find Beckett glaring down at her. The embers of the fire reflected in his black eyes.
“Did you get lost on the way to my chamber? Allow me to show you the way.” She let him lead her up the winding stone steps to his bedroom. She tripped at the landing, but he did not slow his step.
His booted foot thundered against the door, throwing it wide. Once inside, another kick slammed it shut. The brilliant flames in the massive hearth illuminated the solar.
“I believe I mentioned something about you being naked,” he said, surveying her from head to toe.
Christiana could not move.
“Disrobe,” he ordered and began tugging off his own clothing.
Still she stood frozen.
“So, you are a tease? Just as I suspected.” His anger seemed to vibrate through the vast room.
A sad laugh escaped her lips. She swept off her head-wrap.
“Do you think this a clever ploy?” Stepping closer, he lifted a lock of her hair. “You will go to any means to thwart my wants. Anything to avoid coupling with me, eh Tiana?”
“Do you honestly believe I did this to myself?”
She drew her hand over her neck and showed him the blood on her fingers.
His nostrils flared. She watched him flex his fingers before curling them into hard fists.
“It seems your attention to me has provoked your concubines into jealous action.”
“Maud,” he guessed easily. “She has a venomous temper. I should have had you better protected. Anyone who is responsible will be banished.”
He flung open the door and bellowed for his guards. She had never once heard him shout like that before. It was such an intimidating summons that, even in their semiconscious states, men came galloping to do his bidding. His anger echoed off the walls.
His boot spurs clanged as he paced the stone flooring. She could hear the drunken mumbles of the guards quickly turn to coherent words as Beckett's rage increased.
With anger still hardening the features of his face, he reentered the room. After dipping a corner of his tunic in a tankard of ale, he swiped at the blood on her neck. She winced at the stinging sensation.
“I will take my shorn locks and bid you goodnight,” she said, pulling away from his ministrations. She felt quite confident that it would be safe to return to her cot. Her nemesis would certainly be apprehended before she'd made it to the servants' quarters.
“What does the length of your hair have to do with fucking?”
His wicked statement brought a heated blush to her cheeks.
“You are utterly bewitching.” He combed his fingers through her massacred hair.
“You look like a snow fairy. A sugar-sweet pixie.” He took a tuft of hair and curled it around his finger. “No more games. No more excuses. Stay…or leave, but don't play with me anymore, Tiana.”
In answer, she began removing her leather garters. As she slowly slipped off her woolen stockings, she stopped and flicked her hand to shoo him away. Muttering an oath, he moved to a corner of the room to shed his own clothing. With predatory intuition, he seemed to realize when she'd completely bared her body. Instantly, he turned to face her, his dark eyes glinting from the shadows. She covered her breasts with her forearm and held the other hand over her blond curls. Naked from the waist up, he stalked across the room.
Rather roughly, he removed her hands from her body. “I believe you did not hate me so much once.”
“True. I liked you very much. I was young and foolish and under the illusion that you and I were equals. Now I see the truth. You are my master.”
“Tiana, if you are determined to play the servile wench, then I intend to take full advantage of my power.” There was a raw catch in his voice. She'd meant to wound, but her words only served to tempt him.
“I want no consequences from this evening's play.”
“Understood,” he said. The slight downturn of his lips betrayed his irritation.
He scooped her up and plunked her atop the table. He cupped her breasts
“Did you get lost on the way to my chamber? Allow me to show you the way.” She let him lead her up the winding stone steps to his bedroom. She tripped at the landing, but he did not slow his step.
His booted foot thundered against the door, throwing it wide. Once inside, another kick slammed it shut. The brilliant flames in the massive hearth illuminated the solar.
“I believe I mentioned something about you being naked,” he said, surveying her from head to toe.
Christiana could not move.
“Disrobe,” he ordered and began tugging off his own clothing.
Still she stood frozen.
“So, you are a tease? Just as I suspected.” His anger seemed to vibrate through the vast room.
A sad laugh escaped her lips. She swept off her head-wrap.
“Do you think this a clever ploy?” Stepping closer, he lifted a lock of her hair. “You will go to any means to thwart my wants. Anything to avoid coupling with me, eh Tiana?”
“Do you honestly believe I did this to myself?”
She drew her hand over her neck and showed him the blood on her fingers.
His nostrils flared. She watched him flex his fingers before curling them into hard fists.
“It seems your attention to me has provoked your concubines into jealous action.”
“Maud,” he guessed easily. “She has a venomous temper. I should have had you better protected. Anyone who is responsible will be banished.”
He flung open the door and bellowed for his guards. She had never once heard him shout like that before. It was such an intimidating summons that, even in their semiconscious states, men came galloping to do his bidding. His anger echoed off the walls.
His boot spurs clanged as he paced the stone flooring. She could hear the drunken mumbles of the guards quickly turn to coherent words as Beckett's rage increased.
With anger still hardening the features of his face, he reentered the room. After dipping a corner of his tunic in a tankard of ale, he swiped at the blood on her neck. She winced at the stinging sensation.
“I will take my shorn locks and bid you goodnight,” she said, pulling away from his ministrations. She felt quite confident that it would be safe to return to her cot. Her nemesis would certainly be apprehended before she'd made it to the servants' quarters.
“What does the length of your hair have to do with fucking?”
His wicked statement brought a heated blush to her cheeks.
“You are utterly bewitching.” He combed his fingers through her massacred hair.
“You look like a snow fairy. A sugar-sweet pixie.” He took a tuft of hair and curled it around his finger. “No more games. No more excuses. Stay…or leave, but don't play with me anymore, Tiana.”
In answer, she began removing her leather garters. As she slowly slipped off her woolen stockings, she stopped and flicked her hand to shoo him away. Muttering an oath, he moved to a corner of the room to shed his own clothing. With predatory intuition, he seemed to realize when she'd completely bared her body. Instantly, he turned to face her, his dark eyes glinting from the shadows. She covered her breasts with her forearm and held the other hand over her blond curls. Naked from the waist up, he stalked across the room.
Rather roughly, he removed her hands from her body. “I believe you did not hate me so much once.”
“True. I liked you very much. I was young and foolish and under the illusion that you and I were equals. Now I see the truth. You are my master.”
“Tiana, if you are determined to play the servile wench, then I intend to take full advantage of my power.” There was a raw catch in his voice. She'd meant to wound, but her words only served to tempt him.
“I want no consequences from this evening's play.”
“Understood,” he said. The slight downturn of his lips betrayed his irritation.
He scooped her up and plunked her atop the table. He cupped her breasts
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