Read Online Protector of the Pride (Lions of Pride Island Book 3) by Terry Bolryder - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Terry Bolryder
Ads: Link
embarrassed of. But gossip spread like wildfire, and the last thing he wanted was rumors going around about the two of them.
But as he reached her room, he couldn’t help but imagine how wonderful it would be if the oracle did choose Lucy for him. Sadly, that just wasn’t how things worked. And for his parents, it had cost them their lives to be too close, too in love.
By now, Lucy was already half asleep, nestled in his arms like a cat that had gotten into the cream and enjoyed more than its fill. He opened the door and plopped her gently on the bed, pulling the sheets over her as she wrapped herself around the closest pillow she could reach.
Everything in him wanted to stay with her. Be with her tonight. Wake up to the greeting of the morning sun together. But he resisted the urge, instead turning to lock the door, then closing it behind him as he headed upstairs to his room.
Sleepiness quickly overtook him, and by the time he reached the master suite, he was exhausted. Exhausted from pleasure, exhausted from too many conflicting thoughts floating around his head that he couldn’t avoid now that Lucy wasn’t there with him.
He pulled off the makeshift toga, swearing to remember to take it back down tomorrow and have it washed, and then immediately fell asleep.
* * *
L ucy woke up the next morning feeling oddly uncomfortable. She’d made love to Axel. She’d been planning to just tease him, play with him. Spend a few weeks having fun.
Instead, they’d quickly started to connect on the deepest levels possible, and that scared her.
She heard a knock on her bedroom door and walked over to it slowly, grabbing her robe off the floor and pulling it on with a yawn.
Who would be by so early?
She didn’t see anyone outside her room and looked down to see a box wrapped in gold paper with brown ribbons. She picked it up and saw one of her favorite high-end chocolate brands. A massive box of them.
Despite her discomfort over the situation, she grinned. She’d told Axel flowers and chocolates, and he’d given her both. And more.
She sat back on her bed and opened the box. Truffles of all colors in soft round balls stared up at her, and she carefully picked a white one with red sparkles on it and bit into it.
She moaned as the decadent red velvet flavor melted over her tongue. She set down the other half of the chocolate and savored what she had in her mouth as she looked out at the grounds, which were glowing in the early morning light.
After last night, those grounds would never feel the same. She’d always feel a warm sense of pride when she looked at them or thought of them.
Or anywhere she’d spent time with Axel.
It made her sad to think of him being here with another woman at the castle, once she was gone.
She picked up the other half of the truffle and bit into it bitterly, choking back the negative thoughts she was having.
Last night, when he’d come out of her, a part of her had desperately wanted him to just keep going. To come inside her. To complete them. To dig her own nails in and claim him.
But that was impossible. He belonged to a country. He wasn’t hers to claim.
Especially since she couldn’t really be anyone’s mate. Being someone’s mate would mean telling them everything about her. Having them look into her past to see if it was compatible with their future. And the last man who had done that had made her life miserable.
Still would, if he could find her.
She set aside the chocolates, sighed, and walked to the door once again. She heard footsteps rushing away and bit back a grin.
When she opened the door, she saw a giant bouquet on the ground. This time, it was long-stemmed red roses with baby’s breath. Romantic. Simple. Totally Axel.
She lifted them and took them into her room, peeking around the hall to see if he was around. Then she set them on her dresser where she could see them from the bed and sat back on her covers.
Life in the castle was comfortable in every way.
But as he reached her room, he couldn’t help but imagine how wonderful it would be if the oracle did choose Lucy for him. Sadly, that just wasn’t how things worked. And for his parents, it had cost them their lives to be too close, too in love.
By now, Lucy was already half asleep, nestled in his arms like a cat that had gotten into the cream and enjoyed more than its fill. He opened the door and plopped her gently on the bed, pulling the sheets over her as she wrapped herself around the closest pillow she could reach.
Everything in him wanted to stay with her. Be with her tonight. Wake up to the greeting of the morning sun together. But he resisted the urge, instead turning to lock the door, then closing it behind him as he headed upstairs to his room.
Sleepiness quickly overtook him, and by the time he reached the master suite, he was exhausted. Exhausted from pleasure, exhausted from too many conflicting thoughts floating around his head that he couldn’t avoid now that Lucy wasn’t there with him.
He pulled off the makeshift toga, swearing to remember to take it back down tomorrow and have it washed, and then immediately fell asleep.
* * *
L ucy woke up the next morning feeling oddly uncomfortable. She’d made love to Axel. She’d been planning to just tease him, play with him. Spend a few weeks having fun.
Instead, they’d quickly started to connect on the deepest levels possible, and that scared her.
She heard a knock on her bedroom door and walked over to it slowly, grabbing her robe off the floor and pulling it on with a yawn.
Who would be by so early?
She didn’t see anyone outside her room and looked down to see a box wrapped in gold paper with brown ribbons. She picked it up and saw one of her favorite high-end chocolate brands. A massive box of them.
Despite her discomfort over the situation, she grinned. She’d told Axel flowers and chocolates, and he’d given her both. And more.
She sat back on her bed and opened the box. Truffles of all colors in soft round balls stared up at her, and she carefully picked a white one with red sparkles on it and bit into it.
She moaned as the decadent red velvet flavor melted over her tongue. She set down the other half of the chocolate and savored what she had in her mouth as she looked out at the grounds, which were glowing in the early morning light.
After last night, those grounds would never feel the same. She’d always feel a warm sense of pride when she looked at them or thought of them.
Or anywhere she’d spent time with Axel.
It made her sad to think of him being here with another woman at the castle, once she was gone.
She picked up the other half of the truffle and bit into it bitterly, choking back the negative thoughts she was having.
Last night, when he’d come out of her, a part of her had desperately wanted him to just keep going. To come inside her. To complete them. To dig her own nails in and claim him.
But that was impossible. He belonged to a country. He wasn’t hers to claim.
Especially since she couldn’t really be anyone’s mate. Being someone’s mate would mean telling them everything about her. Having them look into her past to see if it was compatible with their future. And the last man who had done that had made her life miserable.
Still would, if he could find her.
She set aside the chocolates, sighed, and walked to the door once again. She heard footsteps rushing away and bit back a grin.
When she opened the door, she saw a giant bouquet on the ground. This time, it was long-stemmed red roses with baby’s breath. Romantic. Simple. Totally Axel.
She lifted them and took them into her room, peeking around the hall to see if he was around. Then she set them on her dresser where she could see them from the bed and sat back on her covers.
Life in the castle was comfortable in every way.
Similar Books
