Betrayal Read Online Free Page A

desire to nurse him back to his former glory. Maybe then, he would see more than a scullery maid when he looked at her.
    “Please, Lizzy, do not be cross with me. I wanted to kiss you. Just because I want something does not mean it is the right thing. I should not have forced myself on you, but I was caught up in the moment.”
    Jerking her arm away from his grip, she laughed. “You think you could have kissed me if I was opposed to it? I am a demon hunter, Reece Foxjohn. Just because you have not yet seen me in action, do not suppose I am not capable of stopping you or anyone else. I know you, but you clearly know nothing about me. You should rest. I will see you at dinner.”
    She gathered her wits in the hallway before she ran to her room, bolted the door, and looked for something she could break. She paced the carpet, took up a pale green vase, lifted it over her head, and then set it back on the table with added care. Breaking the expensive glassware would not change anything. It would not make her his equal. If The Company could not do that, then nothing could. Above her station, he viewed kissing her as an error in judgment. His conscience would not let him take liberties with the help. She understood. In fact, over the years, she had wished more of her employers had been so honorable. Ironically, she hated him for the same virtue that made her admire him so.
    * * * *
    After dinner and cakes, Elizabeth returned to her room. While the company had been lively, exhaustion and anger left her unable to enjoy it. Less than fifteen minutes passed before someone knocked on her door, likely the maid. “I do not require assistance to undress, thank you.”
    The door creaked open, and Reece peeked his head inside. “I would quite enjoy that task, but it is not why I have come.”
    Maybe she would go for a walk in the garden. She could walk right past him, pull off her heavy skirts, and run in the trousers she wore beneath. If she ran far enough, perhaps her exhaustion would force sleep. Perhaps she would not even come back to the house. She could sleep under the stars. “What do you want, Reece?”
    “I want to apologize.”
    “For what?”
    “I upset you, and it was the last thing I wanted to do.”
    “What was the first thing?”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “You said it was the last thing you wanted, and I would like to know the first thing you wanted.”
    He grinned. “You are quite witty when you wish to be.”
    She shrugged. “Either answer the question or go to your own room.
    Both his eyebrows lifted and he cocked his head. “If I told you, you would likely never speak to me again.”
    “Really? Now I am intrigued. Tell me.”
    He stepped closer. “The first thing I wanted was to kiss you until we were both senseless.”
    The wonderful flutter returned to her lower stomach. “And for that, I would never speak to you again?”
    “It would change things. Perhaps I’ve already ruined everything with the small kiss. I should have controlled myself, but you were so sweet and luscious in my arms.”
    “What would it change?”
    He’d gotten very close, but now he backed almost to the door. “This kind of thing changes a hunting relationship, any relationship. We will need to work together, and I do not want to put distance between us. Please accept my apology for my earlier behavior. I am sincerely sorry.”
    He really was sorry, but for what, she couldn’t be sure. Maybe his remorse came from upsetting her or for kissing her. She pulled her shoulders back and met his gaze. “I believe you, Reece. We will be fine.”
    A very sexy grin played across his face, and he bowed before leaving the room.
    Elizabeth stripped down to a blouse and black trousers. She cloaked herself in a long-coat, checked her weapons were secure, and followed her desire for a long run.
    Dew already covered the grass. She jogged through the formal garden to a gate that opened to a rolling field lit only by the moon and stars. Running