The Wedding of Molly O'Flaherty Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Sierra Simone
me, his hat tumbling to the floor as he reached for me. His hands found mine, and I didn’t resist as he laced our fingers together. He still wore his gloves, and I looked down to study the contrast of my freckled wrists against the white leather.
“Tell me,” Silas said, ducking his head so I had to meet his eyes. They burned blue in the dim light, and I never wanted to look away. Except that shame that prickled and skittered over my skin…
“I saw it in your face outside,” he continued, his voice soft. “There’s something you haven’t told us—haven’t told me.”
“I haven’t told anyone,” I said. That was a truth that was easier to force out. The truth about the truth. “Except Birgit.”
I saw the moment understanding kindled in his eyes. The moment he absorbed the only reason I would tell Birgit my secret when I hadn’t told anyone else. The moment that his concern fused together with incandescent rage.
“When.” His affect was downward, making it not a question at all, making it an edict instead. I would tell him, that tone of voice said, and I would tell him now .
And somehow, his change of demeanor unstuck my throat. I couldn’t tell my grinning, happy Silas, but I could tell this stern, powerful man who’d spanked me, who’d fingered me in a ballroom, who’d come all over my face while growling harsh, depraved things to me. And somehow, the very idea that this domineering, almost cruel version of Silas, might think less of me because of what I’d done with Cunningham was ridiculous. I don’t know why I felt that way, just that something about the way he looked at me now—like he could see beyond my flesh and bone to the soul buried deeply within—told me that he saw me as something untainted and lovely. Something that was his.
“When I was fourteen,” I answered after a minute. “Not long after my fourteenth birthday.”
“Did he…” Silas’s jaw worked as he attempted to restrain his anger. “…Did he force you?”
I shook my head, my eyes hot with tears as I started from the beginning of the story. Not with tears of shame, but with tears of relief. I was finally, finally telling him about the burden I’d carried for a decade and a half. And as I told him, he held himself completely still, completely controlled, even though I could feel the tremor in his hands as he clutched mine harder and harder. As if to reassure himself—and me—that we were here together and I was safe and the things I was describing to him now were securely in the past.
After I finished, Silas took a minute. “I’ll kill him,” he said eventually, and the words were completely cold and completely calm.
I shivered.
“You can’t,” I said. “Can’t you see that I’ve thought endlessly about this? There’s no way to punish him for what he did. What he still does to me. He’s too powerful and my own reputation is too…murky…for me to be a reliable witness. All we can do is protect Birgit.” I took a deep breath and said out loud that darkest thought that haunted me. “It’s too late for me. He’s won. He’s defeated me, and he’s ruined me. I can’t purify myself, I can’t fix what he’s sullied. I’m tainted now.”
Silas pressed his lips together, the deep frown forbiddingly handsome on his face. “No,” he said. “I won’t hear any more words like that from you.” And then he tugged off a glove with his teeth, exposing his bare hand, which now slipped under my skirts.
“Silas,” I breathed, still unsteady from my confession. “We can’t…”
“I can’t touch you with intent to bring pleasure,” he interrupted. “This is not a touch to bring about pleasure. This is to remind you whom you belong to. Feel free to use your safe word.”
I should. I should use it because we couldn’t do this, but then his hand skated over my knee, following my stocking until it ended at the middle of my thigh. And then his fingers were brushing the sensitive skin of my
“Tell me,” Silas said, ducking his head so I had to meet his eyes. They burned blue in the dim light, and I never wanted to look away. Except that shame that prickled and skittered over my skin…
“I saw it in your face outside,” he continued, his voice soft. “There’s something you haven’t told us—haven’t told me.”
“I haven’t told anyone,” I said. That was a truth that was easier to force out. The truth about the truth. “Except Birgit.”
I saw the moment understanding kindled in his eyes. The moment he absorbed the only reason I would tell Birgit my secret when I hadn’t told anyone else. The moment that his concern fused together with incandescent rage.
“When.” His affect was downward, making it not a question at all, making it an edict instead. I would tell him, that tone of voice said, and I would tell him now .
And somehow, his change of demeanor unstuck my throat. I couldn’t tell my grinning, happy Silas, but I could tell this stern, powerful man who’d spanked me, who’d fingered me in a ballroom, who’d come all over my face while growling harsh, depraved things to me. And somehow, the very idea that this domineering, almost cruel version of Silas, might think less of me because of what I’d done with Cunningham was ridiculous. I don’t know why I felt that way, just that something about the way he looked at me now—like he could see beyond my flesh and bone to the soul buried deeply within—told me that he saw me as something untainted and lovely. Something that was his.
“When I was fourteen,” I answered after a minute. “Not long after my fourteenth birthday.”
“Did he…” Silas’s jaw worked as he attempted to restrain his anger. “…Did he force you?”
I shook my head, my eyes hot with tears as I started from the beginning of the story. Not with tears of shame, but with tears of relief. I was finally, finally telling him about the burden I’d carried for a decade and a half. And as I told him, he held himself completely still, completely controlled, even though I could feel the tremor in his hands as he clutched mine harder and harder. As if to reassure himself—and me—that we were here together and I was safe and the things I was describing to him now were securely in the past.
After I finished, Silas took a minute. “I’ll kill him,” he said eventually, and the words were completely cold and completely calm.
I shivered.
“You can’t,” I said. “Can’t you see that I’ve thought endlessly about this? There’s no way to punish him for what he did. What he still does to me. He’s too powerful and my own reputation is too…murky…for me to be a reliable witness. All we can do is protect Birgit.” I took a deep breath and said out loud that darkest thought that haunted me. “It’s too late for me. He’s won. He’s defeated me, and he’s ruined me. I can’t purify myself, I can’t fix what he’s sullied. I’m tainted now.”
Silas pressed his lips together, the deep frown forbiddingly handsome on his face. “No,” he said. “I won’t hear any more words like that from you.” And then he tugged off a glove with his teeth, exposing his bare hand, which now slipped under my skirts.
“Silas,” I breathed, still unsteady from my confession. “We can’t…”
“I can’t touch you with intent to bring pleasure,” he interrupted. “This is not a touch to bring about pleasure. This is to remind you whom you belong to. Feel free to use your safe word.”
I should. I should use it because we couldn’t do this, but then his hand skated over my knee, following my stocking until it ended at the middle of my thigh. And then his fingers were brushing the sensitive skin of my