No Choice but Surrender by Meagan McKinney Read Free Book Online Page A

be catching a chill."
    "Your gigantic cohorts can't be everywhere all the time. I shall find a way to leave if you refuse to be rational about this." She stood where she was, making threats but not daring to move closer to him.
        "Now calm yourself. There is a fine bedroom for you upstairs. I have offered you a place to stay. Why must you get yourself so upset?" He stretched out his long legs before the fire and leisurely sipped a crystal glass of brandy. As she observed ail this luxury, an image of the very man before her came involuntarily to mind. She saw him placing his lips intimately upon hers and making her feel things she permanently wanted to avoid.
    The image made her fingers move unconsciously across her lips to stop them from tingling. She moved away from the culprit who had caused the sensation.
    "I will not share a house with you, no matter how large and grand it is. I must leave!"
    "You shall not leave!" Suddenly he stood up and started over to her. What he lacked in size compared to the two giants, he made up in fierceness. Brienne knew she had to stand up to him, but she wasn't sure how to. Since she could not possibly overpower him physically, she looked defiantly into his cold, silver eyes and repeated, "I will not stay in this house with you!"
    "Then you will stay in the stables." He looked at her and then motioned to a dark corner of the room. "Cumberland will show you your new room, Cinderella."
    Cumberland arose from his seat in the corner and walked over to her. His eyes were full of sadness.
    "And don't forget your ball gown." With that, Avenel picked up her tattered pink polonaise from a nearby stool. She had not noticed it there before. "You see, Cumberland, she walks about in a threadbare dress because she has taken a knife to the one decent gown she owns." He flung the useless pink silk at her and gave a deep malicious laugh. "Perhaps she is as mad as they say."
    Incredulous, she found herself about to be led away. It was difficult to find her tongue after Cumberland had taken her
    shall find a way to leave if you refuse to be rational about this." She stood where she was, making threats but not daring to move closer to him.
    "Now calm yourself. There is a fine bedroom for you upstairs. I have offered you a place to stay. Why must you get yourself so upset?" He stretched out his long legs before the fire and leisurely sipped a crystal glass of brandy. As she observed all this luxury, an image of the very man before her came involuntarily to mind. She saw him placing his lips intimately upon hers and making her feel things she permanently wanted to avoid.
    The image made her fingers move unconsciously across her lips to stop them from tingling. She moved away from the culprit who had caused the sensation.
    "I will not share a house with you, no matter how large and grand it is. I must leave!"
    "You shall not leave!" Suddenly he stood up and started over to her. What he lacked in size compared to the two giants, he made up in fierceness. Brienne knew she had to stand up to him, but she wasn't sure how to. Since she could not possibly overpower him physically, she looked defiantly into his cold, silver eyes and repeated, "I will not stay in this house with you!"
    "Then you will stay in the stables." He looked at her and then motioned to a dark corner of the room. "Cumberland will show you your new room, Cinderella."
    Cumberland arose from his seat in the corner and walked over to her. His eyes were full of sadness.
    "And don't forget your ball gown." With that, Avenel picked up her tattered pink polonaise from a nearby stool. She had not noticed it there before. "You see, Cumberland, she walks about in a threadbare dress because she has taken a knife to the one decent gown she owns." He flung the useless pink silk at her and gave a deep malicious laugh. "Perhaps she is as mad as they say."
    Incredulous, she found herself about to be led away. It was difficult to find her tongue after Cumberland