muscles. It took an effort to let go and then there was no stopping the damned flow, even when she heard the outer door open. Her eyes widened when she heard heavy footsteps. Realizing fairly quickly that she couldn’t stop, she tried desperately to finish quicker.
Fortunately, either out of politeness or squeamishness (yeah, right!) whoever it was (and she assumed it was the Prince) stopped before they reached the open door to the facilities. She managed to finish her business—not that she had a lot of choice once she’d let it fly!—and then dashed from the room and leapt for the bed, diving under the cover.
Shock ripped through her when she shoved the fur back from her face far enough to peer around the room for the other occupant. There was a man she’d never set eyes on before just straightening from the hearth where he’d evidently stirred the embers and added a couple of sticks of wood to get the fire going again.
He met her gaping, shock slackened look with a flicker of amusement, inclining his head slightly. “The Prince sent me to fetch you.”
Chaos instantly erupted in Noelle’s mind, questions colliding with questions for a chance to escape her. She didn’t ask any of them, however. Caution, she told herself. Male dominated society! They were savages and aggressive. Anything that seemed impertinent might spawn violence.
She lifted the chain and showed it to him. “I hope you brought the key because I’m damned well going to fight you if you think I’m leaving what’s attached to this!” she muttered in English.
An unreadable look flickered in his eyes at her tone, despite the fact that she’d done her best to keep it carefully neutral, but he slipped his hand into the pocket of his trousers as he advanced toward her. When he withdrew it, she saw he held something that looked as if it might fit in the hole on the side of the manacle. He gave the piece of metal a twist once he’d inserted it into the hole, the locking mechanism clicked, and the metal anklet opened.
A mechanical key, Noelle mentally noted, curious to study the object. Naturally enough she didn’t get the chance. He shoved it back into his pocket as soon as he’d released her and stepped back, gesturing for her to proceed him.
Noelle was reluctant—for dozens of reasons—mostly because she had no idea where the man might be planning to take her or what was supposed to happen when she arrived.
“ The Prince awaits in the great hall. He is not a patient man.”
The comment was enough to galvanize Noelle, and yet she was still reluctant to leave the warmth of the fur coverlet. She climbed off the bed still clutching it and struggled to wrap the heavy thing around her.
Briefly, they had a tug of war. The man was determined to pry it from her grip, however, and although he wasn’t nearly as big a man as the Prince and he seemed a good bit older, she was no match for him. He took the fur away from her and tossed it onto the bed.
She gaped at him for a moment, struggling with resentment, and finally merely curled her arms tightly to her chest and clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering.
He moved to the door, opened it, and once again gestured for her to proceed him.
More than a little bewildered and frightened, Noelle stepped outside and looked around. The man followed her, turned her in the direction she’d come the night before and gave her a slight push.
The smells of the great hall vied with the sounds as she approached the broad stone stairway she’d climbed the night before.
She hesitated when she reached the top of the stairs. Gazing out over the huge ‘great room’ below, she felt her belly take a freefall at the height and then clench at the sheer mass of muscle bound (savage) male bodies in the room below.
She didn’t think she would’ve been more unnerved if she’d been standing at the door of a cage full of man eating animals.
Her escort manacled one hand around her upper arm and urged her
Fortunately, either out of politeness or squeamishness (yeah, right!) whoever it was (and she assumed it was the Prince) stopped before they reached the open door to the facilities. She managed to finish her business—not that she had a lot of choice once she’d let it fly!—and then dashed from the room and leapt for the bed, diving under the cover.
Shock ripped through her when she shoved the fur back from her face far enough to peer around the room for the other occupant. There was a man she’d never set eyes on before just straightening from the hearth where he’d evidently stirred the embers and added a couple of sticks of wood to get the fire going again.
He met her gaping, shock slackened look with a flicker of amusement, inclining his head slightly. “The Prince sent me to fetch you.”
Chaos instantly erupted in Noelle’s mind, questions colliding with questions for a chance to escape her. She didn’t ask any of them, however. Caution, she told herself. Male dominated society! They were savages and aggressive. Anything that seemed impertinent might spawn violence.
She lifted the chain and showed it to him. “I hope you brought the key because I’m damned well going to fight you if you think I’m leaving what’s attached to this!” she muttered in English.
An unreadable look flickered in his eyes at her tone, despite the fact that she’d done her best to keep it carefully neutral, but he slipped his hand into the pocket of his trousers as he advanced toward her. When he withdrew it, she saw he held something that looked as if it might fit in the hole on the side of the manacle. He gave the piece of metal a twist once he’d inserted it into the hole, the locking mechanism clicked, and the metal anklet opened.
A mechanical key, Noelle mentally noted, curious to study the object. Naturally enough she didn’t get the chance. He shoved it back into his pocket as soon as he’d released her and stepped back, gesturing for her to proceed him.
Noelle was reluctant—for dozens of reasons—mostly because she had no idea where the man might be planning to take her or what was supposed to happen when she arrived.
“ The Prince awaits in the great hall. He is not a patient man.”
The comment was enough to galvanize Noelle, and yet she was still reluctant to leave the warmth of the fur coverlet. She climbed off the bed still clutching it and struggled to wrap the heavy thing around her.
Briefly, they had a tug of war. The man was determined to pry it from her grip, however, and although he wasn’t nearly as big a man as the Prince and he seemed a good bit older, she was no match for him. He took the fur away from her and tossed it onto the bed.
She gaped at him for a moment, struggling with resentment, and finally merely curled her arms tightly to her chest and clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering.
He moved to the door, opened it, and once again gestured for her to proceed him.
More than a little bewildered and frightened, Noelle stepped outside and looked around. The man followed her, turned her in the direction she’d come the night before and gave her a slight push.
The smells of the great hall vied with the sounds as she approached the broad stone stairway she’d climbed the night before.
She hesitated when she reached the top of the stairs. Gazing out over the huge ‘great room’ below, she felt her belly take a freefall at the height and then clench at the sheer mass of muscle bound (savage) male bodies in the room below.
She didn’t think she would’ve been more unnerved if she’d been standing at the door of a cage full of man eating animals.
Her escort manacled one hand around her upper arm and urged her
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