Burned by Darkness - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,15
Yanking open the door, he motioned for his waiting servant.
“Char, my father is leaving.” He headed directly for the stairs. “Make sure he doesn’t return.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Tayla was pacing the courtyard when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Baine.
A shiver of anticipation raced over her skin.
It’d been less than half an hour since she’d seen him, but her body was reacting as if it’d been waiting a lifetime to once again feel the brush of his dragon-fire.
The realization pissed her off.
She didn’t want to be aroused by the impossibly beautiful creature. Not when he was responsible for destroying her life.
Okay. That wasn’t entirely fair. Her father was ultimately responsible for the whole destroying life thing, but still…Baine was the one holding her captive, right?
Squashing the tingly awareness that fluttered in the pit of her stomach, she watched him stride toward her with an inhuman grace.
If she hadn’t been distracted by her unwelcomed response, Tayla might have noticed his grim expression and the frantic swirl of his tattoos as he halted directly in front of her.
Instead, she fiercely stoked the flames of her temper, ready for battle.
“We need to…” His snarly words trailed away as his gaze lowered to her nightgown. “Why haven’t you changed?”
She sent him a narrow-eyed glare. She’d done a quick inspection of her new home while he was gone, astonished by the subtle elegance of the various rooms. Where was the tacky strip-club vibe she’d expected in a harem?
She’d been even more astonished to realize she was completely alone. There hadn’t been one sign that there was another female living in the vast complex.
Not until she’d opened the closets to discover dozens of gauzy gowns meant to entice a male.
The mere thought of wearing clothing that belonged to Baine’s lovers made her shudder in revulsion.
“I don’t wear other women’s cast-offs.”
He scowled. “What makes you think they belong to some other female?”
She wrinkled her nose. “They smell like…”
“What?”
“Perfume,” she admitted.
“Ah.” Unexpectedly, Baine’s features eased, almost as if he was pleased by her words. “And the thought of my other concubines troubles you?”
Yeah. Not going there.
She would have her tongue yanked out before she admitted that his other females bothered her.
“I want my own clothes.”
His hand reached to trace the ribbon running along the neckline of her gown.
“The gowns were brought here for you,” he murmured. “No other female has touched them.”
“Oh.” She faltered. The gowns belonged to her. That seemed…dangerously thoughtful. She bit her bottom lip, her heart pounding as his fingers brushed the upper curve of her breast. Crap. She was going to be melting into a puddle of goo if she wasn’t careful. “I still prefer my own clothes,” she forced herself to choke out.
The amber eyes smoldered with a wicked invitation. “Why?”
Why? She had a reason. Several perfectly logical reasons.
If only she could think of them.
She cleared the lump from her throat, fiercely forcing herself to concentrate on the fact that she was nothing more than a possession to this male. A part of a dragon hoard, to be used and then tossed aside when a new, shinier treasure appeared.
“You’ve forced me to leave my home, my business, and my friends,” she managed to point out. “I want something that’s mine.”
He studied her stubborn expression, no doubt wondering why he’d been so eager to bring her to his harem.
“Are you always so difficult?” he at last demanded.
“If you want an obedient slave then you should choose some other woman from your harem.”
The amber eyes blazed with a tangle of emotions.
Possession. Need. A confusing hint of wariness.
“I’ve chosen you,” he informed her.
“Lucky me,” she muttered, telling herself that his words didn’t make her tremble with pleasure.
Not that she managed to fool herself.
Or the dragon who smiled with smug male satisfaction as he felt her tiny tremor.
“True,” he agreed, wrapping one arm around her waist to pull her against the searing heat of his body. Then, tangling his fingers in her hair, he tugged her head back to meet his hungry gaze. “You’re very fortunate that I am willing to ignore your ridiculous pretense that you don’t want to be my concubine.”
Her mouth went dry, her body softening as it molded against his hard muscles. Her pride, however, instantly rebelled at his egotistical assumption that he was irresistible.
He was, of course. But she wasn’t going to admit it.
“Are you delusional?” she groused.
Baine flattened his hand against her lower back, pressing her against the hard thrust of his arousal.
“I’m honest, which is more than you can claim, my sweet