Chapter One

      The monster sat across the breakfast table from Caroline, looking deceptively handsome in a dove-gray, thousand-dollar suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and the bulging muscles in his upper arms. The tanned hand that flicked the page on his electronic tablet was elegant, strong, with perfectly groomed nails.

      They should have been talons.

      Talons would have warned people who didn’t know Richard Ashton III that those hands were lethal, especially when they were clasped into fists.

      He skimmed through the latest stock-market figures, then looked pointedly at the untouched food on Caroline’s plate.

      In spite of the worry that had kept her awake most of the night, the worry that had nausea churning in her stomach this morning, she picked up her fork and took a bite of egg the cook had prepared exactly to Richard’s specifications. She dabbed her napkin on the corners of her mouth as he’d taught her, before training her face into the carefully blank expression she’d learned was the safest.

      His brows lowered. “You’re getting too thin, Caroline. That displeases me.”

      She stilled, her fingers curling against her thigh.

      “I—I—I’m sorry, Richard.”

      Calm down. He hates it when you stutter.

      She fought back the fear that so often jumbled her words. “I’ll eat everything on my plate. I promise.” She took another bite of egg.

      Tiny lines of disapproval tightened around his eyes.

      Her stomach twisted. What had she done? She raced through a mental checklist. Her hair was neat and curled to drape over one shoulder in the style he preferred. She’d painstakingly applied the makeup he’d selected for her, natural looking but polished. She held her napkin in her left hand in her lap, her fork in her right, no elbows on the table. What had she missed?

      “Don’t look so alarmed,” he chided her. He cocked his head, his eyes narrowing. “Or have you done something that requires further instruction?”

      “No, no, no, I’ve been good. I don’t...n-need another l-lesson.”

      Stop it. Calm down.

      “Don’t stutter, Caroline. It’s unbecoming of an Ashton to stutter. Tell me, why aren’t you eating enough?”

      Her hands went clammy with sweat and shook so badly she almost dropped her fork. Desperation had her scooping another forkful of eggs into her mouth. As she chewed, she smiled across the table at him, trying to placate him.

      He shook his head. “You’re being rude. I asked you a question, and now your mouth is full. You’re making me wait for an answer.”

      Stupid, stupid, stupid. She should have answered him first and then taken a bite. She swallowed hard, forcing the lump of eggs down her tight throat without taking the time to chew.

      “I’m so sorry,” she rushed to assure him. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I w-wanted you to be proud that I was obeying, that I was eating.” She wiped her moist hands on her pants.

      “I’m still waiting for an answer.”

      She blinked. What was the question? What was it? She couldn’t remember. He’d said something about her being too thin, and then he’d said—

      “I asked why you aren’t eating enough.” His voice was clipped, harsh.

      “I’m