lighthearted moment. “What do you
think now?”
“That you are all still brutish of course.”
He laughed. “Many of us are.” He shook his head. “There’s a
lot you don’t understand about Dragonia and its people. Perhaps I can teach
you.”
“You won’t be able to brainwash me.”
“It’s not brainwashing if it’s the truth. If your eyes are
opened, maybe you won’t fight me so much.”
“Why would you bother? I’m a slave. You only intend to sell
me off when the opportunity comes along.”
That shut him up, and she felt a definite flood of
satisfaction. A crack of thunder made her stand up in reaction. She wrapped her
arms around herself, as if that could stop the storm from coming.
“The rain is already here.” He gestured to the portholes.
Rain trickled steadily down, and day had turned almost to night. “You cannot
run from it.”
“I know. Please, I’m tired. I need… I need more sleep.”
A huge crack of lightning split the silence. She jerked in
fear and her hands went to her mouth. She’d never felt so much fear, so much
uncertainty in her life. Her entire body shook from within.
His face darkened and he sighed. “Enough of this. Tonight we
sleep together.”
His change of subject threw her. “What? No. I told you no
sex.”
More lightning flashed and thunder cracked overhead with vicious
intensity. Her trembling became uncontrollable, her heart racing, palms growing
damp. How could this fear take hold of her so quickly?
He came to her, and before she knew it, his arms wrapped
around her waist and back. Fear eased under his strong embrace, and impulsively
she buried her face in his shoulder.
“Do you want to be alone?” he asked.
“I…”
“I confess I’m tired as well. There will be no sex tonight,
as much as I might want it.”
She looked up at him, body racked by a shaking she couldn’t
stop. “You can sleep in the chair.”
Rayder’s eyes darkened like the fury outside. “Oh no, my
beauty. If I sleep here tonight, I’ll stay in the bed or not at all. Which is
it going to be?”
Chapter Five
Xandra stared at Rayder as shock ran through her. She backed
up a couple of steps. “If you try anything, I promise I’ll—”
“You’ll scream? No one would help you. No one. The men on
this ship aren’t the noble kind.”
Fear trickled up her spine. Had she misjudged him and become
too comfortable?
His grin faded into seriousness. “I’m not a rapist. But I’m
still sleeping in the bed if I’m staying here. Otherwise I’m leaving. Which is
it going to be?”
Thunder and the increasing motion of the ship made the
decision for her. “All right. You can stay.”
She wished she hadn’t said yes to Rayder as he started to
remove his clothes. Allowing the virile slave trader to stay with her
tonight—well, in Magonia, it wasn’t done. No man stayed with his betrothed the
night before the marriage.
Marriage.
How completely ridiculous. She’d only just met the man. Yet
what choice did she have? Frustration bit her. She’d been forced to marry Taris
and now this man was forcing her to marry him.
Married to two different men in a month. How bizarre.
Freedom. Right.
Rain splattered against the portholes and the lightning and
thunder grew more intense. She’d have to get used him for as long as she stayed
on this ship. Play along with this whole bizarre marriage thing and escape as
quickly as she could when they docked in Dragonia.
First his tunic came off. She took in Rayder’s body with
fascination. Broad shoulders and wide chest rippled with power, as did his long
arms. Dark hair sprinkled across his pectorals and down over a hard muscled
stomach. Her breath caught as her gaze tangled with his.
“Something wrong?” he asked as he started to unbutton his
trousers.
“Stop.”
“What.”
“At the least, for modesty’s sake, leave your trousers on.”
He smiled, and the wicked gleam in his eyes told her that
Rayder found her discomfort
think now?”
“That you are all still brutish of course.”
He laughed. “Many of us are.” He shook his head. “There’s a
lot you don’t understand about Dragonia and its people. Perhaps I can teach
you.”
“You won’t be able to brainwash me.”
“It’s not brainwashing if it’s the truth. If your eyes are
opened, maybe you won’t fight me so much.”
“Why would you bother? I’m a slave. You only intend to sell
me off when the opportunity comes along.”
That shut him up, and she felt a definite flood of
satisfaction. A crack of thunder made her stand up in reaction. She wrapped her
arms around herself, as if that could stop the storm from coming.
“The rain is already here.” He gestured to the portholes.
Rain trickled steadily down, and day had turned almost to night. “You cannot
run from it.”
“I know. Please, I’m tired. I need… I need more sleep.”
A huge crack of lightning split the silence. She jerked in
fear and her hands went to her mouth. She’d never felt so much fear, so much
uncertainty in her life. Her entire body shook from within.
His face darkened and he sighed. “Enough of this. Tonight we
sleep together.”
His change of subject threw her. “What? No. I told you no
sex.”
More lightning flashed and thunder cracked overhead with vicious
intensity. Her trembling became uncontrollable, her heart racing, palms growing
damp. How could this fear take hold of her so quickly?
He came to her, and before she knew it, his arms wrapped
around her waist and back. Fear eased under his strong embrace, and impulsively
she buried her face in his shoulder.
“Do you want to be alone?” he asked.
“I…”
“I confess I’m tired as well. There will be no sex tonight,
as much as I might want it.”
She looked up at him, body racked by a shaking she couldn’t
stop. “You can sleep in the chair.”
Rayder’s eyes darkened like the fury outside. “Oh no, my
beauty. If I sleep here tonight, I’ll stay in the bed or not at all. Which is
it going to be?”
Chapter Five
Xandra stared at Rayder as shock ran through her. She backed
up a couple of steps. “If you try anything, I promise I’ll—”
“You’ll scream? No one would help you. No one. The men on
this ship aren’t the noble kind.”
Fear trickled up her spine. Had she misjudged him and become
too comfortable?
His grin faded into seriousness. “I’m not a rapist. But I’m
still sleeping in the bed if I’m staying here. Otherwise I’m leaving. Which is
it going to be?”
Thunder and the increasing motion of the ship made the
decision for her. “All right. You can stay.”
She wished she hadn’t said yes to Rayder as he started to
remove his clothes. Allowing the virile slave trader to stay with her
tonight—well, in Magonia, it wasn’t done. No man stayed with his betrothed the
night before the marriage.
Marriage.
How completely ridiculous. She’d only just met the man. Yet
what choice did she have? Frustration bit her. She’d been forced to marry Taris
and now this man was forcing her to marry him.
Married to two different men in a month. How bizarre.
Freedom. Right.
Rain splattered against the portholes and the lightning and
thunder grew more intense. She’d have to get used him for as long as she stayed
on this ship. Play along with this whole bizarre marriage thing and escape as
quickly as she could when they docked in Dragonia.
First his tunic came off. She took in Rayder’s body with
fascination. Broad shoulders and wide chest rippled with power, as did his long
arms. Dark hair sprinkled across his pectorals and down over a hard muscled
stomach. Her breath caught as her gaze tangled with his.
“Something wrong?” he asked as he started to unbutton his
trousers.
“Stop.”
“What.”
“At the least, for modesty’s sake, leave your trousers on.”
He smiled, and the wicked gleam in his eyes told her that
Rayder found her discomfort
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