The Rancher’s Vengeful Heart
She lied to him. Now he'll make her pay.
Tassy never believed billionaire rancher Lucius Young would choose her over every woman in San Antonio. So she played the part of his worst nightmare: demanding, possessive, clingy.
But instead of running, the sinfully hot tycoon only smirked...before turning the tables. He matched her game—-more demanding, more possessive—-and refused to let her out of his arms, much less his sight.
His forceful passion shattered her defenses, and his sweet obsession stole her heart. When he whispered forever against her skin, Tassy believed him...until secrets from the past tore them apart.
Now, Lucius despises the very sight of her....and no amount of begging will quench his thirst for vengeance.
****
"MY APOLOGIES." LUCIUS found himself playing the wolf in sheep's clothing for the first time in his life. "Have I bothered you?"
Tassy felt as if she had stepped in an alternate universe, and in this new world, everything she knew stopped making sense.
People often described Lucius Young as cold and aloof, and these were already the "good" things that people who actually liked him had to say.
His business rivals, however...
Ruthless. Cold-blooded. Vicious.
And yet the Lucius in front of her seemed so...nice that even though she did find his presence intensely disturbing, she actually heard herself say, "No, Mr. Young."
The billionaire raised a brow, and too late she realized she had inadvertently admitted to knowing who he was.
Oops?
Lucius gazed at his mystery girl thoughtfully. So she knew who he was, apparently, but she still hadn't attempted to engage his attention in any way. Was it her way of being coy?
"It seems you have me at a disadvantage..."
"I heard you speak once," Tassy felt the need to explain, "when I was still in university."
His lips curved. "And you still remembered?"
Tassy was mortified when he realized what he was hinting at.
I can't believe this is happening. She was usually so, so much more composed than this.
It was one of the major reasons why Xylan had even broken up with her in the first place.
So why, dear God? Why had she ended up practically admitting that the billionaire had made such a huge impression on her at first sight?
Lucius liked the way her cheeks had turned a quick shade of pink at his words. In his world, a woman who could still blush naturally as she did was a rarity, and he was all the more obsessed with making her his.
In every way possible.
"I hope I didn't make you sleep."
"No, sir." Tassy told herself very firmly that she was just imagining the purr in his voice.
"You still haven't told me your name."
"Tassy," she said reluctantly, having been unable to think of any reason to politely decline his request. "It's, um, short for Tassina."
"Tassina."
No, no, no, Tassy thought forcefully. Her brain was once again mistaken. Lucius Young had not purred her name out.
Lucius liked the taste of her name on his lips, but what he would like even more was to see how his name would taste on hers.
"Call me Lucius."
Tassy couldn't help but blink. All this time, the billionaire had been rather gentle in his manner of speaking. But his voice this time...was a lot more commanding?
Lucius mentally winced when he saw the startled look on Tassina's face, realizing too late he had inadvertently let his disguise slip. Who knew it was so hard playing the gentleman?
"Please."
The billionaire's tone was back to sounding gentle and soft. She had probably imagined his tone from earlier, and since she still couldn't think of any polite way to decline his request—-
"Lucius."
Tassy noticed how his gaze became hooded upon hearing her say his name. Had she pronounced it wrong?
Lucius was starting to realize that being with Tassina was entirely unpredictable. Her tone had been exquisitely submissive, and the sound of it had awakened something that had laid dormant inside of him for years.
Its existence was hidden even to Lucius himself, and only in Tassina's presence did the truth finally come out: his inner beast was a sadist, and Tassina was the only prey it desired to torment.
Tassy couldn't help gulping at the way the billionaire was suddenly staring at her like a ravenous wolf.
"I like hearing my name on your lips." Lucius enjoyed seeing his Tassina so confused, with how he was the epitome of gentlemanly conduct one moment...and the soul of wickedness the next.
"Are you—-are you flirting with me?"
"No."
The shock of his reply had her sucking her breath, and Lucius delighted in the way this had her small breasts jiggle noticeably under her sweater.
One day, Lucius thought musingly. One day, those breasts would be his to play with, and he would suckle on them for as long as it took to have his Tassina begging for mercy.
Tassy didn't know whether to die of embarrassment...or toss her glass of water at the billionaire's too-gorgeous face for being so unnecessarily rude. She didn't...she didn't need him to lie, but surely he could've said it more nicely—-
"I'm not flirting with you."
Tassy didn't even know she had a temper until the billionaire chose to rub salt on her wound like it was called for.
Which it was not!
But just as she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind—-
"I'm seducing you."
Her mouth closed and opened and closed, and Lucius' lips pressed in a tight line as he sought to contain his amusement. His Tassina was looking at him this time like his conversation was akin to riding a rollercoaster, and it was all he could do not to yank her into his lap.
If only he could tell her now.
We've only just begun, baby girl.
And this early on, Lucius already had a thousand more ideas on how to torment her in the most delicious way there was.