Free The Tycoon's Misunderstood Bride by Elizabeth Lennox Page B

that there’s nothing innocent about you.”
     
    Emma was grateful for the cool water and blinked back the tears that suddenly formed in her eyes.  She would not cry, she told herself sternly.  Her father had made those kinds of accusations to her so often, all of them groundless because of his insane perceptions of her interactions with anyone outside of the house. 
     
    She’d thought she’d escaped.
     
    Now she knew that she’d gone from one kind of hell to another.  This man, this handsome, attractive, powerful and brilliant man also thought of her as a whore. 
     
    “What is it about me that makes people think things like that?” she asked bravely, looking off to the left but not seeing the incredible views of the village and hillsides laid out below. 
     
    “Perhaps it’s the number of men you’ve taken as lovers?”
     
    She laughed, her voice harsh.  “My father spoke to you, didn’t he?”
     
    The housekeeper arrived and placed two plates in front of each of them, but Emma couldn’t eat.  She’d been so worried about this morning and hadn’t had any breakfast, and now, with Jason’s eyes glaring at her and his words breaking through her heart, she couldn’t eat any lunch.  At this rate, she’d be too thin in just a matter of weeks.  She couldn’t afford to miss meals like this, but her stomach rebelled at the idea of eating any kind of food, knowing it would come back up in a more undignified manner. 
     
    “Your father laid out the names of your previous lovers in the letter he left for me after his death.  It was part of his final retribution for me beating him, to have you for a wife.”
     
    She blinked, more hurt than she wanted to admit.  “Am I such an awful person?” she asked. 
     
    “That depends,” he replied, fighting to ignore the tears that actually made her eyes sparkle and change color.  “Are you going to sleep with my whole staff?  Or will you be content with me alone?”
     
    “I’ve never slept with anyone,” she replied and set her water glass down.  “But you’re not going to believe me, are you?  So let’s just get this over with, shall we?” she suggested and stood up, not even glancing down at the food in front of her. 
     
    “Get it over with?  What are you trying to pull?” he demanded, looking up at the angry goddess before him. 
     
    “I need a baby.  And I want to have a baby.  Since it has to be yours, then by all means, let’s just do this and see if we can conceive today.  If not, we can always try again next month.” 
     
    Emma couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of her mouth.  She was terrified that he would take her up on the offer but also terrified that he would refuse her offer.  Her father had really cornered both of them, so what choice did they have?
     
    “I’ll just find your room and freshen up, ” she said when he continued to stare at her in that odd way. 
     
    She turned on her heel and headed back inside.  Once she was in the living room, she really had no idea where to go.  The house was beautiful, but extremely large.  She couldn’t even guess how many bedrooms there were much less other rooms.  She headed back the way she’d come and searched for the staircase and was impressed when she came to the long, circular stairs.  On the second floor, she stumbled.  At the top, she could turn to the right or the left.  And if the truth were told, she’d suddenly lost her nerve.  She didn’t want to find his bedroom, wanted to simply run out the front door and never stop. 
     
    Jason had other plans though.  As she stood there, he came bounding up the stairs two at a time to find her at the top.  Looking down at her, he smiled slightly.  “You’re either lost, or you’re wondering what you’ve gotten yourself into,” he said as he watched her green eyes blinking with nerves.  “Or maybe a bit of both?”
     
    She bit her lower lip and nodded her head.  “I’m sorry.