the thick carpe

pletely black in the dim light of the bedr

violently she couldn't even form fists. The alcohol in her system made t

grabbed her wrist, and yanked her off the

," he

st. She could feel the rapid, heavy beat of his he

top button at his collar. Her hands shook so much that her

ke a steel vice. "Are you this incompetent at pleasi

, hot and fast. "Please, Boyd," she begge

go of her hand, grabbed the lapels of his own shirt, and ripped it open. The s

fore she could scramble away, Boyd's massive frame covered her

her eyes shut, biting the inside of her cheek until her mouth filled with the taste of

ws, Elinor was staring blankly at the wall. Her body felt like it had been s

eady dressed in a fresh, perfectly tailored suit. He looked immaculate. The b

he edge. He reached out. Elinor flinc

thumb over the dried tear tracks on her cheek. The

is eyes locked on hers. "Your adoptiv

rom the nightstand. He tossed it onto the bed.

ked at the document. The bold black letters at the top r

the page. The total amount was pri

her father's treatments were expensive. She knew Boyd had paid for

only the hospital's debt, but the entire pharmaceutical patent that keeps him alive. Every sin

ear. "Every time you 'please' me, I might c

nto a bottomless ocean of ice. This wasn't a one-night

her numbness. She grabbed the thick stack of pap

y. He pinned her hands to the m

," he said, his voice fl

ed the front of his jacket. He walked

Stone, was standing in the hal

," Boyd ordered, not looking back at the bed. "

es not leave that room. She does not touch a

male maids entered the room. They grabbed her by the arms and hauled her of

ighest floor of the penthouse. They pushed he

und. The room was massive, decorated in gold and cream. It had a mas

heavy oak door. The windows were sealed shut, made

tgown. Her face was a mask of stone. She stripped Elinor of her ruined cl

lock clicking he

ared at the reflection. Her neck and collarbones were

her fists against the wood. "Let me out!" she screamed

hands bruised and bled. No one answered. The

nees hitting the floor. She curled into a tight ball, her desp