Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
The screeching of a chair against the floor reverberated through the room, followed by fast, thunderous footsteps as Kalon got closer to me.
He closed his hand over mine on the door handle, stopping me from opening it, and pressed his hand against the door just above my head, boxing me in between his body and the door. “Oh? You don’t think so, darling?”
His mouth was right by my ear, and the cool use of the word ‘darling’ trickled over my skin like the seductive threat it was.
Well, I was here now, and I knew from the book that Kalon was a jealous, possessive man.
Then again, maybe riling him up wasn’t the best idea.
But still, something inside me demanded I ask the question: just how dangerous could this man get?
“Why don’t you try me?” I whispered, clenching my hand into a fist and pressing it against my stomach.
“You say it like I can’t feel you tremble.” His lips brushed my earlobe as he spoke. “I’m the kind of man who gets jealous enough that I wouldn’t hesitate to lock you up if it meant no other man could lay eyes on you. I would tie you to me if it meant keeping you safe, and I wouldn’t think twice about taking the heads of anyone who dared to even think about hurting you. I’d line them up outside the castle gates as a warning.”
My heart pounded with every word he spoke. There was no denying that he was dangerous and that the twisted devotion he was capable of could hurt, but he didn’t scare me.
His words were cold, but his touch was warm. There was nothing terrifying about the tender way he trailed his fingers up my arm and across my shoulder, as if he were committing the shape of those curves to memory. I couldn’t bring myself to be scared as his large hand cradled the side of my neck and he pressed his thumb against my jaw, turning my face towards his.
Maybe a part of me was just as twisted as he was.
“I would raise an army and go to war, maybe even burn down the entire empire if I had to.” He brushed his thumb across the curve of my jaw in a gentle way that was so contradictory to his words. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you by my side. That’s the kind of man I am. That’s how deep my desire to possess runs.”
“So?” My voice was barely a whisper. “Is that supposed to scare me?”
He tensed. “It doesn’t scare you?”
“Why would it? At no point in any of that did you ever say that you’d hurt me.”
A chuckle escaped his lips, one tinged with disbelief. “Most normal people would find it terrifying.”
“I guess I’m not a normal person, then.” I mean, he had been my choice of hero when I’d read the book, so…
He was silent for a moment, then slowly, a cold, bitter laugh trickled out of him and swept across my skin. “Carry on like that, and I might really get obsessed with you. Then what would you do?”
“I suppose I’d start collecting the heads of my enemies.”
“We can arrange that either way.”
“I’ll keep it under consideration.” I couldn’t help but smile even though this conversation was so ridiculous. “If story time is over, might you release me now? I want to sweettalk Chef Archer into baking me some cookies.”
“You just found out how jealous I can get, and your first move is to tell me you’re going to sweettalk another man? Perhaps I should tie you to one of the chairs in here to teach you a lesson.”
“Don’t be so ridiculous. The happily married fifty-two-year-old father-of-three Chef Archer only wants me for my compliments.”
“Don’t compliment other men when you don’t compliment me.”
“If I don’t get my cookies, I’m going to cry,” I protested. “Then I won’t be able to compliment anyone, much less you. And if you want to be complimented, do something worth being praised for.”
Kalon sighed, dropping his forehead to my shoulder. “No. This won’t do. I’m going to have to lock you up so nobody finds out how easily I give in to you.”
I grinned as he stepped away from me. “How interesting,” I replied, opening the door. “I always wondered what it would take to bring the great warlord Grand Duke Kalon Stein to his knees. Now I know.”
“You—”
“Thank you for your time!” I sang, closing the door behind me and grabbing Bella by the hand. “Quick, run!”
“M-my lady! What did you do to upset the Grand Duke?” she asked frantically, following me down the stairs.
I looked over my shoulder at her and grinned. “I think I found his weakness.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Lady’s Knight
My dearest Allie,
I’m so glad to have received your letter. You’ve been on my mind ever since we parted ways at the Velian Boutique that day, but I didn’t want to trouble you while you were settling in. I know the other ladies feel the same—we met this morning for tea, and they asked me to tell you how much they’re looking forward to seeing you in a few days.