In that gown? I seriously doubt it.“A letter arrived a few hours ago from his messenger,” I say to distract myself from her perfect figure.
“Really?” She stops mid-turn. “What did it say? Is he coming for me?” There’s an urgency in her tone. It makes my chest prickle with something unpleasant.
“He is displeased but has not yet agreed to a trade.” I adjust the cuffs of my shirt. “So I have decided to up the stakes.”
She tilts her head, smirking. “Oh? And what will you do?” She draws closer. “Will you tell him you’re torturing me? Will you put me in your dungeon andwhipme?”
“No, but that can be arranged.” My voice is tight.
Dahlia grins, and I want to catch it with my lips and swallow it.
Clearing my throat, I continue. “An invitation has been sent to Lord Elheart for our wedding next week. He needs to understand that if he cannot give me what I want, then I will be keeping you here permanently as my wife.”
“Your wife?” Her smile vanishes. “You can’t just… I’m not marrying you.”
The unpleasant feeling in my chest becomes a sting. “Your wishes mean nothing. As Lord of this court, if I decide we are to be married, then that is what will be.”
“I’mnotmarrying you.” She steps back, anger growing in her tone. “And I don’t care what my father has agreed for me. Marriage is supposed to be about love,romance, and I certainly haven’t had any of that from you or Lord Elheart.” Her lip curls. “If you want me as your bride, then you’ll have to drag me down the aisle in chains.”
I almost laugh. She’s cute when she’s furious. “Then I will be sure to gift you the daintiest chains to match your wedding dress.”
Her face flushes red with anger.Adorable. “If my fiancé isn’t interested in your stupid deal then you’ll send me home.”
This time, I do laugh. “No.”
“Send me home!” she yells.
“You are forgetting who has the power here, my darling.” I march towards her.
She stumbles back. We keep moving until she’s pressed against a wooden stall, my arms either side of her head.
“I am the lord of this court and you are a mere human girl. You would be wise to remember your place.”
Her chest heaves, but she holds my stare. Challenging me. “My family will come for me.”
“Your family is not here.”
Something breaks inside her pretty eyes, but she doesn’t let it break her. Lifting her chin, she pauses for a moment, then her gaze drops to my lips.
My smile falls. “Dahlia?”
“You’re a monster,” she says quietly, before leaning forward and doing the last thing I expect.
She kisses me.
My shoulders sag. Her tongue runs along the seam of my mouth, and I melt. Parting my lips, I welcome her in, dropping my hands to her waist, her hips. She moans as one of my hands dips to her rear. I squeeze it like it’s mine.
“Monster,” she says again between moans, and I deepen the kiss.
I don’t notice her angling herself until it’s too late.
One hand pushes against my chest. The other grips my shoulder, while her leg swings up hard towards my groin.
The pain is blinding. “FUCK!”
11
DAHLIA
