Tessa tensed.
“I don’t want your money any more now than I did at school, Daaron,” she replied.
“I shouldn’t need it. I used my skills and education to find my own way of making money. The garnets. They’re all the rage at court, now that the Emperor has expressed a fondness for them. They might have been worthless this time last year, but they’re more than enough to set me for life today. All you have to do is give me my rocks and let me go. You do your own thing and we’ll both live happily ever after. Or you’ll do whatever weird thing it is you want to do, and I’ll live happily ever after. We can pretend this didn’t happen.”
“Let’s sit down,” Daaron said, gesturing toward the bed. He seemed to fill the room, crowding her. Daaron had always done that to her—every place he went, he filled. He stepped toward her, crowding her, and she slid to one side of the bed in an attempt to put space between them. He gave her a knowing smile. She hadn’t fooled him. He plopped down on the bed, depressing the mattress so she had to fight to keep from falling into him.
“Tell me what’s going on here,” she said. “I need to know.”
“All you need to know is that you’re my wife and I can’t allow you to leave with those garnets,” he replied.
“You’re right,” she said. “I misspoke. I don’t care what’s going on. I just want to go.”
“And I want to fuck you,” he replied. “And unlike you, I’m in a position to take what I want.”
“Oh yes, the great Daaron Von Saur’rel,” she snapped. “It doesn’t matter if a woman actually desires you, you can do whatever you want. Of course, if you were an ordinary mortal, maybe nobody would sleep with you. Have you ever wondered if your success with the ladies has more to do with your money than your cock?”
He froze, and she knew she had him.
“Think about it, Daaron,” Tessa continued, her voice cold. “Maybe your daddy paid them to fuck you. After all, the only woman who couldn’t be bought didn’t sleep with you. What does that really say?”
She knew how hateful the words were, and she knew they weren’t true either. But she had to attack him any way she could, because otherwise she was dead in the water.
Maybe she could goad him into action and use it to her advantage.
He laughed, and her hopes sank.
“I haven’t talked to my father in five years,” he mused. “I suppose the possibility exists that he interfered at school, but since then I haven’t exactly been celibate, unlike you. Ever wonder if you missed out on the best years of your life?”
Her breath hissed out. Bastard. She didn’t have a comeback for that one.
“So you want to call a truce?” he asked. She nodded her head. Fighting wasn’t getting her anywhere. Time to gather information and think through her next move.
“Do you admit that we’re married by the customs of your people?” he asked.
She pondered it, then nodded her head.
“Although, when you consider that the customs of my people have never been held in high esteem by nobles like yourself, I’m not sure that means very much.”
He gave her an icy smile.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he asked. “As my wife, you can’t testify and aren’t a threat. Otherwise you are. Which would you rather be? Remember, I said you have a choice to make.”
She fell silent again.
“As my wife, you’d sleep with me.”
She had to laugh.
“You’re right,” she replied. “Of course, as you nicely pointed out to me earlier, sleeping is different than fucking.”
“You’d fuck me too.”
Silence fell between them, thick with tension.
“So let’s get this straight,” she said finally. “My choice, as you put it, is between being married to you and death, right?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because we can’t afford to have anyone poking around on this planet,” he replied.
“As soon as those garnets hit the market, the consortiums would be after you. Sooner or later they’ll find you and you’ll tell them where you got the gems. Things would get ugly after that. There’s more at stake here than just you and me.”
“I won’t tell them.”
He laughed, the sound anything but amused.
“They aren’t nearly as nice as I am. Eventually everyone breaks under torture, Tessa. It doesn’t matter how good your intentions are. The only way to ensure your silence is to make sure nobody ever finds you. The easiest way is to kill you; instead I’m offering you marriage. As my wife, you’ll be under my control. And as I said, you can’t testify against me, just in case you learn too much.”
Tessa shivered, the reality of her situation sinking in for the first time.
Daaron reached one arm around her and pulled her close.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “You’ll find that being married to me isn’t that bad.
Remember, I’m rich. You’ll never want for anything again.”
She leaned against him, momentarily defeated. He rubbed her shoulder comfortingly before moving to her back. His hands stroked steadily, lulling and soothing her. Tessa took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. Desire stirred again. Dear heavens, just being around the man was dangerous.
After long moments, he kissed her, this time slow and gentle—completely different from his angry, manipulative touch earlier. His lips nibbled at hers softly, teasing her with unimagined pleasures and waking new desires. Her nipples tightened, and Tessa reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, eager for more of this new sensation.
Why not just give in for just a little while?
Together they fell back on the bed, hands restlessly exploring beneath each other’s clothing. Daaron pulled his mouth away from hers, running kisses down along her chin and nuzzling at her ears. She lay passive beneath him at first, but after a while she didn’t want him in charge. She could acknowledge that she wanted to have sex with him. Now she needed to take back what mastery she could. Tessa jumped up, straddling him and leaning down low. This time she took control of the kiss.
Daaron didn’t mind at all. He let himself relax, savoring every moment as she kissed him for the first time. He enjoyed the smooth, steady rocking of her hips across his even more. Tessa might have been a virgin until recently, but her instincts were good. Very good. He felt her heat through his pants, could imagine the sucking warmth of her warm slit pulling him deep inside. Just the thought of that crevice, so tight and slick, made his head want to explode. He reached down and cupped her ass, pulling her close.
He couldn’t wait much longer. She seemed to feel the same way, because when he reached for the clasp of her pants she pulled her mouth from his and helped him with the clothing. Within seconds they were both naked, and Tessa climbed back atop him.
She caught his gaze with hers, expression inscrutable. Daaron looked deep into her eyes, fiercely satisfied to have her safely trapped in marriage. Inch by inch, Tessa lowered herself down over his heated cock, until they were half joined. Then she paused with a gasp.
“You feel a lot bigger this way.”
“Every man likes to hear how big he is,” Daaron replied. He ringed her waist with his hands, steadying her and holding her in place. “Take as much time as you need to feel comfortable. I’m pretty happy right here as we are.”
She gave a choked giggle. His heart swelled unexpectedly; he’d heard laughter so few times from her. Her life had been governed by hardship. He’d make her happy, he vowed. Short of betraying his cause, he’d do whatever it took to make up for her suffering.
Daaron’s noble thoughts evaporated as she abruptly dropped down over him, impaling herself on his length. He gasped, awash in sensation. Tessa closed her eyes, head falling back, apparently lost in sensation.