Master of Desire by Lacey Alexander (read out loud books .TXT) 📕

Caralon’ssouthern border until  the time of his death or Enrick’s, whichever came first, in

exchange for the girl and a  place in the royal family.

28

Master of Desire

All this meant was…well, that he would not have the marriage he’d expected.

And that his new bride would have to be punished. Severely.

His royal bride was supposed to be his  and his alone. She was supposed to be totally ignorant of  sex other than  what she had learned in her  Orientation. She  wasmeant to be his to mold and teach and train and nurture.

Well, soon enough she’d understand unequivocally that she  was  his, body and soul,to do with what he pleased, to treat as he  would, to use in bed in whatever manner he wished.

He was a man of unusual sexual desires. Some women had gone so far as to  call his tastes frightening, chilling, bizarre. Up until this moment, he’d had every intention of initiating young Teesia into his decadent  sexual world ever-so-slowly, exercising the utmost care and concern for her feelings and her pleasure. But to his surprise, he wasmarrying a woman who was not to be trusted, who might well think she could fuck every man she liked—and she’d have to be brought to heel, taught to know good andwell to whom she belonged.

The good news was that he no  longer had the slightest care  if she enjoyed his  sexual tastes or not. And he would no  longer worry about going slow or being gentle. Punishment was not meant to be soft—it was meant to teach a lesson, and he’d be certain his wanton little  vixen would learn it.

“Daughter, stand and take Ralen’s hands,” Enrick instructed.

The silly girl hopped to her feet at lightning speed, anxious to get in his pants, he presumed, if his last meeting with her was  any indication. He closed her much smaller  hands in strong fists, wondering if she could sense the anger  in his grip, if she could see  the cold determination in his eyes as he gazed down on  his lovely, naughty little bride.

“I hereby give to you my daughter, Teesia  of  Myrtell, Teesia of the House of Enrick.  She now belongs to you, Ralen of Charelton.”

* * * * *

Teesia’s entire body was atingle as Ralen led her away from her parents, out thedoor into the bright Myrtell sunlight. “Do we start for Charelton  now?” she asked,peering up at his strong, handsome face,  the lower half covered with rugged stubble just as when she’d first met him. He was  just as dark, dangerous and arousing as she remembered, and the mere touch  of his hand made her heart beat faster.

“Yes, my caravan is waiting,” he  said without looking at her.

That pinched a bit,  making her lustiness die a little. She’d  thought he’d be more…well, more like  she  was—excited and thrilled  and ready to begin their new lifetogether.

Perhaps she just needed to express herself better, let him know how pleased shewas to become his wife. He still held her  hand in his firm—truthfully, too  tight—grasp, so she took the opportunity to  stroke her thumb lightly over the back of his  knuckles.

29

Lacey Alexander

Bella  had  taught  her  that  little  touches  could  be  used  to  ignite  flames  in  a  man  “I.   amthrilled to be going to your home, Ralen,  thrilled that we  will soon be married.”

Only then, as they walked,  did he  glance down at her  with stern eyes. “That makes one of us, then.”

Teesia flinched and instinctively tried to  pull her hand away, but his grip was tooconstricting. She was aghast, trying to fight off the sting of his words. “You…you…do not wish this marriage?”

“I wish this  union with the royal family,” he stated plainly.

Teesia swallowed back the pain that threatened to make her collapse. Ralen’sentourage had just become visible in the  distance, but she kept her eyes on her husband-to-be. “I thought that…well, I thought we would fit well together,” she said, sorry for the depth of emotion that leaked from her voice. “I thought you would wish ahappy marriage, as I do.”

He stopped walking,  pulling her to a rough halt, and  stared down into her eyes.  “Do you think I’m so thick that  I don’t recognize you, vixen? Do you think I don’t recall what happened between us at Rawley?”

She was confused—why wasn’t their brief but passionate interlude a  pleasantmemory? “Of course I  expected you to remember me. And frankly, I expected  you to be pleased, knowing that  our encounter in Rawley was only a taste of what’s to come.”

“That part you have right,  vixen,” he said,  his voice going deeper, and  sounding almost like a threat.

They’d started walking again— him pulling her along was more like it—and  since the caravan loomed closer, she knew she must speak plainly,  for she wished to get to the bottom of this  now. “I should think you’d be happy to know  you have a bride who desires you. Deeply,” she added, figuring there was no cause to hide the truth. “I should think that would bode well for our marriage.”

“How many other men have you desired deeply, Teesia? How many men have you lifted your skirts for in back hallways?”

She gasped at the accusation. How dare he? “Only you, I swear it!”

His sideways glance said he didn’t believe  her. “I have  no qualms  with pretty girlswho want to play, vixen. But  you  are royalty. With duties to your family. You possess a bride price. Or at least I  hope  you still have it.”

“Of course I do! I—”

“Royal girls do not let down their hair and  tell lies to  entice the nearest available man in a darkened corridor. It was a betrayal  to your father. In fact, you’ve made him  look foolish to have traded your supposed chasteness in marriage—for one cannot trade what does not exist.”

“But I—”

30

Master of Desire

“Had I wanted to marry a common girl with common sexual habits, I would have.  But I wanted a chaste, inexperienced virgin,  Teesia. I  wanted a girl who would belong  to me alone.”

“I  am