The Bride Tournament Read Online Free PDF Page B

golden hair tempted him to touch it despite everything.
    “How can you want a woman who loves another?”
    “Far sharper weapons than your tongue have sought to wound me.” Yet Richard steeled himself against the prick of her words. “Marriage isn’t about love, but duty and honor. We’re wed in the eyes of God, king and man. So we shall remain.” He’d come to his senses. The flash of yearning for anything beyond that had disappeared. He stepped closer and waited until she looked at him. “You are mine now, and what is mine I keep. Do not think to betray me.”
    Her violet eyes widened, but she said nothing. He knew he sounded harsh. How else could he let her know he wouldn’t tolerate disloyalty?
    He wouldn’t divulge his own foray into love and subsequent disillusionment, nor the perfidy of his mother. He’d learned not to trust women he knew well who’d professed love. So how could he trust Eleanor?
    “I believe in familial love, the deep caring one has for siblings and parents, which grows over time. That’s what I hope we can someday share. Much of life is either restraint or sin. People of our station have duties to fulfill and can’t afford to succumb to every yearning. Why should life be different for you?”
    “Because…because….” Her face fell and her shoulders sagged. Had the long day taken its toll, or was this a new womanly strategy to avoid him? “Because we just met.”
    Richard folded his clothing until his sympathy subsided. He couldn’t let her reluctance sway him. “I thought for certes you’d send me on a merry chase tonight by hiding. Or are you waiting until I fall asleep so you can climb out the window?”
    He earned only a faint smile. “My thanks for the excellent ideas. Perhaps on the morrow.” Eleanor returned to bed, still wearing her robe.
    Though stunningly beautiful, in her unhappy state Eleanor didn’t arouse him. If her lack of enthusiasm wasn’t enough to demolish desire, he couldn’t seem to forget that she wanted his friend.
    Their marriage had to be consummated or it wouldn’t be as binding. Perhaps if he touched her soft flesh, inhaled her woman’s scent, enticed her with his caresses….
    He sat beside her. She smelled sweet and fresh, like lemons. After waiting a moment to let her adjust to his nearness, he stroked her luxurious hair as he’d longed to since he saw her. Smooth as the finest samite. She allowed him to run his fingers through each golden lock, but he sensed her skittishness. He’d tame her with utmost patience, akin to the way he’d succeed with an unbroken horse.
    Richard bent toward her, seeking the delicate skin on her neck. His finger pushed away the edge of her robe, exposing a thin gold chain. He kissed her neck just above the chain and she shivered. An expected response from most women of his acquaintance, but did Eleanor shiver with desire or distaste?
    He pressed on, kissing his way toward her mouth. His lips met hers, then again, but she didn’t kiss him back or open her mouth. Either she was completely untutored in the ways of men or she primly refused his advances. Her eyes were closed.
    Never had he expected such complete disinterest.
    Richard worked his way down Eleanor’s neck, then lower still, tugging the sheet from her reluctant fingers. He opened her robe to reveal her breasts, lush and magnificent. A key dangled from the gold chain shimmering between them. What did it open? What was so important to his wife that she wore the key beneath her clothing and close to her heart? But this was a time for touch, not talk.
    As his fingers roamed her smooth curves, he started to respond. So did she. He smiled. Her nipples firmed beneath his questing fingers, arousing him fully. Her head tipped back and her lips parted, clear signs she was starting to welcome, to enjoy, his touch. His erection pulsed as he continued gentle strokes, biding his time, enjoying the anticipation.
    Until something splashed onto his cheek. Eleanor