Seduced by Chaos by Stephanie Julian Read Free Book Online Page A

sweetheart. You’re okay. I won’t hurt you. No one will hurt you.”
    Her mouth opened, but only a whimper emerged. The sound made his teeth clench in pure fury at whoever had done this to her. When he found them—
    No. No, he couldn’t think about revenge now. With an effort, he throttled back his anger and focused on her.
    “Shh, sweetheart. It’s just me. Teo. No one’s gonna hurt you, baby, not ever again.
    You’re safe with me.”
    43

    Stephanie Julian
    For at least a full minute, he sat there, completely still as she stared at him. Watched him with that terrified look in her eyes. But after a while, her fear began to ease. And embarrassment took its place. And shame.
    She dropped her head, her hair falling around to conceal her face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Teo. You startled me.”
    “Sweetheart, you weren’t startled. You were terrified.” He placed his hand in the middle of the bed between them, palm up. “You don’t need to fear me. I won’t ever hurt you.”
    She shook her head, hair swaying back and forth. “I know that. I just—I didn’t—I’m sorry—”
    Whoever had put that look on her face had a death sentence hanging over him, Teo swore. “Lacey, you don’t have to be sorry. Just tell me what’s going on. That’s all I want to know.”
    Again, she shook her head, not looking up. “You need to leave, Teo. Please just go.”
    He thought about it for a few seconds. She sounded so devastated, he wondered if he’d do more harm by staying. But there was no way he could leave her like this.
    “I’m not going anywhere, babe.”
    Her back straightened but she still didn’t look at him.
    “This is my home, Teo. I want you to go.”
    “No, you don’t.”
    There. Her head popped up and a hint of challenge in her eyes forced back some of that terrified wildness.
    “You don’t own me!”
    The force behind her outburst had his eyes narrowing and told him more than she probably wanted him to know. It made his gut churn. “I don’t want to own you. Now tell me who put that fear in your eyes and I’ll make them burn for it.”
    44

    Seduced by Chaos
    Her mouth opened to say something. But nothing came out. When she realized her mouth hung open, she snapped it shut. He caught the hint of tears in her eyes before she scrambled off the bed, dragging the sheets with her, hiding her body. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    She took a deep breath, and he swore he saw her dig down and pull her courage up around her like she’d wrapped herself in the sheets. Her spine straightened and she stared down at him with what she probably hoped was disdain.
    Her shaking hands negated the effect.
    “I want—”
    “I’ve seen the mark, Lacey. I’ve seen your ears. I know what they mean.”
    She froze. Her entire body just seized up and he thought she might actually pass out from lack of oxygen. He rose from the bed slowly, so he didn’t spook her. He was a foot taller than she was and had at least a hundred pounds on her. But she wasn’t looking at him like she was afraid of him .
    No, she was afraid of what he knew.
    Her head started to shake back and forth, her hair falling over her shoulders.
    “Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
    You don’t know anything.”
    “Sweetheart, I—”
    “Don’t call me that!” Her hands tightened on the sheet, the knuckles going white.
    He let a few seconds tick by as she stared at him. “Lacey. How old are you?”
    She frowned. “What does that matter? I want you to—”
    “I’m one-hundred and twenty-three. You’re…what? Twenty-two? Twenty-five?”
    Her frown hardened but her eyes lost just a little bit of that terror. “I’ll be twenty-six next month. A little late to be worried about robbing the cradle, isn’t it?”
    He shook his head, letting a smile curve his lips. “Yeah, it probably is. And I’m not worried about that at all. I’m not worried about anything