“I’ve been gentle with you thus far, Bryn Lindane. Do you want me to be merciless?”
Her breath rushed in. Her pulse thundered in her ears. Her whole body felt on fire with Rangar’s weight on top of her, poised to enter her.
She whispered, “Yes.”
“What was that?”
“Yes.”
He freed his cock from his pants and ran the tip along her cleft. She felt a sudden rush of pleasure, but it came paired with an excruciating need. She pushed her hips back in an attempt to feel more of him, but he held off, torturing her.
One hand stroked and teased between her legs while the other seized her breast. “As you wish.”
He thrust into her from behind. Her whole body quivered as she let out a cry. His weight pushed her face against the pillow, and she muffled her moans in the soft fabric. He wrapped his hands around her hipbones to hold her steady as he rode her. Bryn’s hands fisted in the sheets, twisting them into knots.
What was he doing to her? Was he trying to break her?
“Rangar,” she panted as his thrusts made her ache with desire.
His need was great, and his thrusts were unforgiving; but Bryn held on, shivering from the pleasure that radiated up from the base of her belly. It was no surprise making love to Rangar held a lot in common with two soldiers going at each other with swords.
When he finally finished, Bryn’s legs were quivering. An eruption of tingles had spread throughout her whole body until her vision had practically blurred. They panted together until Rangar finally sat up and dragged her into his lap. His hands captured the sides of her face.
“Bryn Lindane.” His breath staggered between words. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
She gently bit her lip, bruised from his kisses. “I saved your life. Took your soul from Death’s grasp.Isay when you die, Rangar Barendur. And it won’t be for a long, long time.”
He kissed her deeply until their pulses returned to a steady beat. Then he dragged her beside him, and exhaustion finally overtook them both.
* * *
When Bryn woke,dusk was falling outside. She was alone in bed. She sat up, confused. Didn’t Rangar understand what ‘house arrest’ meant? But then she heard a splash of water from the adjacent dressing room, and in another minute, he came in with a freshly washed face.
He sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her arm. “You slept a long time.”
“Didn’t you? You needed it.”
“I woke early. I had plans to make.”
She sat up, instantly on alert. “What plans? What can you do while locked in these chambers?”
“I sent a message to my aunt through the guards. Oliver is an old friend. I’m going to ask her permission to leave Barendur Hold with a small group of soldiers to find Broderick. You were right. The Baersladen is going to need a king soon, and I can’t serve my people while locked away.”
She took his hand. It was frightening to think about being apart from him again, especially knowing he’d be pursuing a dangerous spy and murderer. But she had learned that if they were to be genuine leaders for their people, they’d have to both be brave.
He brushed his thumb over her cheek and said softly, “I spoke with Oliver, too, about other plans.”
She shook her head, not understanding. “What other plans?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “We’re engaged. I owe you three wedding gifts.”
She scoffed lightly. “That’s a Mir tradition, not a Baer one.”
“And you’re a Mir bride. You were cheated out of three proper gifts when you were engaged to Captain Carr, since you had to use them to keep me alive. Now, I want you to have everything a princess could desire.”
“Gifts? Rangar, I really don’t need—”
He silenced her with a kiss, then whispered, “You’ll get your first gift tomorrow.”
