arrange for
my absence on such short notice. Three moons is all I can afford. Is this Bale
such a formidable opponent that three Llanos cannot defeat him?”
“Dhavin. I need a moment with the princess. Alone. Please.”
As her personal guard, Dhavin obeyed her will above all and
waited for her approval before he made a move for the door. “I’ll be close if
you have need of me.”
“Thank you, Dhavin.” Amaryllis straightened her spine. Never
would she show a weakness to this man. “I ask you again, General. Are you and
your men not up to the task?”
“We are. But we have to be cautious. I need to know that you
are protected at all times.”
“So you plan to have me tied and submit to your wishes the
entire time?”
His breath caught and a spike of arousal arced across the
room to ignite a blaze in her womb as her powers soaked in the hungers he
fought to control and hide from her.
Ah, so her general did want her tied and subservient
to his desires. What would it take to get him to loosen his restraint and give
in to those needs?
“Is that it, Lucian? Do you want me under your…thumb to
protect me, or for another purpose?”
A slash of red stole across his cheeks. “My job is to see to
your safety.”
“And I will be oh so safe if I’m within arm’s reach, won’t
I?”
Amazing, she thought, as the heat of his gaze fueled the
flames that raced up her body to lick at the undersides of her breasts. She
stalked closer and almost smiled as he staggered and backed into the wall
behind him. “Is that the only reason you want me close, Lucian?”
His hands fell on her shoulders to stop her momentum. “Don’t
think you can manipulate me as easily as you do Dhavin.”
She flinched. “You bastard. I’ve never manipulated anyone.”
His fingers tightened as she moved to draw away. “Stop. I’m
sorry. I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes and let loose with a long sigh. “Why
can’t we hold a reasonable conversation? Every time I try to talk to you, I end
up hurting your feelings and that is never my intention.”
“Maybe it’s because you insist on treating me as someone
that I’m not.” She leaned into his chest and released her own sigh as the big
man shuddered against her. The headiness of the danger of being so close to
such tightly leashed control made her dizzy. “Why can’t you see that?”
A mirthless chuckle rumbled in his chest. His hands slid
down her back in a slow sweep then curled around her shoulders again. “What I
see is a powder keg of trouble. You—you are unchartered territory, Your
Highness.”
“And I frighten you.” She smiled at the discovery as his
hips pressed into her belly. Oh yes, his body knew what he wanted, yet he was
going to do everything in his power to fight his attraction.
“I’m an adult woman, Lucian. I know exactly what, and who, I
want. What about you?”
He trembled again. His throat worked as he struggled for the
words. “What I want doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me,” she whispered.
His sigh ghosted across her lips as he bent his head closer.
He pressed his forehead to hers and breathed in her scent on a deep inhale
before gently pushing her away. “I am your guard. My sword will always be yours
when you have need.”
A wide grin stretched her lips as a delightful red flush
raced up his neck to the tips of his ears as he realized how she interpreted
his statement.
“I mean, to protect you. That is all I can give.”
For now.
The unspoken words hung on the air between them.
As she looked upon Lucian with new eyes, the humiliation she
suffered the night before dissipated.
Maybe it was his strength, maybe it was his honor, maybe it
was the potential pleasure to be found in those massive hands, whatever it was,
Lucian intrigued her like no other. She wanted to peel away his armor and
experience the man hiding within. The general needed a challenge, and the one
thing she excelled at was giving people exactly what they
my absence on such short notice. Three moons is all I can afford. Is this Bale
such a formidable opponent that three Llanos cannot defeat him?”
“Dhavin. I need a moment with the princess. Alone. Please.”
As her personal guard, Dhavin obeyed her will above all and
waited for her approval before he made a move for the door. “I’ll be close if
you have need of me.”
“Thank you, Dhavin.” Amaryllis straightened her spine. Never
would she show a weakness to this man. “I ask you again, General. Are you and
your men not up to the task?”
“We are. But we have to be cautious. I need to know that you
are protected at all times.”
“So you plan to have me tied and submit to your wishes the
entire time?”
His breath caught and a spike of arousal arced across the
room to ignite a blaze in her womb as her powers soaked in the hungers he
fought to control and hide from her.
Ah, so her general did want her tied and subservient
to his desires. What would it take to get him to loosen his restraint and give
in to those needs?
“Is that it, Lucian? Do you want me under your…thumb to
protect me, or for another purpose?”
A slash of red stole across his cheeks. “My job is to see to
your safety.”
“And I will be oh so safe if I’m within arm’s reach, won’t
I?”
Amazing, she thought, as the heat of his gaze fueled the
flames that raced up her body to lick at the undersides of her breasts. She
stalked closer and almost smiled as he staggered and backed into the wall
behind him. “Is that the only reason you want me close, Lucian?”
His hands fell on her shoulders to stop her momentum. “Don’t
think you can manipulate me as easily as you do Dhavin.”
She flinched. “You bastard. I’ve never manipulated anyone.”
His fingers tightened as she moved to draw away. “Stop. I’m
sorry. I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes and let loose with a long sigh. “Why
can’t we hold a reasonable conversation? Every time I try to talk to you, I end
up hurting your feelings and that is never my intention.”
“Maybe it’s because you insist on treating me as someone
that I’m not.” She leaned into his chest and released her own sigh as the big
man shuddered against her. The headiness of the danger of being so close to
such tightly leashed control made her dizzy. “Why can’t you see that?”
A mirthless chuckle rumbled in his chest. His hands slid
down her back in a slow sweep then curled around her shoulders again. “What I
see is a powder keg of trouble. You—you are unchartered territory, Your
Highness.”
“And I frighten you.” She smiled at the discovery as his
hips pressed into her belly. Oh yes, his body knew what he wanted, yet he was
going to do everything in his power to fight his attraction.
“I’m an adult woman, Lucian. I know exactly what, and who, I
want. What about you?”
He trembled again. His throat worked as he struggled for the
words. “What I want doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me,” she whispered.
His sigh ghosted across her lips as he bent his head closer.
He pressed his forehead to hers and breathed in her scent on a deep inhale
before gently pushing her away. “I am your guard. My sword will always be yours
when you have need.”
A wide grin stretched her lips as a delightful red flush
raced up his neck to the tips of his ears as he realized how she interpreted
his statement.
“I mean, to protect you. That is all I can give.”
For now.
The unspoken words hung on the air between them.
As she looked upon Lucian with new eyes, the humiliation she
suffered the night before dissipated.
Maybe it was his strength, maybe it was his honor, maybe it
was the potential pleasure to be found in those massive hands, whatever it was,
Lucian intrigued her like no other. She wanted to peel away his armor and
experience the man hiding within. The general needed a challenge, and the one
thing she excelled at was giving people exactly what they
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