Gods, what the hells was wrong with me?
I shook away the prickle of his touch and stepped into the coach. He was not going to love me. In truth, it was a bit puzzling that my new husband did not still wish me dead.
Violence was in his blood—I witnessed it firsthand during the battle.
“You killed him.” The prince hovered over me, eyes black as the wing of a raven. His palms clasped my head and when the cold filled my skull, all I heard were my own screams as the nightmares flooded my mind.
Knives slashing my grandfather’s chest while he sobbed for the pain to end.
Cold hands shouting at me to cut out the darkness, then a lithe body rewarding me by pinning my hands over my head and telling me he would love me as he thrust too hard.
A woman who kissed me goodnight while a tall man blew out a smallflame, leaving promises of swimming in the morning. But their smiles faded to lifeless eyes and cold flesh beside me as fists pounded at the door, there to take me away.
“Where did your thoughts go? Raum won’t truly rob you.”
I jumped when fingers tapped the top of my palm. The prince pulled his hand away and took his place on the opposite bench in the coach.
“It’s just been a long journey,” I lied.
Once Dorsan was seated on the driver’s bench of the coach, Raum clapped on the side, and the charge lurched forward.
My spine was straight, stiff, senses at the ready for an attack from this lawless sort of kingdom at any moment.
Jonas slumped against the back of the bench. “How do you wish to spend your first night here?”
I folded my hands in my lap, watching the crooked walls of shops shift to stone walls. “I am accustomed to being solitary. If you have somewhere else to go, someone else to be with, I understand.”
“I won’t deny, I enjoy the hint of jealousy in your tone.”
My mouth pinched when I met his gaze. “I think you are hoping to hear jealousy. I am not blinded to your attractive . . .” Good hells, I cut off my words before I made an utter fool of myself.
It was too late.
“Attractive, you say?” Jonas leaned forward. With such a small space, it was simple enough to draw his face close, his breath warm on my lips with each word. “Think my bed will be filled tonight? Think my hands will be caressing a woman’s skin?”
He was goading me.
“It certainly will give me freedom to do asIwish.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
The damn prince did not pull back. His nearness was made worse when he tilted his terribly beautiful face, as though he might align our mouths.
“I suppose you can wonder while you are tangled with your lover.”
Jonas studied me for a drawn pause. “Who should I take as a lover?”
His hand fell to my knee, thumb rubbing slow, tight circles over my skirt.
“Frigg is rather lovely.”
His mouth twitched, his hand eased up my leg. “She is.”
“And she seems fond of you, so simple enough. Perhaps she is already your lover.”
“She is not, and there are a few problems with your choice of woman.” Jonas’s wicked fingers dug into my upper thigh, voice a low rasp. “Frigg has been a friend since birth and doesn’t much care for cock. Prefers women, you see.”
He kept his hand climbing. I bit down on the tip of my tongue to keep in a gasp of pleasure when the prince curled his palm around my hip, yanking me forward to the edge of the bench.
