Read Online Untouchable by Linda Winstead Jones - Free Book Online
Authors: Linda Winstead Jones
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Alixandyr,” she whispered. “Go away and send him to me. Now.” She wanted the warm green eyes, not the black/green that stared through her. She wanted the man of honor, not the thief who coveted what his brother possessed. “Go away, and send him to me.”
She asked for Alixandyr even though she knew Trystan would touch her, take her, while the man she craved would not.
His smile did not fade. “No. You can’t have him. I have learned to take control, and I won’t relinquish that control easily.”
“You’re not as strong as he is,” Sanura said softly. “He’ll be back.”
“I imagine so, but not now, and not permanently.” He grinned. “I’m coming into my own, and I like it very much. Alix won’t survive this journey, my blue seductress. If I think he’s winning the battle, if I believe that I will never have possession of this body, I will take you, willing or not. I will cover myself in the blue that stains your skin, and then I will present myself naked and deliriously happy to your sword-toting guards.” He moved closer. Too close, and yet still he did not touch her skin. “If I don’t win the fight for this body before we reach Arthes, you will be the death of your precious Alixandyr.”
ALIX woke feeling as if he had not slept at all, but there was no time to lie about simply because he’d passed a restless night. His first order of business was to ask Sanura to ride beside him as she had in the early days of their journey. Being near her was a kind of torture, but keeping peace between the two women he was escorting to Jahn was of the utmost importance.
Even though Sanura had been avoiding him since their conversation by the stream, he was surprised when she turned about, saw him, and visibly flinched. She was not a shy woman, and he had never seen her cower or recoil from anything. He had certainly never given her reason to fear him. He crossed the camp to speak to her, and she remained wary. Openly suspicious. He could almost swear that she was about to run from him—or at least she wanted to run.
Sanura did not flee as he approached, but she had told him more than once that what she desired did not matter.
“It would be best if you rode with me today,” he said in an authoritative tone of voice. They would take this one day at a time, in a sensible manner.
She stared into his eyes, studying them more fiercely than was necessary, and then she relaxed. He could actually see the tension leave her body, he saw her limbs and her mouth relax until she was once again the sensuous and confident woman he had come to know.
“Why do you wish it?” she asked.
Alix attempted to inject a touch of cheerfulness into his voice, even though he did not feel at all cheerful. “Do you enjoy listening to the princess complain with each step the horses take?”
At this, she smiled. “No more than anyone else who travels at the rear of the column, I imagine. Is my comfort of such importance to you?”
He would not lie to her. “No.”
A light of understanding came into her eyes. “Ah, this is Edlyn’s doing, isn’t it? She wants me as far away from her as possible.”
“Yes.”
Sanura cocked her head and studied him for a moment. He didn’t like the calculating intelligence in her eyes, or the sense that she saw more than she should, as she always did. She was just a woman, no different from any other who was not his to take. And yet, he did not react to her as if she were any other woman.
“A more perverse woman would refuse your offer and spend the remaining days making conversation with our troublesome princess, simply to make the journey more difficult for you.”
“Are you perverse?” Why could he suddenly smell her hair, as if it were directly beneath his nose? Why did he have to clench his hands into fists to keep from shaking? Such a woman could surely bring stronger men to their knees, but he had never thought himself vulnerable to such nonsense.
“On occasion,” she
She asked for Alixandyr even though she knew Trystan would touch her, take her, while the man she craved would not.
His smile did not fade. “No. You can’t have him. I have learned to take control, and I won’t relinquish that control easily.”
“You’re not as strong as he is,” Sanura said softly. “He’ll be back.”
“I imagine so, but not now, and not permanently.” He grinned. “I’m coming into my own, and I like it very much. Alix won’t survive this journey, my blue seductress. If I think he’s winning the battle, if I believe that I will never have possession of this body, I will take you, willing or not. I will cover myself in the blue that stains your skin, and then I will present myself naked and deliriously happy to your sword-toting guards.” He moved closer. Too close, and yet still he did not touch her skin. “If I don’t win the fight for this body before we reach Arthes, you will be the death of your precious Alixandyr.”
ALIX woke feeling as if he had not slept at all, but there was no time to lie about simply because he’d passed a restless night. His first order of business was to ask Sanura to ride beside him as she had in the early days of their journey. Being near her was a kind of torture, but keeping peace between the two women he was escorting to Jahn was of the utmost importance.
Even though Sanura had been avoiding him since their conversation by the stream, he was surprised when she turned about, saw him, and visibly flinched. She was not a shy woman, and he had never seen her cower or recoil from anything. He had certainly never given her reason to fear him. He crossed the camp to speak to her, and she remained wary. Openly suspicious. He could almost swear that she was about to run from him—or at least she wanted to run.
Sanura did not flee as he approached, but she had told him more than once that what she desired did not matter.
“It would be best if you rode with me today,” he said in an authoritative tone of voice. They would take this one day at a time, in a sensible manner.
She stared into his eyes, studying them more fiercely than was necessary, and then she relaxed. He could actually see the tension leave her body, he saw her limbs and her mouth relax until she was once again the sensuous and confident woman he had come to know.
“Why do you wish it?” she asked.
Alix attempted to inject a touch of cheerfulness into his voice, even though he did not feel at all cheerful. “Do you enjoy listening to the princess complain with each step the horses take?”
At this, she smiled. “No more than anyone else who travels at the rear of the column, I imagine. Is my comfort of such importance to you?”
He would not lie to her. “No.”
A light of understanding came into her eyes. “Ah, this is Edlyn’s doing, isn’t it? She wants me as far away from her as possible.”
“Yes.”
Sanura cocked her head and studied him for a moment. He didn’t like the calculating intelligence in her eyes, or the sense that she saw more than she should, as she always did. She was just a woman, no different from any other who was not his to take. And yet, he did not react to her as if she were any other woman.
“A more perverse woman would refuse your offer and spend the remaining days making conversation with our troublesome princess, simply to make the journey more difficult for you.”
“Are you perverse?” Why could he suddenly smell her hair, as if it were directly beneath his nose? Why did he have to clench his hands into fists to keep from shaking? Such a woman could surely bring stronger men to their knees, but he had never thought himself vulnerable to such nonsense.
“On occasion,” she
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