapter 3

He returned the next week to meet with the elder children. He had promised to become a patron and to use his many contacts in the entrepreneur world to help young boys get apprenticeships. Some would become salesmen, others tradesmen or even accountants. Two of them he would place with his own sister. If Louisa had asked him to give her all his money, he would have done it. If he had a functioning heart, he would already love her. She was a stunning, wonderful woman, and she made him ache with desire - and care.

After a long, rather tedious meeting with three other men involved in the arrangement of apprenticeships, he sped upstairs to say good-bye to her. All the time, he had wondered what she was doing, how she was. Apart from a quick greeting, they had not had time together. He lightly knocked at the door of the laundry room, although it was ajar, to announce his arrival. Her housekeeper, Mrs. Stove, and herself, stood folding bed sheets. She looked angelic, as usual, with her hair piled atop of her head, and a dark-blue, simple day dress. „Ryker“, she smiled, and came to meet him. His breath slowed, when he saw the enticing movement of her hips under the folds of the dress. He quickly looked back into her eyes. She took his hand. „I am so grateful to you“, she murmured in a sweet, low voice. If she continued like this, he would have to leave, immediately. She now looked up at him under long, thick lashes. Her look was not so innocent, anymore. Then again, also a woman like Louisa could use her womanly charms to gratify a man. After all, she wanted him for a sponsor. „I will leave for tonight, Louisa. See you in the morning“, the other woman said, clearly sensing they wanted to be alone. „Yes, thank you, Fanny“, she said, but her eyes never left his. As the elder woman hurried down the stairs, she smiled at him. „Tell me all about it. What placements do you have in mind?“ He explained, and she listened interestedly, asking intelligent questions. He felt completely at ease with her, although he loathed to share opinions on business issues. He decided, full stop. As he stood up to leave, she rose, too. Then, she stepped towards him. „Ryker …“, she said hesitantly, shyly. And then she flashed him a heart-melting smile, that suffused his constricted chest. „How can you be so beautiful, and so good?“, he mumbled, and he drew her into his arms. Before his lips found hers, she managed to murmur: „I’m not so good, right now“, and then she kissed him passionately. Well, no-one could say the woman did it not have it in her. Within minutes, she was so emboldened, and aroused, that she asked him to strip her completely. He had already managed to peel her out of her blouse. Her breasts were as perfect as he had suspected, and firm, and high. He loved running his large hands over them in reverence, but she pressed them down on them. „Knead them, please“, she moaned. „Louisa, I think we should stop.“ „And I think you should continue!“, she said with a small smile. He turned her around, wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her neck. „You are a saintly woman. You would be ruined if someone like me were seen with you.“ She wrestled out of his grip, and indignantly, she narrowed her eyes. „You are a wonderful man. I want you, Ryker.“ He faltered. His eyes caught the mirror in the corner of the room. „Come“, he said. He placed her in front of the mirror. She reached to his chin, was graceful, and slender, with her fair, angelic complexion and soft features. She was love, and trust, and goodness. He, however … His hair was pitch-black, his eyes dark-brown and hard, his face was angular, joyless. There were scars on his upper lip, and others on his fists, his under-arms, his ribs … His large body had saved his life countless times. He had been beaten so much in his life, he knew hardly how it felt not to be in pain, for twenty-two years. Now he was twenty-eight, and this angel here wanted him, for some very strange reason. Women had always liked him, that was no surprise. There was something dark and sinister about him that the fairer sex admired. They saw a man in pain, and it awakened their fantasies. He had had many aristocratic women make him offers, too. But rarely did he bed a woman. He felt so lonely, he did not even want someone else to share his body. But she looked at him, as if she liked what she saw, far beyond his air and physique. So much, she wanted to be with him. But how far was she willing to go? „How far are you willing to go?“, he heard his broken voice rasp. She smiled at his mirror-self. „All the way.“ He stared a bit, then he bent his lips on her neck. „Sweetheart, I am not right for you. You are an angel, a one-in-a-million woman, and I am a former criminal, now owner of a shady night club. And I still have contact to dangerous men, and women.