Royal Recruit - Susan Grant Page 0,47
woman paused to regard him before bending over to pick up the flowers until her hands were filled with the blooms, or what was left of them. “What are these?”
It was Keira; he recognized her voice. Heat exploded inside him. He wasn’t sure if it was anger, insult or desire. Probably all three. “They were flowers. Were. Until I was bound and cuffed and dragged across the room. What the hell is going on, Keira? I thought we were under attack.”
Her head jerked around at that. Her flower-filled hands gave the slightest tremble.
“I thought the Drakken had infiltrated the palace,” he said.
She threw the flowers at him. “To worry about your security here is to insult me!”
“I wasn’t worried about my security. I was worried about yours,” he shouted back. He’d never thought of himself as having a temper. Keira had changed all that. God, the woman could make him furious.
“I am safe here! To say otherwise is to insult me.”
“And to send a woman to my room for sex is insulting to me.”
Her voice changed tone. “Did you like her?”
“I didn’t touch her.”
“You…didn’t?”
“No. I have no intention of being unfaithful to my wife on our first night together. Or any night.”
She simply stared at him. He wished he could see her face behind the veil.
“Keira,” he said, quieter. “If your idea was to tempt me or to get me to break the rules, you wouldn’t be the first. People were trying that on Earth even before I left. If I didn’t fall for it hundreds of light-years away, I won’t fall for it here. One man, one woman—or a man, or another woman. The point is you’re with that person and no one else. That’s the way we Terrans do it. Or, at least that’s the way I do it.” He moved his legs. The cuffs whined, tightening. “Take these off. Now.”
“And set the barbarian free?”
“Wait. I’m the barbarian? I show up dressed in my best clothes—with flowers—prepared to dine with you, to get to know you over dinner and conversation. To get to know my wife. The person she is. What she likes or doesn’t. What her hopes and dreams are—what makes her mad, what makes her laugh—and somehow I end up trussed like an animal.”
Her gaze tracked down his partially clothed body before she averted her eyes. Was his Sunbeam shy? No, it couldn’t be. But the contradiction in character intrigued him. Turned him on too.
He worked his right hand lower. Now the cable was wrapped around his fingers. One tug and he was free.
She circled him, seeming unwilling to come closer. Did she cover fear or uncertainty with anger? Jared narrowed his eyes and studied her. Maybe so. And if so, more about her made sense. She’s scared.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she demanded.
“I think you’re afraid of me.”
She sucked in a breath, sputtering. “Hardly!”
“Oh, I think so.”
“I’m not afraid of a primitive, Terran barbarian!”
He rolled his eyes. “Here we go again. First you tried to have me shaved. Why? Do you prefer eunuchs to men? They’re not, after all, as scary.”
“Your insinuation is a lie!”
“Is it? Why did you tie me up if you weren’t afraid of me loose?”
Her chin shot straight up. “It was important that you know your place.”
“My place is as your husband and at your side. I defer to your higher rank in public. However, in private, we’re equals. No argument. No compromises. Equals.”
“I would think you’d want to be the dominant one, Terran.”
“Trust me, there will be plenty of times I’ll be dominant. Then we can switch. The goddess and the barbarian—there are a lot more fun ways to play that game than this, and all the variations are voluntary. Unlike this—chained in a dungeon.”
“It is a play room.”
“You wanted to play? To fool around? Why didn’t you say so? If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask,” he drawled.
“By the goddess!” she blurted out in fury. Blue fabric flowing around her curves, she stormed toward the doors.
“Going already?” He hoped not for her daggers or smart-sword. “Too scared to hang around and fight? I’m disappointed. I thought you were braver. Goddess of the great Sakkaran bloodline and all that.” His hand moved out of the cuff another sliver. “Must be a weak lineage.”
That did it. Hot button. She was back so fast his head spun. She didn’t have a clue that his hand was almost free as she crouched next