Captured and Crowned Read Online Free PDF

would make him feel steady again.
    At least he wasn’t the only one afflicted with uncertainty. He saw her throat work. Saw worry and fear flicker in her eyes.
    â€œYou don’t love me,” she said, shocking the hell out of him with that statement. “You don’t even like me.”
    No, but he desired her more than he’d ever desired a woman. “Our bond is about duty, Demetria. Duty to your family and my country.”
    â€œI know that,” she said, in a voice heavy with resignation.
    She fidgeted with the package she’d bought and bit her lower lip, and he was reminded again of doing the same to her on that sun-kissed slab of rock.
    â€œWould you at least allow me to design my wedding gown? I intended to broach the subject to Gregor at our next visit, but the King’s death has set things in motion far too quickly.”
    â€œYour gown has already been commissioned,” he said. “Gregor obviously saw to it right after the King’s demise.
    Though Kristo wouldn’t have known it if the lavish gown hadn’t arrived just before he’d left the palace to fetch her. He’d had it placed in the suite he’d reserved for her. The suite adjoining his own.
    It made sense that she get accustomed to her apartments now. To his as well?
    The thought had crossed his mind more often than he cared to admit since he’d made the decision to bring her to the palace nearly two weeks before the wedding.
    â€œBut I wasn’t consulted at all,” she said, her voice rising in clear annoyance at his brother’s actions.
    He was not surprised, for he knew that while women adored lavish gifts of jewels, they could be extremely prickly aboutchoosing their own clothes for special occasions. And nothing could possibly be more special than a royal wedding!
    In this regard Gregor was exactly like their father—both experts at orchestrating their lives as well as those around them. Hadn’t his brother done much the same with Kristo? Waiting until he’d deemed the time was right to step down from the throne without consulting him? Without alerting him of his duty to claim the crown and the woman?
    â€œPlease,” she said, and the imploring quaver in her voice drew his gaze back to her. The longing in her beguiling eyes moved him more than he would ever admit, for to do so was weakness on his part. “Allow me this one concession.”
    Of course one request would lead to another, and another…
    He shook his head, thinking it was incomprehensible for the future Queen to make her own clothes, let alone design them. What manner of woman was Demetria? What other secrets was she hiding from him?
    â€œI’ll think about it,” he said as they reached the airport.
    In moments they’d climbed into the tram that would deliver them to his private plane. Again she hesitated before choosing a seat, but his guards decided it for her by placing her between them.
    A logical choice to hem her in—so why did he resent being denied her company? He should be glad he was being spared further requests that might pop into her head.
    He slammed onto the forward seat beside his chief bodyguard Vasos, vexed with himself for softening toward her. When he was in her company it was far too easy to forget that she’d been unfaithful to Gregor. That given the chance she’d likely betray him as well.
    That was what he must bear in mind all the time. She was not to be trusted. Not to be pampered one bit.
    He certainly needed to know more about this partner of hers. Needed to know what she’d been doing the past year.
    As for bringing Demetria to Angyra? He was asserting his power over her because he could. Because he’d thought of her too much in the past year. Because he wanted her where he could watch her, touch her, kiss her if he so desired.
    She was his now. Nothing could stop him from taking her.
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    Despite her reluctance to return here, Demi