Bargain with the devil Read Online Free PDF Page A

you has nothing to do with ‘liking’ you! But if you go along with my plans, I’ll give you my word that I’ll leave Leana and Eric alone. Isn’t that what you’re trying to accomplish? All you have to do is take the vows that bind you to me instead of the Rylans. Become my wife, Stacy, and I’ll leave your brother out of this.“
    „And my father?“ Stacy hazarded bitterly, the line of her normally smiling mouth drawn tight.
    „Your father will be told who I am. It’s up to him whether or not he chooses to burden the rest of the family with the knowledge,“
    Hunter told her arrogantly.
    „My – my mother will know who you are,“ Stacy reminded him in a husky voice, trying without much success to think her way out of the dilemma. But it was proving impossible to concentrate with the full force of Hunter Manning bearing down on her like this!
    „I doubt if she even remembers me.“ Hunter shrugged unconcernedly. „My guess is, your father will keep the real reason for the marriage to himself and try to pretend everything is fine on the sur-face. Only you and he need know how thorough the revenge really will be!“
    „That will satisfy you?“ Stacy asked in a hard little voice. „The knowledge that my father thinks you’ve deliberately ‘stolen’ me away from the family will be sufficient to fulfill your desire for revenge?“ She faced him with a clear-eyed, straightforward look that he responded to in kind.
    „Yes,“ he whispered in a new, low voice. „That will satisfy me.“
    „Very well,“ Stacy said, drawing a deep, steadying breath and refusing to lower her eyes. „I’ll marry you.“ Later, she promised herself again, she would search for a way out of this incredible mess.
    Right now she must establish her priorities and stick by them, and the first issue at hand was to keep Hunter Manning away from Eric and Leana. She would worry about her own fortunes when the time came.
    Hunter continued to gaze down at her assessingly, and then he gave a short, authoritative nod. „It’s settled. We’ll be married as soon as I can arrange it. We’ll tell your brother and Leana tonight before leaving the party. I wonder if you know what you’re getting into, Stacy Rylan,“ he added broodingly, not yet releasing her shoulders.
    „Nothing very good, I’m sure,“ she couldn’t resist spitting back.
    He almost smiled at that. She could see the near-honest humor that tugged at his mouth before it twisted in a wry expression. „You may be right. I only hope you’ll keep in mind that you agreed to this marriage of your own free wiH….!“
    „Hardly! I’m marrying you under duress, and we both know it.
    Don’t pretend otherwise!“ she retorted through gritted teeth.
    „I’m not going to accept that as an excuse if you dare step one inch out of line,“ he growled warningly. „You’re going to be my wife, Stacy, and that means you’ll be ^walking a very narrow ledge.
    I’m not the foolish, love-blinded man your brother is at the moment.
    My wife will know the limits and stay within them. She wiH never put herself in a position such that she can be used against me as Leana seems so willing to do. As my wife, your loyalty lies completely with me. Do you understand?“
    „What about you?“ she taunted. „Will you be loyal to me?“
    „That’s in your hands, isn’t it?“ he mocked. „The only promise I’m making to you is to leave Leana and Eric alone.“

    „How long do you expect such a one-sided arrangement to last?“
    Stacy breathed, her head high so as not to betray the despair she was beginning to feel curling in her stomach.
    „Until I’m satisfied with my revenge, of course,“ he drawled.
    „How long will that take?“ she pushed angrily.
    „I don’t know,“ he muttered frankly, applying unexpected pressure on her shoulders; pressure that brought her up against the hardness of his body with a startling impact. „Perhaps until I’ve taught one Stacy Rylan that she