Read Online In the Flesh by Sylvia Day, Livia Dare - Free Book Online Page A

drew her, she would be able to resist him. But the bemused glimpses that followed her everywhere made her weak in the knees. The way his head tilted when she gave an order, as if every word that passed her lips was of the utmost importance to him, made her stomach flutter. The way his fists clenched at his sides when she emerged from the bathing pool made her nipples hard. The way—
    “May I suggest, again, that you ring him?” the Guardian asked.
    “Not an option.”
    “In my estimation, your precautions are pointless. Prince Wulfric is well versed in our technology. Instead of contriving to detain him, you should be wondering why he has not left of his own free will. He is more than capable of doing so.”
    “I know.” Sapphire had spent the last couple of nights tossing and turning, trying to reason out why he remained with her. She didn’t have the strength to send him away. Apparently, Wulfric didn’t have the sense or the strength to leave. Instead, he waited. For her.
    Every time the Sensual Arts students came, he retired to his chamber, the only one of her mästares who did not indulge in their carnal skills. She knew because she watched, wanting to know if he would partake and feeling relief when he didn’t.
    Swearing, she flung herself off the bed and headed down the hallway. “Guardian, ready the holo-room.” She was so anxious to burn off herfrustration, she didn’t even notice the emerald gaze that followed her.
    “Where would you like to go? Crystal Springs? The Laruvian Rain Forest?”
    “Did you download my holo-programs from the palace?”
    “Of course.”
    “Then set up the Valarian Mines.”
    There was a weighted pause before the computer responded. “Mistress, I have reviewed that program extensively. It has none of the fail-safes required by most holo-programs. The Valarian trolls are unrestrained.”
    Sapphire smiled grimly. “I know.”
    “It is dangerous,” the Guardian insisted. “Even for a warrior with your level of training.”
    “Precisely.”
     
    Wulfric sat with the other mästares and replayed in his mind the sway of Sapphire’s hips as she stalked off, her lush form radiating suppressed violence. He was intrigued by the repeated references to Sapphire’s training. Training that would apparently help her fight off dangerous trolls. After witnessing her agility firsthand, he was burning with curiosity about that aspect of her. His need to know kept him here, restrained as if he was ringed.
    “Why am I here?” he wondered aloud.
    “It is only a guess,” Dalen answered. “But I assume the queen arranged for you to be here as a punishment.”
    “Punishment for whom? Sapphire or me?”
    Dalen shrugged. “I’m not sure. How could thequeen have foreseen how miserable you and the Mistress would make each other?”
    Wulf snorted. “How did she know we wouldn’t kill each other?” The thought of Sapphire injured affected him strongly. He was as protective of his captor as she had been of him, a reaction that confounded him.
    “That might have been Her Majesty’s intent.”
    Wulf held Dalen’s gaze to drive home his sincerity. “I would never physically hurt the Mistress. Not even to secure my freedom.”
    “I believe you, Your Highness, but even if you wanted to, you’d find it very difficult to hurt her. She’s too well trained.”
    “Because of her father.”
    “Yes. She was taught by the general himself.”
    “The Mistress requires a towel in the healing chamber, Prince Wulfric,” the Guardian called out.
    Wulf grabbed a couple towels from the cart by the arched doorway. “I’m on my way.”
    As he left the receiving room, he began whistling. At this particular moment, he didn’t mind being a servant. A person had to be naked in the healing chamber. He was about to get his first unobstructed view of Sapphire’s naked body.
    He waited at the door for one of the guardsmen to approach and disengage the lock. Wulf’s prints were banned from all of the