“ He hesitated, as his words had absolutely no effect on her. „I don’t have a heart. It was destroyed a long time ago. I am cruel, and hard, and I do not have many good feelings. I do not let people get close to me. Never.“ She nodded, as if it were quite usual. „I know. Will you love me, now?“, she said dismissively. „When you say that …“ „Yes, I mean, put yourself inside my body.“ „Then you have done this, before?“ She smiled. „No.“ „But don’t you want to keep it for your husband?“ The more he spoke, the less use he perceived in it. She was determined to have him, and there was little sense in denying it. But he would fight her, to the end. He did not want to ruin her for a decent, deserving man, who would marry and love her. „I was hoping you would be my husband“, she said softly, kissing the spot below his ear. His eyes flew open. „What in hell? Sorry. What?“ „You heard me.“ „So you have escaped Bedlam. How long do you expect your cover to last, Miss?“, he said dryly. She laughed. „Why is that so revolting?“ „Because as I said …“ „Ryker! I have been drawn to you since I saw you once talking to Colin’s father. You are kind underneath your roughness, you are intelligent, purposeful, and tough, and you are incredibly handsome … strong … I want you so much.“ She whispered the last words into his ear, and he couldn’t withstand her anymore. He just melted. He drew her into his arms, and then, he made her the woman she had asked him to make her. When he entered her, she arched against his hips, pressing her round breasts against his chest, moaning for him. „Make love to me, baby, make love to me“, she gasped. He smiled at her self-confidence, and thrust gently into her. She cried out, in such a sweet, mind-blowing sound, he had to concentrate very hard not to spill immediately. He could hold himself together for as long as he chose with any woman, except with this one. „Oh … Oh, God … Oh!“ „What is it?“, he asked worriedly, as her eyes became large. „I am so full“, she said lowly, entirely surprised. „What did you expect?“, he teased her softly. „I didn’t think … well, who would have thought … they never said …“, she mumbled more to herself. „Do you enjoy it?“ She beamed up at him. „It is wonderful. I love feeling you this close. You are so beautiful“, she lovingly said, her lowered gaze caressing his shoulders and chest. Her hand followed down his back, and she lowered it onto his bottom. „I adore your bottom. It’s so firm, and hard“. He chuckled, and she tentatively started moving her hips. „Can you move?“, she asked. He smiled. „Yes, but let me get in completely, first.“ „Oh … Oh!“ He entered her fully, and her face drew up in surprise, and discomfort, but only for a moment. Then, lust kicked in. „Move, claim me!“, she exclaimed, and he had to bury his face at her shoulder, shaking silently. „Are you laughing? Really?“, she moaned desperately. „I never would have thought you to be so passionate, so reckless", he grinned. „But I love it.“ I love you, he thought, and then he stiffened. Before he could help it, he withdrew. He bounced up, and then he stood at the window, motionless, arms folded in front of his chest. She had cried out, when he had pulled out roughly, but now, she was completely still. She sat in bed, and just watched him. "It's alright“, she said after a long while. „We can stop and be as we were before.“ „Are you always that saintly? Even after a man took your innocence and then just let you be?", he barked out aggressively. He wanted to hurt someone. Badly. He had not been in a fight for five years. But with his looks, and attitude, if he just went out on the streets of St. Giles, he would get a fist flung at him within minutes. He just had to choose his words a little. „It does not matter. What matters, is you. I love you“, she said quietly, and he heard the tears rising in her throat. He turned around, so taken aback, he could only use his usual coldness to keep her at bay. „I don’t love you.“ Outrageously, he did. „I don’t want to be with you, nor even be your friend. I’ll sponsor your youths, and that’s it.“ She nodded, her face composed, but she must be breaking up inside. „Alright.“ „Alright?“ He banged his fist into the wall, making his knuckles hurt in the familiar way. It soothed him. „Your love cannot be very deep, then.“ „If you are well enough to leave, you might do that. I think I would wish to have a moment to myself“. Her voice shook slightly, and she caressed the bed sheets. But she kept her dignity. He grunted disdainfully - why, he had not the slightest idea, because really, he admired her more than he had ever admired anyone or anything - , and pushed himself off the wall with his foot. „Bye“, was all he said.