Read Online 22 Nights by Linda Winstead Jones - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Linda Winstead Jones
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Bela, and you’ll be safe. The emperor will prefer a female as his bride, I’m quite sure.”
Perhaps she did prefer manly pursuits, perhaps she did not want to be a wife and mother, as it seemed every other female she knew did, but that did not mean she would take such an insult without response. “I am very much a female, and can even appear so when it suits me. Many men have desired me,” she said, moving slightly closer to him. She wished she had her knife back. If she did, she might threaten him just a little.
“The empress will have to wear pretty gowns every day. She will have to obey the orders of the emperor and give him children. I imagine he’ll want many. She’ll have to entertain dignitaries and such every night, and smile at people she does not like.”
“I can do that. See?” She smiled widely at him .
“As empress, you would be required to bathe every day.”
Suddenly she realized that his manly appendage was hard and long and threatening, not at all as it had been moments ago. They were so close it was almost touching her. She took a single step back, moving quickly. “There is no need for you to be difficult!” she protested, without getting specific about how he was being difficult.
“Like it or not, you owe me whatever pain and embarrassment this next twenty-two days costs you,” Merin said without shame. “You lied to me on more than one occasion, you tricked me, you used me, and thanks to your scheming we’re literally bound together for twenty-two very long days. And so you will pay.” He looked her up and down. “Taking anything off before we go into the water?”
She shook her head.
“Fine.” Merin turned and tugged on the rope as he walked into the creek. Bela stumbled along, her eyes on his bare ass and a scar on his back, not too far from his spine.
She cried “Stop!” as she reached the edge of the water. Merin was already in the creek, the water almost up to his knees.
“Let me take off my boots. I don’t want to get them wet.”
He nodded once, and she quickly removed her footwear. When that was done, Merin stepped toward the center of the creek and Bela followed. As if she had a choice! Her feet got wet. The cool water did feel wonderful, though she would never tell him so. When the water hit the hem of her pants, she called out, “Isn’t this far enough? You can bathe there and I’ll stay mostly dry.”
Merin turned to face her. The water came to his thighs now. Not deep enough to suit her, but still, since he was not quite as close as he had been on the bank, she didn’t mind looking. Somehow he was . . . interesting. “No,” he said simply, and then he yanked on the rope that connected them and she was pulled into the creek deeper than she desired. Cool water splashed up and around her, droplets hitting her face and dampening her clothes. Still, Merin pulled on the rope until she was in the water as deep as he was . . . only she still wore all her clothing.
“You’re not really going to go the whole time without a bath, are you?” he asked, more amused than she liked.
“I’ll work something out.” There had to be a way!
“I’ve seen you naked before.”
“And look where that got us!” she protested.
He grinned. “You threw yourself at me,” he said softly. “You said you were a widowed woman dying for a man’s companionship. You stripped me naked and jumped on as if you could not wait.”
“That’s how it’s done,” she protested. “I have seen animals mate, and I walked in on Clyn and his wife, once, so I know full well how a man and a woman are supposed to work.”
“Trust me, you didn’t get the whole story.” He tugged on the rope and pulled her closer to him. She tried to protest, but he was stronger than she was. “If I had known you were an untried maid, things would’ve been different that night.”
“Different how?”
He looked at her strangely. “This is not a discussion we can have, wife . I’m really not
Perhaps she did prefer manly pursuits, perhaps she did not want to be a wife and mother, as it seemed every other female she knew did, but that did not mean she would take such an insult without response. “I am very much a female, and can even appear so when it suits me. Many men have desired me,” she said, moving slightly closer to him. She wished she had her knife back. If she did, she might threaten him just a little.
“The empress will have to wear pretty gowns every day. She will have to obey the orders of the emperor and give him children. I imagine he’ll want many. She’ll have to entertain dignitaries and such every night, and smile at people she does not like.”
“I can do that. See?” She smiled widely at him .
“As empress, you would be required to bathe every day.”
Suddenly she realized that his manly appendage was hard and long and threatening, not at all as it had been moments ago. They were so close it was almost touching her. She took a single step back, moving quickly. “There is no need for you to be difficult!” she protested, without getting specific about how he was being difficult.
“Like it or not, you owe me whatever pain and embarrassment this next twenty-two days costs you,” Merin said without shame. “You lied to me on more than one occasion, you tricked me, you used me, and thanks to your scheming we’re literally bound together for twenty-two very long days. And so you will pay.” He looked her up and down. “Taking anything off before we go into the water?”
She shook her head.
“Fine.” Merin turned and tugged on the rope as he walked into the creek. Bela stumbled along, her eyes on his bare ass and a scar on his back, not too far from his spine.
She cried “Stop!” as she reached the edge of the water. Merin was already in the creek, the water almost up to his knees.
“Let me take off my boots. I don’t want to get them wet.”
He nodded once, and she quickly removed her footwear. When that was done, Merin stepped toward the center of the creek and Bela followed. As if she had a choice! Her feet got wet. The cool water did feel wonderful, though she would never tell him so. When the water hit the hem of her pants, she called out, “Isn’t this far enough? You can bathe there and I’ll stay mostly dry.”
Merin turned to face her. The water came to his thighs now. Not deep enough to suit her, but still, since he was not quite as close as he had been on the bank, she didn’t mind looking. Somehow he was . . . interesting. “No,” he said simply, and then he yanked on the rope that connected them and she was pulled into the creek deeper than she desired. Cool water splashed up and around her, droplets hitting her face and dampening her clothes. Still, Merin pulled on the rope until she was in the water as deep as he was . . . only she still wore all her clothing.
“You’re not really going to go the whole time without a bath, are you?” he asked, more amused than she liked.
“I’ll work something out.” There had to be a way!
“I’ve seen you naked before.”
“And look where that got us!” she protested.
He grinned. “You threw yourself at me,” he said softly. “You said you were a widowed woman dying for a man’s companionship. You stripped me naked and jumped on as if you could not wait.”
“That’s how it’s done,” she protested. “I have seen animals mate, and I walked in on Clyn and his wife, once, so I know full well how a man and a woman are supposed to work.”
“Trust me, you didn’t get the whole story.” He tugged on the rope and pulled her closer to him. She tried to protest, but he was stronger than she was. “If I had known you were an untried maid, things would’ve been different that night.”
“Different how?”
He looked at her strangely. “This is not a discussion we can have, wife . I’m really not
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