Read Online Conquering the Dark Axe by Amber Dane - Free Book Online

with Lina.  But it was
not as easy as she thought. 
    “Your meal is here.  I see you did not eat much
from the noonday platter.  You will need to eat more to build strength so
that you will be able to bear my child without issue. A healthy weight is
needed to succor a babe.” 
    She shot him a look of naked disgust as her eyes watched
him reach up near her head.  With a few quick movements, he undid the
ropes, releasing her hands, but kept them in his grasp. 
    She would not talk to him nor would she give him the
satisfaction of knowing that his treatment of her and his words bothered her in
the slightest. 
    She looked at him with indifference.   However,
his soft curse told her that her act bothered him. His mouth drew down in
a grimace and he looked tired, Alexa noted and cursed herself immediately for
taking note. What did she care if the brute looked like he was ready to topple
over?  
    Rourke noted her expression of contrived
indifference and fought back a curse.  He could read her every thought,
but he was too tired to fight with her this eve. 
    He asked, his tone brusque, “Are you going to
behave?”
    Alexa bit back her own oath  as a tremor shot
through her body from the hard look shooting from those tired bright green
eyes, causing her to pause a long moment.  Obviously a moment too long for
the bastard tightened his hold on the rope and tugged hard.  She struggled
not to fall at his feet and narrowed her gaze on him. 
    Through gritted teeth, she replied
tersely,   “Aye.”  Telling herself she spoke only because her
arms hurt and she needed relief from the ache. 
    He shrugged a bored look upon his face and he let
her go and moved to the table that held their food.  Alexa’s legs
were weak and she rubbed her wrists under the bit of room allotted between the
thick rope and her skin.  They were beginning to chafe and felt tender
around the red ring.
    “Come.  Eat.”  Rourke, now seated at the
table, reached out for a sweet meat, his eyes for once, to Alexa’s relief not
on her.  She walked to the bench and sat down. 
    There were two silver platters. One filled with
breads, cheeses, meats and the other a trencher of stew, fruits and
nuts on the side. There were two trays.  She chose the stew and
after two bites of it, she stopped eating. 
    “Nay. Eat more.”  His repeated command came as
he leaned back, his bench pushed against the wall and with his hooded gaze on
her, he lounged there waiting.
    Alexa pressed her lips together in irritation. 
She spotted the berries and began to shove several of them into her mouth in an
unladylike fashion.  In her haste to spite him, she choked on one and
fumed when she heard his low chuckle of mirth.  She shot him a murderous
glare before she swallowed them down with a large gulp of wine.
    “I am full.” She said wiping her mouth with one of
the cloths before she stood up.  She expected him to say more, but he
didn’t.
    Camm must have left the fresh water she spotted on
another table.  Alexa sighed with relief and washed her face and
hands.  Afterwards, she grabbed her comb and brush that lay next to it,
then let out a shriek when she felt him behind her. 
    His fingers moved in her thick plait and his warm
breath tickled the hairs on the back of her neck. 
    “Your hair is too nice to be braided like this. Wear
it loose from now on. Come, sit and I will brush it.”
    His sudden turn at being nice caught her off guard.
She wanted to refuse but found that she was suddenly very drowsy and the energy
to fight with him tonight gone.  She convinced herself that was the only
reason she was allowing him to touch her. 
    She let him guide her to the bench at the foot of
the bed.  Within moments, his fingers and heavy hand on the brush begin to
lull her into deeper relaxation.  Her scalp screamed with pleasure. 
    To her surprise, he asked questions about the
steward and kitchen staff and Alexa found herself answering with several