26

Her heart was hammering against her chest. ‘Yes.’ What other answer could she give? She wasn’t going to admit it was about love, was she? Even she didn’t understand these feelings that had rushed up and engulfed her. How could she expect him to—this man who didn’t even think that such things as love existed? This man who was so damaged that he expected the worst from every woman he met.

He stepped closer to her and this time his arms gripped hers as if he wanted to be completely sure that she was paying attention. ‘I thought you were guilty, Grace. I thought you were guilty as hell, but I didn’t even care because all I was interested in was your body under mine and your unquestioning surrender.’

And that was what she’d given him, of course. Her unquestioning surrender. She’d given him everything he’d demanded from her.

She didn’t flinch under his gaze. ‘Are you trying to shock me?’

‘No.’ His fingers bit into the soft flesh of her arms. ‘I’m trying to remind you who I am so that the