“You never mentioned any of this when you wrote to me.”
“Air my family’s shame to a stranger?” she asked softly. “Plead for pity?” God, she would never do either of those things.
Sorin studied her. “You never mentioned it.”
“Would it have made a difference?”
He didn’t answer. For a long moment, he didn’t say anything at all. Then he heaved out a sigh. “It doesn’t matter what either of us might have done before. This is now, after you’ve come to my House under false pretenses. Compassion isn’t part of this equation.”
His level tone stung her worse than had he bellowed at her. She shook her head, trying to think of a way to explain herself, or to justify her reasons. “Sorin, you have to understand—”
“Understand that you didn’t accept my decision, so you thought you would defy it instead? You’ve lied to me about your name and your intentions. I can only guess what you thought you were going to do once you got here.” His sharp-edged features seemed to harden even more as he spoke. He brought his hand toward her face, but despite his cold words and glacial gaze, his fingers were tender when they lit on her cheek. “I’m not a fool, Asha. If you make the mistake of thinking I am, you’ll also find I’m not a forgiving man.”
She licked her lips, swallowing the tangled knot of guilt and fear that had lodged itself in her throat.
Sorin exhaled a slow sigh as he stroked her jawline, his thumb caressing the sensitive skin below her chin. “But I’m not a monster either. Before you think about testing me any more than you already have, I’m prepared to alter the terms of our deal.”
“What do you mean?” Her voice trembled somewhat as he continued to trace his fingers along her tingling skin. Her heart rate galloped, everything female in her captivated by the potency of his stare and the gentle coaxing of his touch. “Alter the terms…how?”
A smile slowly lifted the corner of his sensual mouth. “You owe me the night in my bed, and that’s a debt I fully intend to collect. But since you claim you don’t desire me, I propose a new wager.”
She didn’t trust that glimmer of a smile. It was too diabolical. Too classically Incubus. “Dare I hope, one that doesn’t require me to sleep with you?”
“Oh, this has nothing to do with sleeping.” Now he smirked. “You insist you don’t desire me—”
“I don’t.” The blurt lacked fire, even to her own ears. She tried again, giving her voice more steam. “I don’t care what we wagered tonight. I won’t ever want you.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgment. “And I am certain you do, and you will.”
He stepped closer to her, his large body and sinfully intoxicating scent sapping all of the air from the room. Ashayla had nowhere to go, no hope of escaping his demonic allure.
He didn’t touch her, but his hooded, knowing gaze was enough to ignite the embers of awareness that had been smoldering since she’d first laid eyes on him in the casino.
And he knew his effect on her. Knew it all along, and now he planned to put her to the test.
“Deny it all you want,” he murmured. “I’m willing to bet that before the sun rises, you’ll not only want me, you’ll be begging me to take you.”
“Ha.” She scoffed, hoping she sounded sufficiently appalled. “In your dreams.”
“So prove it. Resist me.” At her skeptical look, he gave a small shrug. “If you can, then in the morning you’re free to leave with the treasure you came here to steal from me.”
He knew? God, of course he knew. She wouldn’t insult him or herself by trying to deny it.
Still, she didn’t trust him. He was an Incubus, after all, and he already warned her that he was not a forgiving one.
“I don’t believe you. It sounds too easy.” She shook her head. “It sounds like a trick. You’re going to manipulate me somehow. Enthrall me?”
“No tricks,” he said. “No use of the thrall or any other means of coercion or force. Just you and me, Asha. In my bed. For the rest of the night.”
“You’re serious.” Was he really going to make it so simple for her? Sure, he was attractive. Seductive, even. But she was determined to walk out of this situation with her pride intact. And she would do anything—resist anything—to bring Gran’s pendant home to her.
“All right, then. Deal.” She thrust out her hand to him. “I accept.”
“Good.” He took her fingers into a firm, warm grasp that didn’t let up for a long moment. Those fiery topaz eyes bored into her, full of confidence and wicked determination. “Make no mistake, though. Before dawn, I promise I will make love to you, Asha.” He drew her closer, until her breasts mashed against the hard, muscled planes of his chest.