bedeviled & beyond 07 - beset & bewildered by Sam Cheever Page A

time and he’d rejected me to soothe his damaged ego. There are some kinds of pain a woman should never subject herself to more than once if she has a choice.
    The question was whether I had a choice.
    Astis wrenched her gaze from Torre’s taut, round behind just long enough to grimace at me. “You look like the inside of a gargoyle.”
    I grimaced. “Nice bedside manner.”
    Astis’s laughter was everything I’d expected. It made me want to wrap my fingers around her throat and squeeze really hard. But then she’d probably think I was making a pass. She was a crazy witch who took pleasure from pain. If only I could give her my poisonous mark. She would orgasm herself to death.
    The witch rubbed her hands together and placed one of them on my temple. The other rested lightly between my breasts.
    As she leaned close, her sweetly scented breath playing gently over my face, I realized my jaw was clenched and my hands were fisted. I unclenched my fingers and tried to relax.
    Despite her invasive posture, the witch seemed to barely know I was there. She had her eyes closed and was “listening” to my condition with her magic energy.
    The door slammed open again and I jumped. Slayer ate the distance between the door and the bed in several long, powerful strides. His sexy stubbled jaw tight, he reached for the witch’s arm, seemingly fighting to restrain himself as his fingers wrapped around her slender limb and squeezed.
    She sighed, her lips curving into a smile. “Harder, halfling. Squeeze it like you mean it.”
    He shook his head, looking at me. “Is she behaving herself?”
    I wanted to say no so Slayer would drag her out of there. The woman gave me the serious creeps. “She’s fine.”
    He dropped her arm like he’d been burned and her smile turned to a pout. Opening her eyes, Astis winked at him. “I’m available any time you feel the need to beat a woman into submission, hard and sexy.”
    Slayer scanned a look over her body as if he were considering it.
    I growled a little before I could stop myself.
    The witch shoved a strand of golden-white hair behind one ear and straightened so he could look his fill. Her eyes glistened with pleasure and she pushed her shoulders back to highlight her small, firm breasts.
    He finally curled his lip as if he found her distasteful. “I prefer my women less crazy.”
    Her gaze hardened for just a beat and then she smiled. It wasn’t a kind smile. “You don’t know what you’re missing handsome.”
    He flicked a hand toward me. “You’ve been directed to heal the princess...”
    I opened my mouth but he narrowed his gaze at me so I slammed it shut. I hated that everybody called me that. It wasn’t my fault Astra got herself hitched to a king. Princesses were pink and dainty and worthless. I didn’t want to be a princess. I wanted to be a kick-ass heroine who saved the world.
    Good god, I was an idiot. The only thing I ever saved was my own ass. And lately I wasn’t even good at that.
    Astis shrugged, sending her waist-length blonde hair into silky ripples that danced against her impossibly slim waist. “I am done evaluating the Prin...”
    “Just spit it out,” I muttered angrily. “Can you fix me?”
    Astis turned her heart shaped face in my direction. Her eyes were a clear, beautiful blue and her features were delicate. She looked like an angel whose only flaw was a tiny overbite. But rather than detract from her impossible beauty, the flaw somehow made her even more appealing. “I’d heard about your prickly temperament, Princess Darma. I see the rumors weren’t an exaggeration.”
    Slayer coughed suspiciously. I narrowed my gaze at him as he coughed again behind his fist, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
    “Shut up, Slayer.”
    He allowed a grin to escape. “Rumors are hurtful things.”
    I gritted my teeth, determined not to feed the rumor mills by shrieking at him like a fish-demon wife. “Can we get this over with please? I want some peace and