Page 158 of A Vow of Embers

“Is something wrong?” Xander asked me.

It perturbed me that he could pick up on my moods so easily. I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. I watched Dolion continue to split his arrows into tiny fragments of wood.

“Spar with me,” the prince said.

“What?”

“You have angry energy you need to burn off. I know a couple of ways to do that but only one I think you’ll agree to. Let’s fight.”

He was teasing me, but my stomach clenched and my knees felt hollow at the mention of other ways that we might work out our feelings.

His knuckles and forearms were strapped in leather for boxing. He put his hands in a defensive stance. This was ridiculous. I wouldn’t be able to land a hit unless he let me.

“Strike,” he said, wearing an infuriating smile.

I jabbed at him and it landed nowhere near where I had intended because he moved out of the way too quickly. I growled in frustration.

“Don’t let your anger rule you,” he said.

“I don’t need a lesson from you.” I feinted with my left fist and tried to follow with my right but he dodged me.

“Don’t you?”

Then I swung wide, nearly spinning around in a complete circle. Had this been a real fight, I would be dead.

“You think too much. You have to react. Move without analyzing. What shuts off your mind?”

His mouth on mine was the only thing that had ever managed to do it. That filled my head with images I did not need.

“Stop trying to predict what I’ll do,” he said. It was then that I knew he couldn’t actually hear my thoughts, and I was grateful that he couldn’t tell what I was imagining. “Rely on your senses, your instinct. Like you did during your tribute race.”

I punched out at him, again without connecting. “I was operating on fear and adrenaline during that race.”

Xander stopped moving and studied me. I still had my fists up in case his intention was to trick me.

“You need to clear your head. I think a change of scenery is in order. If you’d be willing to come with me, there’s something I want to show you.”

He held out his hand as an invitation.

Without thinking, I accepted.

Chapter Fifty-One

Xander laced his fingers through mine, casually. I reminded myself that, to the rest of the world, we were a happily married couple and this was normal. I had certainly seen my brother and his betrothed, as well as my parents, holding hands this way. That his intent was for the courtiers and servants to witness us together.

I just had to ignore the hot bolts of energy shooting up my arm.

What would he say if I told him about what Io had learned regarding our physical link? Part of me suspected that he might suggest we get it over with. When Io had taught us about sex, she’d said that men often did not require a connection to bed someone. That any warm and willing woman might suffice. Even if Xander weren’t attracted to me, he might be able to go through with it.

But I didn’t want to be just an available convenience to him. Or a means to an end. I felt like I deserved more than that.

It didn’t stop me from imagining things, though.

Would he be tender and gentle? Would he ask me what I wanted? Or would he just tell me? Would he order me about? I hated when he did that normally but suspected I might enjoy being under his command in the privacy of our bedroom.

“Wife?”

“What?” My voice sounded strangled. I had been picturing some things that made my face flush and I felt like I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t.

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