“We will kill you.” The five men rushed forward.
Theo brandished knives from each side of his belt. He hurled one into the man’s throat, who threatened them. Blood spirted in every direction from the ruptured artery. The man behind him received a blade through his eye, imbedding deep into his brain. Theo pulled his sword from its sheath at his waist. The last three men hurtled toward him. He slashed his sword across the first man’s throat as he grabbed him and spun, using his victim as a shield. He hacked off the fourth man’s sword arm before driving his weapon through the man’s heart. He discarded the dead man he’d held against him. The fifth man tried to tackle him. Theo’s fist plowed into the attacker’s face, making him crumple to the ground.
“Vinita, go back to the palace. Do not come out until I come for you in the morning. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Theo. What’re you going to do?”
“Do not ask questions you don’t want the answer to. But be assured, no one will ever make the mistake of insulting you again. Nor will they approach you and think they may take what is mine.”
“Please be careful, Theo. I don’t want to lose you now that we’ve just found each other.”
“I will come to you in the morning. Which window is yours?”
“The one above the jasmine bush.”
“I love you, sweetling.”
“I love you, darling.”
Theo wished to kiss her again, but he wouldn’t go near her with the blood that covered him. He watched her hurry through the gate before he dragged the surviving perpetrator back to the camp.
“Abbington!”
Will rushed from his tent, his eyes widening at Theo’s appearance and the unconscious man he dragged.
“There are four bodies outside the palace that need burying. They believed they could insult Vinita and threaten to rape her. No man will make that mistake again.”
Will watched Theo make his way to the center of camp before he dispatched men to retrieve the dead bodies and dispose of them.
“Lest there be any doubt that the Maharaja’s daughters are not to be touched, not to be threatened, see what awaits you.” Theo’s voice carried as he dumped the man before him. He grabbed a bucket of water and poured it over the final attacker. “You stand accused of threatening the life of a royal princess and a superior officer in the East India Company. How do you plea?”
“Sod off.”
Theo’s grin told the observers he’d hoped for that type of response. For the next fifteen minutes, he ensured the man endured his punishment. Nothing he did pushed the bounds of humanity, but one strike after another came from his fists, his feet, his knives, and finally his sword. He left the man drawn and quartered.
“She’s mine.”
Theo walked away, accepting the toiletries and clean clothes Will held. He bathed in the river before returning to the palace. It was nearly dawn by the time he finished. He scaled the wall and crept to the window beneath the jasmine bush. He hoisted himself inside. The sight that greeted him made him forget what he’d just done, why he’d done it. But when Vinita reached for him, he knew he would never hesitate to defend her and their children from anyone foolish enough to look at her askance. He’d returned to the calm man he’d been before the attack, prepared to introduce his future bride to the pleasures of the flesh. Some that she whispered seeing in books would have to wait until they wed. However, they would begin that night.
He stripped and slipped into the bed beside his bride. She watched every move from when his head popped above the windowsill to now as he drew her into his arms. His broad shoulders had bunched beneath his shirt as he leveraged himself through the window. His powerful thighs flexed as he approached. But when he undressed, Vinita found it hard to catch her breath. When their gazes met, the predatory gleam made her sheath clench. Once they were in bed together, their kiss was a continuation of their interrupted one. Theo rolled her onto her back as he suckled her breast. She ran her fingers through his hair, her nails grazing his scalp when he moved lower to suck on her pearl.
“Theo, don’t stop.”
“I won’t. Not now and not for the rest of our lives.”
“I—want to touch you, too. I don’t want to wait.”
Theo pushed onto his elbow as he considered Vinita’s request. He knew how they could join without his sword finding its home within her sheath. He wasn’t certain if she knew too. He’d seen illustrations in a book when he first arrived in India. He left England experienced, but he’d arrived in Bikaner an expert, even if he hadn’t practiced the knowledge he’d gained.
“Do you know how we can do that?” Theo asked hesitantly.
“Yes. Come lie next to me.” Vinita pat the bed.
Theo followed Vinita’s instructions, watching her intently as she shifted onto her hands and knees. As she straddled him, facing his toes, she glanced back with uncertainty. The moment Theo gasped her bottom and squeezed, a groan escaping, she knew he appreciated her suggestion. She no longer felt embarrassed having her backside in the air. When his tongue flicked her pleasure button, she sank her mouth on him. They set a rhythm that matched, each striving to give pleasure. Her long, low moan signaled her release. She redoubled her effort until Theo tried to stop her. When she tightened her lips around his rod, he could hold back no longer. She licked his length before turning toward him, the look of a seductress meeting Theo’s gaze. Her disheveled hair, her flushed face, her air of pride. It made him want to abandon his ethics and claim her.
“Nita!”
“My mother.”
