Gracie.” He wrapped his arms around her, and with a sigh of relief, pulled her deeper into his embrace. As she squirmed against him, he tightened his arms. "Enough!”
“Or what?”
“Or I won’t be responsible for the consequences."
"Let go of me!" she replied through gritted teeth.
"Why? You'll have to get used to it. I intend to hold you every night after we’re married. Won’t that be better than a bunch of pillows?" Nuzzling her neck, he was nearly on the verge of sleep when her words shocked him back to alertness.
58
“It’s not going to happen, Rand. I’m not going to marry you. Pick another woman or I’ll use the loophole I found.”
“Like hell you will! If I catch you even looking at another wizard, I’ll paddle your ass!
You’re mine and no other will do. It’s our destiny to be together. I've known it since we finished high school."
"And you chose not to tell me.” Rolling out of his arms, she sprang up until she stood next to the bed glaring at him. “Did you honestly think you could keep me in the dark, Rand? That I wouldn’t realize what’d happened? That I didn’t long for what I knew I could never have?”
"What do you mean you could never have? Just because I choose to wait…”
Cutting him off, she threw one of her pillows at him. “It’s always been your choice, Rand, always. It damn near broke my heart to watch you walk away but I figured you’d come to the same conclusion I had.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’m not the one you wanted or needed. It hurt but I’ll be damned if I was going to chase after you like all the other simpering little witches do. I’ve got my pride and I have to tell you it’s sure taken a beating in the last couple of weeks.”
“Not want you?” Rand rolled off the bed and grabbed her. Smiling down at her, he deliberately rubbed his erection against her soft stomach. “I’ve wanted you like hell on fire every time you’re around. You little wildcat! I should’ve done what Ruzac wanted the night of the Gathering.”
59
“Like hell! I was seventeen and I’ll be damned if I was going to be claimed by His Royal Arrogance. Even friendship doesn’t go that far. It’s a good thing you didn’t because I would’ve fought you with everything I had.”
“Really? Too bad I can’t go back in time and test that theory.” Lifting his hand, he cupped her breast in his hand and squeezed. Not hard enough to hurt but firm enough to have her arching in his arms. Covering her open mouth with his, he plundered it without mercy. As he continued to kiss her roughly, he flicked the end of her nipple with a finger, loving her muffled moan flowing into his mouth. Within moments, the passion he’d been fighting broke loose and they somehow ended back on the bed, with her sprawled across the top of him while he held her tight against him. Rocking against him, she sought her own release.
Ripping her mouth away from his, she cried out as she trembled on the edge. “Oh, I’m going to come.”
Her words seemed to be the same as a dousing of cold water. Rand pushed her away from him abruptly and rolled from the bed.
Sitting up, Gracie tried to make sense of what’d just happened.
“What? Why did you stop?”
“I can’t, Wildcat. Tradition…”
A shriek escaped Gracie and she lashed out at him. “Tradition! You stopped because of some stupid tradition! If you don’t want me then why the hell are you doing this? I knew you were arrogant but I never dreamed you be this cruel! Get the hell out of my dream. I don’t want you here.” Surging off the bed, she pushed him away from her, intending to force him out of her room and dream.
60
“Calm down, Gracie. Let me explain.” Grabbing her by the arms he tried to control her.
“Sweetheart?”
Zara’s interruption obviously surprised Rand and he paused. It was the first time he’d actually came into contact with Gracie’s sentient power first hand.
“I want him gone, Zara,
“Or what?”
“Or I won’t be responsible for the consequences."
"Let go of me!" she replied through gritted teeth.
"Why? You'll have to get used to it. I intend to hold you every night after we’re married. Won’t that be better than a bunch of pillows?" Nuzzling her neck, he was nearly on the verge of sleep when her words shocked him back to alertness.
58
“It’s not going to happen, Rand. I’m not going to marry you. Pick another woman or I’ll use the loophole I found.”
“Like hell you will! If I catch you even looking at another wizard, I’ll paddle your ass!
You’re mine and no other will do. It’s our destiny to be together. I've known it since we finished high school."
"And you chose not to tell me.” Rolling out of his arms, she sprang up until she stood next to the bed glaring at him. “Did you honestly think you could keep me in the dark, Rand? That I wouldn’t realize what’d happened? That I didn’t long for what I knew I could never have?”
"What do you mean you could never have? Just because I choose to wait…”
Cutting him off, she threw one of her pillows at him. “It’s always been your choice, Rand, always. It damn near broke my heart to watch you walk away but I figured you’d come to the same conclusion I had.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’m not the one you wanted or needed. It hurt but I’ll be damned if I was going to chase after you like all the other simpering little witches do. I’ve got my pride and I have to tell you it’s sure taken a beating in the last couple of weeks.”
“Not want you?” Rand rolled off the bed and grabbed her. Smiling down at her, he deliberately rubbed his erection against her soft stomach. “I’ve wanted you like hell on fire every time you’re around. You little wildcat! I should’ve done what Ruzac wanted the night of the Gathering.”
59
“Like hell! I was seventeen and I’ll be damned if I was going to be claimed by His Royal Arrogance. Even friendship doesn’t go that far. It’s a good thing you didn’t because I would’ve fought you with everything I had.”
“Really? Too bad I can’t go back in time and test that theory.” Lifting his hand, he cupped her breast in his hand and squeezed. Not hard enough to hurt but firm enough to have her arching in his arms. Covering her open mouth with his, he plundered it without mercy. As he continued to kiss her roughly, he flicked the end of her nipple with a finger, loving her muffled moan flowing into his mouth. Within moments, the passion he’d been fighting broke loose and they somehow ended back on the bed, with her sprawled across the top of him while he held her tight against him. Rocking against him, she sought her own release.
Ripping her mouth away from his, she cried out as she trembled on the edge. “Oh, I’m going to come.”
Her words seemed to be the same as a dousing of cold water. Rand pushed her away from him abruptly and rolled from the bed.
Sitting up, Gracie tried to make sense of what’d just happened.
“What? Why did you stop?”
“I can’t, Wildcat. Tradition…”
A shriek escaped Gracie and she lashed out at him. “Tradition! You stopped because of some stupid tradition! If you don’t want me then why the hell are you doing this? I knew you were arrogant but I never dreamed you be this cruel! Get the hell out of my dream. I don’t want you here.” Surging off the bed, she pushed him away from her, intending to force him out of her room and dream.
60
“Calm down, Gracie. Let me explain.” Grabbing her by the arms he tried to control her.
“Sweetheart?”
Zara’s interruption obviously surprised Rand and he paused. It was the first time he’d actually came into contact with Gracie’s sentient power first hand.
“I want him gone, Zara,
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