Page 11 of Storm of Desire
Kissing him would be a mistake. She'd hurt him when she left him. She'd known she would. And she'd do it all over again, if only to protect him from the fate she'd bequeathed upon him the second she agreed to marryhim.
Besides, she was starting to grow angry herself. She wanted this cuff off, and she wanted it offnow.
"Others?" he demanded. "Well, they can have you when I'm done withyou."
She tried to haul away from him, but it was like trying to move a mountain, despite her innate strength. Or maybe the cuff was sapping that too. "You don't know what you're facing. That storm hinted at threedrekion my heels. I intended to be back at court before they noticed I was missing, but now.... You're no match fordrekiwarriors,Haakon."
"Maybe I wasn't, once upon a time. But I'm not the man you onceknew."
The sword at his hip and the easy way he carried himself hinted atthat.
"They won't obey the treaty between human anddreki-kind if they think you've laid hands upon me," shewarned.
His free hand rested on the hilt of the sword at his hip. "Then they're welcome to attempt to retakeyou."
Her teeth gnashed together. Stubborn, infuriating man! She'd almost forgotten how hard it was to change his mind once he'd set it upon something. "And your men? Are you so careless with their lives you would throw themaway?"
Something flickered in the pale storminess of his eyes. "The men can find other lodgings. I'd prefer to keep this between the two of usanyway."
"All the better to interrogateme?"
He stared at her for a long second. "I just want answers. You're not getting free until I've got them, so you might as well concede now and spare yourself the indignity. The sooner I have what I want, the sooner you can return to yourdrekicohort. We'll never have to see each otheragain."
Never?"You mean to let mego?"
His look held such utter contempt that all of her blood felt like it drained from her limbs, straight to her heart. "Why would I keep you? Once wasenough."
Her heart stuttered to a halt, before kicking with furiousintention.
Fine. She'd hurthim.
He wanted to hurt herback.
Árdís knew all about woundedpride.
And the lies one could tell oneself to protect a bruisedheart.
"I'm sorry. I nevermeant—"
"Enough of this nonsense." His lip curled back off his teeth, and his temper flashed, igniting the steely gray of his eyes. Then he was moving, bending low and throwing her over hisshoulder.
Árdís gasped as the world upended. "What are youdoing?"
"What I should have done ten minutes ago," he growled, turning and making for the street and the inn across from it. "Don't think you're going to twist me around in circles with that wretchedly sharp tongue. Not this time. I am done playing your games. It's time you playedmine."
Árdís's eyes narrowed. If he thought this was the end of it, he was sorely mistaken. "I've barelybegun!"
Thank goodness there was no one in the street to see her. Árdís tried to clutch at the corner of the nearest building, but her fingers tore loose. Haakon strode like a man on a mission, as unstoppable as thetide.
Her heart was beatingmadly.
The inn door slammed open. Árdís caught a dizzying array of chairs and tables, and heard the screech of timber as a chair scrapedback.
"Here, now," someone called. "What are you doing with thelady?"
"Theladyis my wife," Haakon said. "And we are about to have a privatediscussion."
"He's kidnapping me!" Árdís yelled, slamming her fist on his backside. "You stupid, big oaf. Let medown."
