"I hope you're quite pleased with yourself." I said disdainfully. Ripping my hand from his grip.

"I'm quite pleased with both of us." He was grinning cockily like the cad he was.

The despicable rogue.

"Now," He leaned over to sweep up my underskirt and tossed it at me. "Let's get you dressed and back to your little ball. Wouldn't want you to miss out on your meeting tonight would we."

I hated that he'd eavesdropped on Sarah and my conversation. I was even more determined than ever to escape the withered old man my father had affianced me to.

What happened to me tonight will never happen to me again.

And now I understood how men thought. I remembered what Rogue had said to me. That if I were his he'd never stop doing to me what he had tonight.

Punishing me.

In only a short time we were both dressed.

I hated that I needed his help getting back into my corset and adjusting my skirts.

But he laughingly helped. Seeming quite amused by my urgency. My desperation to get away from him.

He opened the door for me.

I poked my head out and looked furtively around before stepping out.

He was at my side, his black and white overcoat draped over his forearm. His white shirt on but he'd not even bothered to lace his shirt. Letting it dangle open to reveal the hard lines of his chest.

He glanced at all the windows. "Do you suppose someone watched us? Standing behind the bushes?"

I shot him a horrified glare.

"Could you imagine?" He smirked. "If your poor sister was out there watching me pound you while you were bent over the chair." He nodded back toward the Guest House.

"Or if she saw you folded over the seat while I made you scream in pleasure. Wouldn't she have been quaking with fear to hear it?"

I shuddered at the memory. Awash with humiliation.

"So, My Dear." He caught my hand. "What did we learn tonight?"

"You're the most horrible wretch and I will do anything within my power to never have to tolerate your presence again!"

He grinned. Eyes dancing behind his mask. "Charming."

"You've no idea." My lip curled. "I'll find a way one day, to destroy you."

"You think it'll be so easy?"

"I do. I loathe you." I wrenched my hand from his grip and stalked back to the ballroom.

"Perhaps you'll find it harder than you expect." He called laughingly after me as I did my damnedest to ignore him.

Storming across the ballroom to find my big sister.

"Sarah!" I called to her. Torn between wanting to instantly confess to what'd happened and to simply beg her to get me out of the ball.

"Kylie!" She caught my hand. "Papa has been waiting for you. It's nearly midnight! Time to meet Lord Byron."

Just then the clock tolled.

"I don't give two shits about the old man!" I snapped. "I-"

"Old?" Sarah tossed me a sharp look. "What are you talking about." She pulled me along behind her until we reached papa's side.

I eyed them all hatefully.

"There you are!" He hugged me quickly. "Lord Byron!" He welcomed a man over to us I didn't know.

I barely spared the man a glance. Staring at the floor and annoyed at my sister's sideways hug. She's keeping me from fleeing.

I knew it. I could feel it in the tenseness of her arms.

"Lovely to meet you, Miss Drake." He man lowered over my hand.

I tossed him several short looks and yanked my hand away impatiently. Barely noticing that he was tall but sloppily dressed. His white shirt barely laced...

I sent him another stunned look and my gaze lingered. No...

His dark eyes danced merrily.

"I'm so dearly looking forward to you being my wife." He said in a deep familiar rumble. Lifting a black and white mask to set over his nose.

"No!" I shrieked. Struggling wildly against my sister's grip.

"I told you." He walked by and leaned to whisper. "I'm a very clever man who had designs on you. I wanted you from the moment I saw you. For mine. To have when I wish. And I saw your fighting spirit and knew you'd try to escape me. So, I engineered a lover for you..." He grinned. "One you could never escape."

"You unbelievable..."

"Fiance..." He supplied with a triumphant look.

THE END

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This is one of the completed novellas from my Horror & Lore Series. A short, erotic One-Shot Series coming out on my Patreon Page.

If you'd like to visit me there please go to:

https://www.patreon.com/K_K_S_?fan_landing=true

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