Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
The way she continued to look at him did not help. She did not hide how she felt, did not shy away from it. It was almost as if she simply accepted it.
And bloody hell if it didn’t stir his manhood.
If she was so willing, why should he deny her? Why not make her his mistress?
He shook his head, but he did not push her away.
She was a vulnerable woman, unable to hear or speak. He would be a fool to treat her so poorly. But what kind of life would she have otherwise? What sort of man would willingly seek a woman like Adira? One who desired unquestioning obedience? One who thought her silence made her easy to control? One who believed she could be used and discarded because she had no voice to protest?
The thought alone stirred a fierce anger in him.
His glance dropped to her hand, feeling it resting firmly against his chest, then he raised his eyes to hers and saw concern there. She had felt the change in him, and it worried her.
He had come to cherish the quiet closeness he had found with her. She was always there beside him and as her fear of him faded, her understanding of him had grown, and that had become priceless to him. Like now. Though she could not hear a sound or speak a word, she knew he was angry and sought to comfort him.
With Adira he never felt alone.
He could not lose that. He could not lose her.
So, what should he do?
He stepped away from her. Until he could make a wise decision, he would do nothing… but keep her close.
The distance puzzled Adira. Only moments ago, his gentle touch had stolen her breath. When his fingers had brushed beneath her eye, she had felt something pass between them. Warm, strong, and unmistakably real.
She had seen it in his eyes as clearly as she had felt it in his touch.
He cared for her and more deeply than she had imagined.
The certainty settled quietly within her. It did not frighten her. It felt right, as if it had always been there waiting for her to recognize it.
Then why had he stepped away?
She stared at his back, his hand resting on the mantel and his head bent to the fire in the hearth. She knew her place with him, lines not to cross, but since he kissed her those lines had begun to blur. She was not quite sure what was expected of her. Or what she expected of herself.
She went to him and, without hesitation, rested her hand on his shoulder.
He turned slowly.
Adira stepped back. She had seen his eyes like this before. One of the many women who visited his bedchamber for an evening would be summoned and she would be sent to her room for the night.
Never though were his eyes as heated as they were now.
He shook his head at her.
She reached out to rest her hand against his chest.
Dravic grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
She grimaced, his grip tighter than usual.
He scowled, released her wrist, and moved away from her.
If only he would let her touch him, she would better understand. At least, she hoped she would.
She went to step closer and Dravic shoved his arm out, nearly planting his palm in her face.
“Stay back.”
She wrinkled her brow and shrugged.
“You do not need to understand. You simply need to keep your distance.” He ran his hand through his hair. “At least until I figure this out.” His eyes went to hers. “Or maybe forever.”
That thought did not sit well with him at all.
He was king. He could do whatever he wished. Whatever he commanded. But he could not hurt her.
He pointed to the bed. “Go to bed.”
Adira grabbed his hand and held tight to it. His turmoil raced through her like a mighty wave drowning her in his chaotic emotions. It washed over her with such intensity that a single tear ran from her eye.
That tear broke him.
That she should feel that much for him…
He did not think, he simply swept her up into his arms and kissed her.
The kiss stole her breath or was it the intensity of his feeling that came along with it? She knew the comfort of a caring touch. Feena had given her that. But this… this was nothing like it.
It made her feel as if they were one. Their heartbeats drummed like one. Every sensation blended. She could not tell where one began and the other joined in. It was a magnificent feeling and a frightening one. And one she did not want to live without.
Dravic felt it as soon as their lips met. This kiss was different. This kiss opened something between them that went deep, grabbed hold, and refused to let go.
It was as if he could feel all of her, every part of her come alive and become part of him, and there she would stay and he wanted her to. He wanted her part of him forever.