Read Online Caversham's Bride (The Caversham Chronicles - Book One) by Sandy Raven - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sandy Raven
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uncomfortable.
“I sent no representative,” he said. “I was there.”
She was shocked speechless as she grasped his meaning. Lia tried to pull her hand from his arm, but he reached across and held it firmly in place. He stopped her and looked down at her, smiling.
How dare he find her humiliation amusing .
She turned her face and tried to pull away, but he held her in place with his hand over hers on his forearm. “There is much you do not know about me, Your Grace.”
Glancing up to his face, she noticed his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We shall remedy that, and discuss the future after dinner, my little waif.”
He kept his hand on hers as they walked through the dining hall to their seats. The work-roughened hand moved over her sensitive skin, sending a river of warm sensations flowing through her body, collecting in the vicinity of her lower belly, causing heat to rise to her cheeks from embarrassment. This man caused her to feel and think things she hadn’t experienced before.
Throughout the meal, all Ren could think of was What was he going to do with her? The idea of taking this woman to his bed was very appealing, though definitely something he hadn’t expected to feel when he thought back to the morning after he purchased her. He remembered the words the physician had told him, and now realized he owed the man an apology.
Ismael was right, the woman before him now was a completely different person. This was a desirable, young woman, ripe for the plucking. There was no mistaking her reaction to the palace’s interior. He noticed her eyes widen in amazement at the opulent surroundings. The combination of genuine wonder, and her ability to stir his senses as no other ever had, caused him to scramble for thought, a plan, an idea of some sort to facilitate keeping her. She stirred a strange mix of possessive and sexual feelings in him that he wanted to explore.
No one had ever known her before. Call it a twist of fate, or his good fortune, but she was his now and he didn’t know what to do with her. Make her a mistress, or wife?
There was no doubt he desired her, and as the evening wore on, he began to wish they’d met under different circumstance, and that she was of a suitable background. God help him if she were, because this one could easily get under his skin. His mind wandered back to the night he brought her to the palace. Though Ren had never touched her naked body that night, he remembered well her silken skin and her fragrant scent. There were so many things he’d wanted to do that night.
Tonight he could make them all come true.
But, what of your intent to free her? his conscience interjected. To return her to her family?
Yes, he must return her. That would be the right thing to do. Then again, suppose what Ismael said was true? Suppose she had no family to go home to?
If that was the case, he would leave the choice to her. Of course, he would do his best to convince her of the benefit of remaining with him for he had much to offer her as his wife. Certainly they could come to some arrangement. An heir for her freedom. He didn’t know of a woman alive who wouldn’t agree to a bargain such as what he was considering. A marriage of convenience, to beget the necessary offspring. He would set her up comfortably, and she would never want for a thing as long as she lived. After seeing to the duty of siring the heir, he could take a mistress again if necessary and they both would be satisfied.
All through dinner their hands frequently bumped when they reached into their communal serving bowl, arousing his senses. He wondered if it affected her as it did him. Sometimes she seemed impatient, other times unsettled, and once he thought her hand lingered on top of his as she replied to something Hakim said to her.
Each time she turned those dark green eyes to him, he could feel the tightening in his breeches. He recalled the vision he’d had of her that first night, at the auction,
“I sent no representative,” he said. “I was there.”
She was shocked speechless as she grasped his meaning. Lia tried to pull her hand from his arm, but he reached across and held it firmly in place. He stopped her and looked down at her, smiling.
How dare he find her humiliation amusing .
She turned her face and tried to pull away, but he held her in place with his hand over hers on his forearm. “There is much you do not know about me, Your Grace.”
Glancing up to his face, she noticed his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We shall remedy that, and discuss the future after dinner, my little waif.”
He kept his hand on hers as they walked through the dining hall to their seats. The work-roughened hand moved over her sensitive skin, sending a river of warm sensations flowing through her body, collecting in the vicinity of her lower belly, causing heat to rise to her cheeks from embarrassment. This man caused her to feel and think things she hadn’t experienced before.
Throughout the meal, all Ren could think of was What was he going to do with her? The idea of taking this woman to his bed was very appealing, though definitely something he hadn’t expected to feel when he thought back to the morning after he purchased her. He remembered the words the physician had told him, and now realized he owed the man an apology.
Ismael was right, the woman before him now was a completely different person. This was a desirable, young woman, ripe for the plucking. There was no mistaking her reaction to the palace’s interior. He noticed her eyes widen in amazement at the opulent surroundings. The combination of genuine wonder, and her ability to stir his senses as no other ever had, caused him to scramble for thought, a plan, an idea of some sort to facilitate keeping her. She stirred a strange mix of possessive and sexual feelings in him that he wanted to explore.
No one had ever known her before. Call it a twist of fate, or his good fortune, but she was his now and he didn’t know what to do with her. Make her a mistress, or wife?
There was no doubt he desired her, and as the evening wore on, he began to wish they’d met under different circumstance, and that she was of a suitable background. God help him if she were, because this one could easily get under his skin. His mind wandered back to the night he brought her to the palace. Though Ren had never touched her naked body that night, he remembered well her silken skin and her fragrant scent. There were so many things he’d wanted to do that night.
Tonight he could make them all come true.
But, what of your intent to free her? his conscience interjected. To return her to her family?
Yes, he must return her. That would be the right thing to do. Then again, suppose what Ismael said was true? Suppose she had no family to go home to?
If that was the case, he would leave the choice to her. Of course, he would do his best to convince her of the benefit of remaining with him for he had much to offer her as his wife. Certainly they could come to some arrangement. An heir for her freedom. He didn’t know of a woman alive who wouldn’t agree to a bargain such as what he was considering. A marriage of convenience, to beget the necessary offspring. He would set her up comfortably, and she would never want for a thing as long as she lived. After seeing to the duty of siring the heir, he could take a mistress again if necessary and they both would be satisfied.
All through dinner their hands frequently bumped when they reached into their communal serving bowl, arousing his senses. He wondered if it affected her as it did him. Sometimes she seemed impatient, other times unsettled, and once he thought her hand lingered on top of his as she replied to something Hakim said to her.
Each time she turned those dark green eyes to him, he could feel the tightening in his breeches. He recalled the vision he’d had of her that first night, at the auction,
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