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imagined it. He did turn toward the door, however, his errand complete, eager to be gone.
    She wouldn’t have stopped him. It was crucial that he leave before she fell completely apart. But her mind simply wasn’t in its proper working order, and with the trunks still in her view, she recalled …
    “Oh! I was going to find your housekeeper … I seemto have been put in the wrong room. I should be closer to my brother—”
    She would have said more, but he interrupted her. “You were situated correctly. I usually have guests over the holidays, and these particular guests can’t be made to think they are being given special treatment, you understand, when they are business associates. And rather than move you—if you are still here at that time—it was much easier to just place you here now. Is there a problem with the room?”
    “Well, no, but—”
    “Good, then think nothing of it.”
    He continued out the door before she could argue further. The second the door closed, she collapsed on the bed. She was visibly trembling. Her nerves were so frayed she felt like screaming. Her heart was still beating erratically. Good God, what had that man just done to her?



Chapter Six
    V INCENT CLOSED HIMSELF IN HIS STUDY, WHERE HE COULD be assured of no interruptions. His staff was well trained, knew not to bother him with incidentals when his door was closed, his secretary being the sole exception. His bedroom would have guaranteed no interruptions at all, but his bedroom was too close to her.
    Never in his life had he gotten drunk in the afternoon. Today just might prove an exception. Not that the brandy he had poured for himself seemed to be helping. He had hoped that it would calm him, or at least get his mind off of Larissa Ascot long enough for his body to settle down. It was doing neither.
    Just as he shouldn’t have gone to her door last night, he most certainly shouldn’t have sought her out in her room today. And the jewelry had merely been an excuse for him to do so. He had simply wanted to be in her presence again, had been so stimulated by her during lunch that he was loath to stay away from her when she was nearby.
    But that had been a mistake. Seeing her with a bed near to hand had brought The Seduction to mind. It was a perfect setting, after all, to begin it. And he’d thought he could handle it, was even progressing nicely—until he got caught in it himself.
    He had never felt desire like this, so completely out of his control. It still amazed him, the strength of it, and the overwhelming urge he’d had to toss her on that nearby bed and ravish her in absolute, unrestrained abandon. Not that he knew much about ravishing, or doing things without restraint, for that matter. But he knew it was too soon to do anything of the sort with her.
    She’d been aroused, yes—good God, how easy that had been—and likely would have offered only a token protest before giving in to that arousal. But that was not what he wanted. He wanted her complete surrender, wanted her begging for everything he planned to give her. Her ruination was going to be her own doing, merely helped along by him. His blasted conscience,which seemed to be rearing its silly head at this late stage in his life, wasn’t going to be pricked when he was done with her.
    He had now removed any other options for her as well, leaving her no choice but to accept his hospitality. He had already arranged for her furniture to be “stolen,” which was the story he would give her if she mentioned again needing to sell it. Having had anything of value moved to a separate location, he could even take her to the warehouse where it was stored if necessary, to show her that what remained hadn’t been worth stealing, so wasn’t worth selling either.
    And her jewels would be inaccessible for her, the key to his safe unfortunately “misplaced”—for the time being. He hadn’t locked them away yet, though, held one of the earrings in his hand now,