As soon as George entered the cabin, he could smell the scent of her shampoo blending with her soap. She’d taken a shower while he secured a bottle of blood wine and other food for them. Ana wasn’t eating well in the dungeons and her body showed it. Her lean curves were noticeably thinner, and she had dark circles under her eyes. He should have known that Ana wouldn’t sleep in there. The woman worried about everything and over thought even more. He entered the cabin, and she closed the door behind him. Then complained that she couldn’t look after herself. He felt offended. That’s why her father charged him with her care. George wasn’t a nursemaid. His job didn’t include that. He was her bodyguard. Her head of security. George was her sword. This wouldn’t change. He needed to keep his patience and explain it to her. But what he really wanted to do was put a little fear in Ana by showing her exactly how dominate he could be when push
Ana tried to enjoy the food once the staff delivered it. Her problem sat across from her, eating as well. George, she felt like he permeated everything around her. That’s how aware Ana felt of him. Once he entered the cabin, it felt so small. His presence appeared everywhere, his scent quickly filled every corner of the tiny space. Ana had never been so aware of a bed in her life as right now. She didn’t taste the food or wine, because all she could taste was that kiss. This wasn’t fair. What did she do in a previous life to deserve this kind of torture? She’d learn her lesson if this would just stop, and someone explain what she did that she’d done and how horrible it was. “This is the first time I’ve taken a boat to the city. How long is it, anyway?” Ana didn’t know what to talk to him about, but the silence between them felt stifling. They needed to speak about something. Anything at this point. She wanted to talk about the kiss
“What is there to talk about? The… That kiss only cemented our cover story for why we’d be in the same cabin, and… And why we don’t leave it. There were people in the corridor who might have seen my face. You made a wonderful barrier.” Adriana didn’t want to talk about the kiss or what came from it. No, that would go to her grave and be kept by quiet by her and the Moon Goddess. “Adriana, we must talk about this so we can be on the same page when the next issue comes up.” George stood and stepped around the table, his eyes never leaving hers. She could see how stern he’d become and as he spoke, his voice deepened. A shiver ran down Ana’s spine, hearing his determination and the strength he put behind his words. She’d heard no one outside of the noble caste who could do that with only their voice. His eyes flared red as he witnessed Ana catch her lip between her teeth. Her eyes dropped, as she stood, and turned away from him. She re
George knew that the dark animal that hid in the shadows of his mind had come out to play. It always did when he got away from him. This was one of the reasons he didn’t allow his anger any freedom. Today, though, George missed the signs and now he rode the thrill of the hunt. The pleasure of the capture, and the female beneath him. His female, under his control. He had to do with as he wanted, and he wanted her. If Ana hadn’t fled like that from him like that, he might have been able to control himself. But she tried to put distance between them. Funny, he’d not heard Ana say the word no. Nor did she push him away. As he sank deeper into their kiss, George’s tongue caressed Ana’s fangs, which made her gasp and shiver into his kiss. That slight movement against his raging need had George’s groans turning into growls of pleasure. His hand found her skirt inching up her thigh. Ana’s eyes lit with excitement when his hand encountered
George woke up and was aware of the passing of time first. Then his mind registered an urgent need to be aware of the passage of time. Before he could dig out his watch fob from his trouser pocket, his mind registered a warm body entwined around him. He’d have to disentangle himself first before he could get to his trouser pocket, that currently rested somewhere around his ankles or knees. Then he realized why he felt so great and relaxed. He could taste her blood in his mouth and when he finally dared open his eyes. Ana lay entwined around him, asleep, and there was no questioning what they’d done. He was still seated within her. He cursed himself for several minutes as he eased from her body and arms reluctantly. George knew it had been his duty to keep her safe from any and all harm. That included himself. Why hadn’t he left the cabin when it became too hard to keep his hands and gods his teeth off her? That’s
Ana was no saint. But she’d never crossed the line this badly before into breaking the law. George had a point. Nothing that happened between them felt wrong or out of place. She’d never felt her body respond like that. It had been electrifying in the best way. Well, it was done and there’d be no going back from it. What got her goat, though, was how he’d taken control of her. He’d used a form of mind control to lower her inhibitions. She’d learned to resist it as part of her training so no one could use her against her father. The emperor even tested her and wasn’t happy until she could resist him as well. She’d thought it was a selfish thing to force her to do at the time. But now, after feeling her emotions manipulated like that, she understood. George could have easily persuaded her to kill herself, and she’d have gladly done it. Truly, only a master manipulator with this skill could do it. She led the way to
Franco watched Eva work of fixing a jacket of his that he’d damaged some time ago. It sat in his dressing room waiting for the next time his valet did repairs on his clothing. Eva claimed she felt bored and needed to do something. She’d found the basket and made steady work through it. A knock on the heavy gilded doors to his private suite interrupted them. “Come!” A door swung open, and Edger enter the space. “What have you Edger?” “Emperor, we are in a bit of a situation. The court is champing at the bit with excitement. They want confirmation that you yet live and that Tatiana is not the new empress.” Franco sighed heavily. It had been nice while it lasted. Now his days would fill with the inane demands of courtiers and petitioners again. He’d have less time to be with Eva. “Fine. Set up an event celebrating my triumph over the murder plot. Gad, I’m not allowed to mourn my life’s partner and o
Tatiana slipped from the palace. She found this to be harder now than ever before. There were people everywhere with their eyes on her. As if they expected to catch her doing something wrong and were ready to sing about it from up on high to anyone that would listen. The gossip flew fast and furiously through the court. Tatiana could barely keep up with it. Now she needed desperately to feel her lover’s sweet lips and know what she thought of all of this. Tatiana didn’t know how she could fix things. Her father hadn’t died. He and her mother had to die to clear the way for Tatiana’s place on the throne. Now she didn’t know how to go about making a second attempt on the throne. So here she stood in the cool shadows of the early night, cloaked within a heavy cloak to obscure who she was. She slunk from one building to the next, always staying within the shadows. Tatiana knew the route and Tatiana desperately wanted