This Darkest Man Read Online Free PDF

that evening, I was
exhausted and we sat together in the huge old slipper bath and drank more of
Aunt Anna’s wine. Every muscle in me ached but the hot water soothed me, and
even more comforting than that, was the feel of his hard muscled body as I
leaned against him. He lathered the soap in his hands and rubbed them in hard,
slow sensual strokes across my skin.
    “That
feels so good,” I murmured as he massaged the back of my neck.
    “You’re
so responsive. It’s like you’re a doll in my hands, easily manipulated.” He
kneaded harder, and I nearly groaned at how wonderful it felt. “Your limbs, I
mean. Your body is easily manipulated.”
    “I
like you manipulating me.” I reached for my wine and sipped it. It wouldn’t be
much longer until I’d fall asleep. It had been a long time since I had felt
this good, if ever. It was amazing how someone I had known for such a short
space of time could have this effect on me. This must have been what it was
like for Erin during what she called her promiscuous period, where one night
stands and brief flings were her aim and left her free and happy.
    He
kissed my shoulder. “I’m glad.”
    “So
when are you going to get started with your research? I’m dying to know the
story behind our skeleton. If she was walled up alive, it’s such a gruesome way
to die.” I shivered as I imagined her terror at dying slowly and alone.
    “I’ll
take some photographs tomorrow, but I’ll need reliable Internet access for the
majority of my research.”
    I
smiled tightly in response. The thought of suddenly being alone again in this
old house hit me like I’d been doused in cold water. If he noticed my sudden
tension, he didn’t mention it. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to look at your
books, any diaries, records, that sort of thing.”
    “I
think there are a few things like that in the book case in the parlor.” His
arms had come around me now to sit directly underneath my breasts. A sense of
security came over me by being in his arms, and I know it was stupid because
this would be only a brief fling, but I decided to live in the now and enjoy
it. I relaxed in his arms and let the tension flow away; I wouldn’t let
anything ruin this time we had together.
    “And
any old jewelry or family heirlooms. They can often tell us a lot about the
occupants of a house.”
    “I’ll
open up the safe for you tomorrow. There’s a ton of jewelry in there.” Now that
I was back to feeling relaxed again, the feeling of sleep was overtaking me
again and I struggled to keep my eyes open. “You should speak to the neighbors.
Everyone around here has lived here for generations and they all know each
other’s business. If there are any scandals about my family, they’ll be all too
happy to tell you. They hate us. When my father was arrested on fraud charges I
think they threw a party.”
    Clay
gave a soft laugh. “Surely not.”
    He
didn’t seem to react to the fact that I had just told him that my father was a
criminal. I hadn’t meant to let that slip; it must have been the wine.
    “Maybe
not,” I admitted. “But they sure were nasty.” On one of the infrequent trips
that I made with my Aunt into town that awful summer, I heard adults whispering
as she loaded up supplies. She didn’t flinch or give any indication that she
heard, and I wondered what made a person appear as if they were made of metal.
I, myself, was as soft and damageable as a feather. When the other kids my age
taunted me, as they often did, I would struggle to blink back the tears.
Normally, their tormenting consisted of calling me a dog, or that stuck up
Larsen cunt. That summer, however, they added, “Your daddy’s going to jail.
He’s gonna get what he deserves,” in a singsong chant that had me shaking. He
never did go to jail because he died of a heart attack before it got to court.
Funnily enough, that time I didn’t cry. He was always far too busy for his
uninteresting, boring daughter who wasn’t