His answer began with a smile brilliant enough to curl her toes. “Have I not just proved otherwise?”
“All right,” she said, and couldn’t help grinning herself. “I’ll allow there might be one exception- in bed. But out of bed-”
“You will obey me in all things. Thus will there be no difficulties to speak of.”
“You don’t really think it’s going to be that easy, do you?” But she hastened to add, “I’m not saying I won’t try to obey you. I’ve always been an obedient daughter-well, until recently. But there are other reasons why I didn’t want a warrior, things that I seriously object to-”
His finger came to her lips to silence her. “All will be seen to.”
“Is that another promise?”
“I promise to make you happy despite your objections.”
A contradiction if she’d ever heard one. But she really wasn’t in a mood to argue just now. She would much rather get to know this warrior she was stuck with, in particular the powerful body lying relaxed beneath her. Realizing that she now had certain rights to his body sent a thrill of possessiveness through her that she’d never quite experienced before.
She gave in to it, running her hands along his shoulders and down his arms, watching the muscles leap to her touch. She began kissing where she chose, across his chest, up his neck, savoring the saltiness of his skin where she licked instead.
He had remained perfectly still, so his sudden groan surprised her before he said, “Woman, it is too soon for you to play with me like that.”
“Why?” she asked with laughter in her voice.
He rolled her over and entered her so swiftly, Shanelle barely had time to gasp. If that wasn’t answer enough, he still growled, “Because I have not had my fill of you yet. I begin to wonder if I ever will.”
She began to wonder if she ever would either, but it was a problem she could definitely live with. And then there were no more thoughts as her hands locked in his hair to ride out the buffeting her body now craved, and soon she was crying out again as that tide of unbelievable pleasure washed over her. She nearly fainted with it. She would have laughed if she weren’t so exhausted, wondering if Martha would have been able to tell the difference this time. But one thing she knew for herself. Sex-sharing with this warrior could become addictive.
She barely felt him gather her to his side afterward, or the kiss he placed on her forehead. And she was almost asleep when she heard him sigh. But the words that followed were the kind that could wake up the dead-or one unsuspecting Sha-Ka’ani female.
“You have made me happier than I ever knew I could be, which is why I dread what I must now do, yet must it be done.”
Chapter 32
Shanelle lifted her head off Falon’s shoulder to look down at him in disbelief. “You dread what must be done? Tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it means, Falon.” He didn’t answer immediately, but his expression was answer enough, making her pale. “You wouldn’t,” she whispered. “Not after what we just… you just can’t!”
His hand caressed her cheek gently, and for all of one second she thought she was wrong. “I like it no better that this will mar the beginning of our life together,” he told her in genuine regret. “Yet did you know when you left your father’s house without his permission that you would be punished for it. Can you deny this?”
She couldn’t and the farden jerk knew it. And the horror she was feeling quickly turned to resentment.
“Then take me home and let my father punish me.”
“He will not. He cannot, for that right is no longer his. Yet does your offense still demand proper consequence, which only I can administer. Your father expects no less of me, woman, nor does your brother. You expected no less.”
That was true. She wondered bitterly why she was even fighting it. This was why she hadn’t wanted a warrior. They were inflexible when it came to their duty, and punishment was considered a duty almost sacred. That didn’t mean she could accept it, merely that she wasn’t likely to get out of it. That realization terrified her as much as it infuriated her.
“Damn it, you couldn’t even give me a little while to like you before I started hating you again, could you?” she said with resentment so thick it was nearly choking her.
“To delay would give you no peace, woman; merely would it increase your fear.”
“I’m farden well allowed to fear what you have in mind!” she snapped. “I won’t let you do it, Falon. I’ll fight you.”
“You are welcome to try.”
Her eyes narrowed at the familiar words that told her not to bother. “I absolutely despise that phrase of yours.”
He sighed. “Shanelle, let us be done with it, then may I comfort you.”
“Like hell you will. If you punish me now, warrior, don’t even think about getting near me again- ever!”
If she had hoped that might make a difference, she was forgetting whom she was dealing with.
Warriors didn’t take kindly to threats, and Falon was no exception. All her warning accomplished was to finally annoy him.
“It is hoped we will not have to suffer this again, either of us,” he said in a hard, uncompromising tone. “But for now…”
Where was her mind, to have remained sitting there next to him? Shanelle turned immediately to correct the oversight, but she knew she was too late. Falon’s arm shot around her waist, and that easily was she dragged across his thighs. He didn’t even bother to move to the edge of the bed. Right there in the center of it, where they had twice joined in pleasure, was he now going to inflict pain.
Shanelle shrieked furiously as she struggled to keep from being turned over, but she quickly found out just how adept Falon was at this sort of thing. She was turned, a forearm pressed down on her back to keep her there, and that was when anger deserted her to make way for a heaping dose of gut-wrenching fear.
She was crying before the first smack got anywhere near her bottom, and screamed her head off when it landed with the expected stinging force. In fact, she was making so much noise and commotion that it took a while for her to realize that Falon wasn’t spanking her after all, that she’d got no more than that one sharp example of Ba-Har-ani discipline.
She was still crying. Her fright had been extreme. But she had been turned back over to sit on Falon’s lap, and all he was doing was hugging her, albeit too tightly, and crooning soothing words to her as he might to an upset child.
Shanelle felt like a child just then. Where was the courage that had sent her racing across space into the unknown, that had sent Falon crashing to the floor without thought of consequence, that had faced sex-sharing again when she was sure it would be nothing but painful? If her mother had witnessed that disgraceful display of theatrics, she’d hang her head in shame. That was exactly what Shanelle felt like doing. On the other hand, she was so relieved that Falon had stopped, for whatever reason, that she started hugging him back to tell him so, though she kept her face buried against his chest.
It was still a while more before she was quiet enough to merit more direct attention. Her face was lifted. A finger gently wiped the wetness from her cheeks. And when she finally got up enough courage to open her eyes, it was to see an expression that was a pure mixture of chagrin and resignation.
Falon’s voice, however, was nothing short of scolding. “You do not take punishment well, kerima.”
“Are you finished?”
He sighed. “Very likely.”
“Then I’ll do better the next time,” she felt it safe to lie.
“You had best hope there is never a next time,” he told her sternly.
Stars, didn’t she know it. She tried to hide her face again, but he wouldn’t let her. Unfortunately, the subject wasn’t over yet.