underestimated you, your majesty.” He stared me down. “He feels very much for you.”
Ignoring him, I pushed past . He allowed me to leave, and I stormed past the few men outside, holding my chin up proudly as Eric followed behind me. Great. Start some rumors.
Back in the hall, Will watched me enter through the door, smiling broadly. “There she is.”
“Will,” I replied stiffly, shooting Eric an aggravated look.
“ May I have this dance?” His smiling, crystal blue eyes softened my rigid mood- a little.
I let him take my hand, gui ding me to the dance floor. The cerulean wedding gown fit snugly in all the right places, and I insisted on my push-up bra from home while the Hens helped me dress. Though Mother-Hen muttered under her breath about me being indecent, I ignored her.
The orchestra played something romantic that I didn’t recognize. “I thought there was music from my world here?”
“Up through the year of your birth- 2012.”
I scanned the room for Gabrielle, and when I couldn’t see her, I turned to him. “Do you like my gown?” Moving easily, I remembered the ballroom dancing lessons I’d taken two years ago. My hair, piled high in tendrils, shimmered with diamonds in the soft chandelier light.
“Every woman in this room is envious of your beauty. You dance extraordinarily well,” he added, sweeping me across the floor.
“You do, too.” I tilted my face up to his, my eyes closing with purposeful, heavy lids. “That’s not all I do well, my lord.”
He released my left arm and sent me into a twirl before snapping me back into his hold. His cool, blue eyes stared me down. “When you speak as such, you shame yourself. Respect your innocence.”
“My innocence?” I skipped once before turning to the music, careful to watch the fluidity of my lines. “ How do you know I’m a virgin?”
He stopped moving, his hands gripping mine almost painfully.
While he held his polite smile, his voice nearly seized my confidence. “The boyfriend you spoke of?”
He was listening . “Boyfriend…?”
“His name.”
“Liam,” I managed, wishing my words back.
He caught me in his arms, his mouth lowering to my ear. “And you are not an innocent.”
“Define ‘innocent’.”
He smiled and nodded at a regal looking couple who danced by us before jerking his face back to mine and talking through gritted teeth. “Do you understand sex?”
“What the hell- are you kidding me?”
“We are retiring for the evening,” he pulled me to his side, clapping at the end of the song. I followed suit, my eyes darting nervously around the room. Where did Eric go? Unnerved by Will’s reaction, I struggled with the urge to run.
“Come.” He hauled me toward the private stairwell, and I looked back over my shoulder at the applauding crowd.
“We’re leaving so early-…,”
“They will understand.”
“Will, slow down,” I protested, doubling my pace to keep up with him. “Will-…,”
“My lord ,” he snapped, stopping in front of his bedroom door. I realized two guards were behind us, having followed us from the great hall.
He swept me up into his arms, taking me by surprise; I cried out, grasping for his neck. The bedroom was lit with several flickering candles, darkening his silhouette and shadowing every corner of the space. Soft music played from somewhere in the room.
Slamming the door behind him, he carried me to the edge of the bed, tossing me to the pillows.
“What is your problem? ”
“Eva,” he threw off his coat, tugging at the buttons of his shirt. “You tell me that you are not a child. You throw yourself at me… and beg me to kiss you. You insist on a change in our arrangement, and ask to be my wife- in every way. And yet, you do not even know if you are a virgin?”
I glared at him, my temper rising. Count. Don’t lose it. One, two, three…
“Who do you think you are? You are their king, but you are not my king. I don’t have a king! I’m here to
Ignoring him, I pushed past . He allowed me to leave, and I stormed past the few men outside, holding my chin up proudly as Eric followed behind me. Great. Start some rumors.
Back in the hall, Will watched me enter through the door, smiling broadly. “There she is.”
“Will,” I replied stiffly, shooting Eric an aggravated look.
“ May I have this dance?” His smiling, crystal blue eyes softened my rigid mood- a little.
I let him take my hand, gui ding me to the dance floor. The cerulean wedding gown fit snugly in all the right places, and I insisted on my push-up bra from home while the Hens helped me dress. Though Mother-Hen muttered under her breath about me being indecent, I ignored her.
The orchestra played something romantic that I didn’t recognize. “I thought there was music from my world here?”
“Up through the year of your birth- 2012.”
I scanned the room for Gabrielle, and when I couldn’t see her, I turned to him. “Do you like my gown?” Moving easily, I remembered the ballroom dancing lessons I’d taken two years ago. My hair, piled high in tendrils, shimmered with diamonds in the soft chandelier light.
“Every woman in this room is envious of your beauty. You dance extraordinarily well,” he added, sweeping me across the floor.
“You do, too.” I tilted my face up to his, my eyes closing with purposeful, heavy lids. “That’s not all I do well, my lord.”
He released my left arm and sent me into a twirl before snapping me back into his hold. His cool, blue eyes stared me down. “When you speak as such, you shame yourself. Respect your innocence.”
“My innocence?” I skipped once before turning to the music, careful to watch the fluidity of my lines. “ How do you know I’m a virgin?”
He stopped moving, his hands gripping mine almost painfully.
While he held his polite smile, his voice nearly seized my confidence. “The boyfriend you spoke of?”
He was listening . “Boyfriend…?”
“His name.”
“Liam,” I managed, wishing my words back.
He caught me in his arms, his mouth lowering to my ear. “And you are not an innocent.”
“Define ‘innocent’.”
He smiled and nodded at a regal looking couple who danced by us before jerking his face back to mine and talking through gritted teeth. “Do you understand sex?”
“What the hell- are you kidding me?”
“We are retiring for the evening,” he pulled me to his side, clapping at the end of the song. I followed suit, my eyes darting nervously around the room. Where did Eric go? Unnerved by Will’s reaction, I struggled with the urge to run.
“Come.” He hauled me toward the private stairwell, and I looked back over my shoulder at the applauding crowd.
“We’re leaving so early-…,”
“They will understand.”
“Will, slow down,” I protested, doubling my pace to keep up with him. “Will-…,”
“My lord ,” he snapped, stopping in front of his bedroom door. I realized two guards were behind us, having followed us from the great hall.
He swept me up into his arms, taking me by surprise; I cried out, grasping for his neck. The bedroom was lit with several flickering candles, darkening his silhouette and shadowing every corner of the space. Soft music played from somewhere in the room.
Slamming the door behind him, he carried me to the edge of the bed, tossing me to the pillows.
“What is your problem? ”
“Eva,” he threw off his coat, tugging at the buttons of his shirt. “You tell me that you are not a child. You throw yourself at me… and beg me to kiss you. You insist on a change in our arrangement, and ask to be my wife- in every way. And yet, you do not even know if you are a virgin?”
I glared at him, my temper rising. Count. Don’t lose it. One, two, three…
“Who do you think you are? You are their king, but you are not my king. I don’t have a king! I’m here to
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