The Ice Princess Read Online Free PDF Page B

mortal man's blood would stop. His heart would freeze and his face and limbs ice over. He
    would, in fact, become a statue of ice, and then he joined the hundreds of other frozen men who stood about the Ice Princess's icy lake. Immobile.
    Silent. Unchanging. And her only companions. . . .
    --from The Ice Princess
    Coral woke early the next morning and turned to look at the chair. Empty. Isaac was already gone. Alarmed, she sat up and felt for her mask, but it was stil
    i n place. She swallowed, letting her arms fal . Strange t o think that he'd seen her asleep. S he usually hated the thought of being observed with her
    defenses down, but with Isaac . . . the knowledge that he'd seen her asleep was almost erotic. She shivered and rose. She was letting the captain too
    close. A man didn't rise to command his own ship in the Royal Navy by being weak. By letting his desires control him. No matter his interest in her at the
    moment, it would disappear once the novelty wore off and he came to his senses.
    Coral pushed the cruel thought from her mind. She had errands to run and if she were quick she might leave the Grotto before Jimmy rose. Quickly she
    dressed and hurried through the little passage, but her luck ran out when she reached the main hal . Jimmy leaned against the wal as if he'd been waiting
    for her. Her heart jumped nervously at the sight.
    "Another late night, Aphrodite?" He shook his head in mock concern.
    "And I hear Captain Wargate spent the night in your rooms. Again." She made to move past him. "I've an appointment—" He caught her arm roughly.
    "You're not taking your services elsewhere, are you, sweet?"
    "Of course not." She inhaled to calm the panicked fluttering in her breast.
    He squeezed, pinching her flesh against her bones painful y. "Because I wouldn't like t o have t o discipline you, Aphrodite, no t when you've suddenly
    proved so very profitable again."
    She stared, truly shocked now. "You know I don't entertain. Not anymore. After Captain Wargate's seven nights are up--"
    "The gentlemen wil be clamoring to try you." Jimmy grinned like the evil imp he was. "We simply can't afford to let this opportunity slide, sweet."
    "Jimmy—"
    He suddenly let go of her arm, causing her to stumble back. "I think we'l make the Red Room solely yours. It'l lend a touch of exclusivity to your wares.
    Now don't let the captain tire you out. I've already got the customers lining up for your first free night."
    He grinned again and strol ed away down the hal .
    Coral pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the frantic beat of her heart. Dear God, if Jimmy truly decided to whore her out, there was nothing she could
    do to defend herself. He held the majority share in the Grotto, had the power to toss her into the street. And worse, he had the power to make the lives of
    al those who worked in Aphrodite’s Grotto—the working boys and women, the maids and cooks, even the bul y boys—a living hel . Jimmy could make her
    go back to being a common whore. Go back to suffering under strange men every night. No. Simply no. She could not do that again—which made her
    appointment this morning even more urgent. Coral turned and fled down the Grotto's back staircase.
    It was late by the time she returned that night. She crept up the back stairs of the Grotto. The cries of the merrymakers i n the front o f the building were
    muted but quite discernible. She'd lived in this place for over two years, yet she felt none of the warmth one should when returning home. But then what
    kind of fool expected the warmth of home from a brothel?
    Coral paused outside the door to her room. It looked no different than it had this morning, but she sensed he was already here. She compressed her lips.
    He was occupying entirely too much of her thoughts. It wouldn't do. She was the madam of the most infamous brothel in London. She'd used and tossed
    aside men much more powerful than he. She was Aphrodite . And after these seven days were up she'd