Thirty Four

A finger pulled along the exposed skin at the edge of her bodice. "You successfully make the others do your bidding—the women, the young boys, even that horrid hag Mrs. Francis. You have them all eating out of the palm of your lovely hand. I have to admit that it is a truly inviting hand and I‟m tempted to sip from it, but too long have I pulled the strings myself. I will set the terms of your forfeits."

Outrage overtook her, swift and sure. "You dare—"

His finger dipped below her bodice and the edge of her rigid corset, and the tip of his finger brushed her nipple, strangling anything that might have emerged from her mouth.