Sweet: A Dark Love Story by Kit Tunstall, R.E. Saxton Read Free Book Online Page A

expression, one that was a mix of amusement and perhaps a touch of bitterness. “Let me answer your second question first. They accepted the help because they thought I was an altruistic man, and they were moved by the fact that I cared enough about your fate to want to help you anonymously despite what your father had done to my family.”
    Her eyes widened in shock. “They know who you are, and what my father did, and they never questioned your kindness?”
    He shook his head. “No, especially not when I told them how kind you had been after the trial, and how upset you were that your father had gotten off. I told them I was concerned about you, so I had kept tabs on you over the last couple of years, and with you coming out of foster care, I wanted to help provide you with a good start in life.”
    She shook her head, struggling to take it all in. “Why didn’t you just tell me this?”
    His lips tightened. “I’m certain you already know the answer to that. You were too young at eighteen for me to just take you then. You needed time to grow up a little bit. I didn’t want a baby having my babies. Now that you’re a mature woman, the investment has paid off. And I think we both know you would have turned down any offers of assistance from me,” he added with a sly tilt to his mouth. “Too many strings.”
    “You’re damn right I would have, and as soon as I get a job, I’m going to start repaying you for your kindness .” The last word practically oozed with bitterness. “You still haven’t explained why you did all that?”
    “That’s simple enough. The Blakes are conservative people, and you seemed eager to please them. I knew they would exert a good influence on you, and it would be easier to control your actions. It was also easier to keep tabs on you when I knew exactly where you were…and exactly who you were with.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    He winked at her. “You dear friend and roommate Michelle was in my employment for the last four years, and she reported everything back to me. She also did her best to ensure you didn’t get too serious about any boys, because I made that a stipulation. I didn’t want you falling in love with some young fool when you belonged to me.”
    A fierce sense of betrayal swept through her as the nights she had talked and giggled with her dorm mate, the times they gone out together, and the friendship she thought they’d had crumbled to dust under the truth. No wonder Michelle had always wanted to do girls’ night out, or even better, girls’ night in. She’d never liked any of the few boyfriends Kat had introduced to her, and she had always encouraged her to focus on studying instead of dating.
    At the time, Kat had just assumed Michelle was simply a conscientious academic who cared about her as a friend and wanted to see her succeed too. Now, realizing she’d lived with a spy for the last four years, one who had used her influence to further Declan’s agenda, made her stomach churn with nausea. She pushed away her plate without eating anything else. “How else did you control my life for the last four years?”
    He shrugged. “That’s pretty much it, though I have intimidated or paid off a couple of little fuckers to get out of your life when things started to get too serious.”
    Through the flash of irritation at the boys being such cowards, and the pain still clinging to her like a shroud, she gave him a simpering smile. “If your goal was to keep me untouched, you failed. I’m certainly not a virgin.”
    He didn’t even blink. “I didn’t think you would be. I’m not a virgin either, and the last thing I want to do is break you in physically before I start breaking you. I wanted you to have some experience, and to know what it felt like to have a cock in you before mine entered. I just didn’t want you to get serious about any of those little fuckers and do something impulsive, like elope before you finished