General? Or do you tend to leave before the performance is
finished?”
The king stifled a laugh under the guise
of a faux yawn.
Ryon looked away, perhaps trying for
patience.
“Excuse me,” he said, then grabbed her
elbow like he was her date. “We need to have a private conversation.”
The king nodded and didn’t bother hiding
his smile now.
Oh! Penelope
seethed, they were friends . Of course! That traitorous king had just
handed her over to the beastly general like a hunk of cattle. Well, she’d have
to face Ryon sooner over later tonight. She might as well get the fun started
now.
Chapter 6
Ryon found an empty room somewhere away
from the crowded ballroom and pulled them inside it. He was fuming, so angry he
could throw his fist through the wall.
“What in the hell do you think you’re
doing?” He paced a tight circle before snatching Penelope’s wrist when she
started to move away. “I don’t think so. You’re not going anywhere until we
talk.”
“Talk, talk, talk. That’s all you want
to do,” she said blithely. “You are being far too serious, Ryon.”
He froze in place like a statue.
She called him Ryon. She’d actually used
his name.
She kept talking, having not realized
his stunned countenance.
“Truly, there is no need for this macho
behavior. You’re acting like a right mad Ava.”
Ava was a common slur for Avagarian and
it meant something close to heathen. It was considered the lowliest of insults.
However, hearing that deep insult coming from Penelope’s pretty mouth in that
soft, feminine voice of hers didn’t bother him at all. He actually found his
mouth twitching to keep from laughing.
“And in front of the king, no less.
You’re acting as if you’ve already claimed me.” She was agitated and flushed,
working into a tizzy with her hands planted firmly on her hips. “Listen to me,
because I have the gossip for you, General. You are not my husband, you have
not claimed me, and you do not control me.”
“You don’t have to tell me what I
already know,” he said.
She faltered, then carried on, “Who
knows how many men will be at the Claiming for me—”
He laughed harshly. “You plan on having
that many?”
It might be a low blow to some. Not to
Penelope. “I have a duke willing to fight for me and hordes of fans. Truly, we
have no idea how many will come, and don’t pretend that isn’t the truth. And to
think you have the right to grab my arm and bully me. Just so you can talk to
me is simply outrageous. Tell me, are you out of your mind?”
Ryon waited a breath to see if she had
anything more to say. Her arched eyebrow and peeved glare stared back at him.
He looked at her flushed face and felt
an equal warmth bloom in his ribcage. He wanted to kiss her—to make love to her
’till neither one of them could move a muscle. Tingles formed at the base of
his spine as blood pumped to places he didn’t want.
“I am out of my mind.” He spoke between
clenched teeth. “And it’s your fault.”
Her glare became murderous. “You would
blame me! Typical man. Nothing but a brute who can’t take responsibility.”
He had to shake his head to try to
understand that one. “Can’t take responsibility? Pen, I’m the General of the
Tarlèan Army. I assure you, I excel at responsibility.”
Her lips pursed and he thought he’d
stumped her, then she opened her mouth. It was never-ending.
“I don’t want you to be at my Claiming this weekend.” She crossed her arms and looked
away. Her dismissal of him was like a stinging slap to the face. He didn’t like
that. Didn’t like that at all.
Ryon, not to be outdone by her pouting,
placed a fist above her shoulder where she stood by the door.
“No, you d --don’t!”
she sputtered, trying to duck away. Ryon trapped her with his other fist above
her shoulder. When she moved to duck out of his arms, he slammed his hips into
hers. No hiding his erection now. Her eyes flew wide at the
finished?”
The king stifled a laugh under the guise
of a faux yawn.
Ryon looked away, perhaps trying for
patience.
“Excuse me,” he said, then grabbed her
elbow like he was her date. “We need to have a private conversation.”
The king nodded and didn’t bother hiding
his smile now.
Oh! Penelope
seethed, they were friends . Of course! That traitorous king had just
handed her over to the beastly general like a hunk of cattle. Well, she’d have
to face Ryon sooner over later tonight. She might as well get the fun started
now.
Chapter 6
Ryon found an empty room somewhere away
from the crowded ballroom and pulled them inside it. He was fuming, so angry he
could throw his fist through the wall.
“What in the hell do you think you’re
doing?” He paced a tight circle before snatching Penelope’s wrist when she
started to move away. “I don’t think so. You’re not going anywhere until we
talk.”
“Talk, talk, talk. That’s all you want
to do,” she said blithely. “You are being far too serious, Ryon.”
He froze in place like a statue.
She called him Ryon. She’d actually used
his name.
She kept talking, having not realized
his stunned countenance.
“Truly, there is no need for this macho
behavior. You’re acting like a right mad Ava.”
Ava was a common slur for Avagarian and
it meant something close to heathen. It was considered the lowliest of insults.
However, hearing that deep insult coming from Penelope’s pretty mouth in that
soft, feminine voice of hers didn’t bother him at all. He actually found his
mouth twitching to keep from laughing.
“And in front of the king, no less.
You’re acting as if you’ve already claimed me.” She was agitated and flushed,
working into a tizzy with her hands planted firmly on her hips. “Listen to me,
because I have the gossip for you, General. You are not my husband, you have
not claimed me, and you do not control me.”
“You don’t have to tell me what I
already know,” he said.
She faltered, then carried on, “Who
knows how many men will be at the Claiming for me—”
He laughed harshly. “You plan on having
that many?”
It might be a low blow to some. Not to
Penelope. “I have a duke willing to fight for me and hordes of fans. Truly, we
have no idea how many will come, and don’t pretend that isn’t the truth. And to
think you have the right to grab my arm and bully me. Just so you can talk to
me is simply outrageous. Tell me, are you out of your mind?”
Ryon waited a breath to see if she had
anything more to say. Her arched eyebrow and peeved glare stared back at him.
He looked at her flushed face and felt
an equal warmth bloom in his ribcage. He wanted to kiss her—to make love to her
’till neither one of them could move a muscle. Tingles formed at the base of
his spine as blood pumped to places he didn’t want.
“I am out of my mind.” He spoke between
clenched teeth. “And it’s your fault.”
Her glare became murderous. “You would
blame me! Typical man. Nothing but a brute who can’t take responsibility.”
He had to shake his head to try to
understand that one. “Can’t take responsibility? Pen, I’m the General of the
Tarlèan Army. I assure you, I excel at responsibility.”
Her lips pursed and he thought he’d
stumped her, then she opened her mouth. It was never-ending.
“I don’t want you to be at my Claiming this weekend.” She crossed her arms and looked
away. Her dismissal of him was like a stinging slap to the face. He didn’t like
that. Didn’t like that at all.
Ryon, not to be outdone by her pouting,
placed a fist above her shoulder where she stood by the door.
“No, you d --don’t!”
she sputtered, trying to duck away. Ryon trapped her with his other fist above
her shoulder. When she moved to duck out of his arms, he slammed his hips into
hers. No hiding his erection now. Her eyes flew wide at the
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