your disposal to learn about the world around you and the best you can do is believe idle gossip. Besides—” He lowered his mouth to her ear again. “—you just had my cock in your mouth. Did it taste like swine?
His deep laughter inflamed her anger even worse than his antics with the crowd.
“The library is my favorite place in the world,” she snapped. “I’ve read almost every book and parchment in there. If you think any record of you is going to be favorable, you’re deluded.”
“I don’t give a fuck what it says about me,” he growled, suddenly serious. “But if you’ve truly read everything in there, you shouldn’t be so blind about what’s going on around you, and you might be able to guess why I’m doing this.”
“I know why you’re doing this.” She glared at him, ignoring the fear that still lingered when his eyes landed on her. “And it’s not going to work. My father will not fall because of this. The crown will not fall.”
When he spoke again, his voice was low, deep, and strangely soft. “But you will.”
Ana said nothing, still struggling against his hold. Then she heard horses. Nobles had arrived, slowing behind the crowd, their heads upturned to the window. Ana’s cheeks burned. She closed her eyes, turning her head to the side, in an attempt to hide who she was, but it was very clear what was happening. Based on what happened at court, they all knew what was taking place and with their fondness for gossip, it was no wonder they’d come to watch.
She breathed steadily, coming to terms with it. The skies were darkening rapidly and soon it would be too dark to see anything. But why should she be the one embarrassed? Her anger surged. “This man is a criminal,” she shouted suddenly. “He is doing this against my will, forcing me to pay for my father’s debt.”
Maddoc’s grip around her neck tightened, and he whipped her head back, his face hovering over her as she bent backward, and at the sight of those eyes, her fear returned.
“You want something to shout about?” he growled. “You want them to hear you screaming?”
Before she could respond, he lifted her upright and latched his mouth onto her nipple. At the same time, his fingers slipped between her legs.
Ana was unable to process overwhelming sensations that flooded her body. The hot suction of his mouth, his tongue grazing and flicking her nipple, was even more arousing than when he sucked her earlobe, and she couldn’t hold in the moan that twisted from her throat. His large fingers echoed the action of his tongue, but worked a little softer on her folds, spreading her open and rubbing her so expertly, a sweet sensation blossomed, spreading up through her core and making her legs weak. As it steadily built, she slowly realized he no longer held her wrists. She tried to push him away, but one hand found his muscled arm, contracting slightly, and the other entwined in his hair, which was thick and luxurious between her fingers. Distracted by everything, and still held by his grip, all she could do was take and enjoy what he was giving her as the pleasure built.
As he pulled off her nipple and captured the other one, Ana caught sight of his eyes. The fury in them confused her for a moment before she remembered. He was not doing this to please her—he was trying to embarrass her. But even as she remembered that a crowd was watching, she couldn’t stop the peak of pleasure that hit, flourishing swiftly over her. Her whole body tensed, and the power of her orgasm shook her as she rode the wave of sensation, humping her hips into his hand as she cried out. She couldn’t breathe for a long moment, and her knees almost buckled as the feeling ebbed, her clit throbbing under his fingers as he released her nipple.
He rose until his mouth was almost on hers, his eyes looking down at her with that dark intensity. “I’m sure they had no problems hearing you, princess.”
She glared at him as she tried to rein in her rapid breathing, but didn’t have the energy to respond.
She couldn’t decipher the expression in his eyes, but his scent was deepening into something too powerful for her to ignore. And it was highly arousing.
He yanked her backward, pulled on her neck to lead her back until the back of her legs hit