Page 15 of Storm of Desire
Haakon's face sharpened, and he took her wrist. "What's itdoing?"
The urge to speak burned over hertongue.
She couldn't continue to fightit.
Herdrekilashed within her, the runes branding deep into her soul. Waves of pain prickled over her skin, and Árdís bit herlip.
"Show me what you're hiding," he demanded again. "You owe methat."
The urge to open her hand drove up through her body like a fist. Árdís fought against the demand, but it bled through her veins until she felt like she was on fire. One finger pried open. Then another. Until finally her palm lay splayed, her wedding ring revealed in all itsglory.
The magic finally let go of her, and Árdís panted, her entire body trembling. She didn't dare look at him. Instead she closed her eyes, feeling the roughened exhale of his breath on herdécolletage.
"Your wedding ring," hebreathed.
For a second it was all she could do not to reach up and touch him. Seven years vanished in the blink of an eye as Haakon's breath washed over her sensitive throat. Árdís's breasts swelled against her bodice, and she turned her face away, breathing hard. All she'd ever wanted was to fall into his arms. Suddenly she was clinging to the ring, as if it could grant her some sense of sanity in this passion-fueled moment. Every inch of her weak body screamed at her to touch him. Just one more kiss. One moretaste.
One lasttouch....
Remember why you lefthim.
Do you want his death upon yourhands?
"Get off me," she managed to whisper, pushing at hischest.
"What?" Tension radiated through hisbody.
"I said," she growled, looking up into his eyes, "get off me. I gave you what youwanted."
His large hand curved around hers and his eyes narrowed with tight focus, the hard line of his jaw firming. A thousand emotions danced through those icy gray eyes, and she felt them all, twisting her into knots inside.Please don't. She only had so much strength left withinher.
Árdís didn't think he was going to obey, but then his expression settled into a hard mask, and he released her. "As youwish."
Haakon rose away from the bed as smoothly as a cat, turning toward the table in the corner. Árdís managed to take a quivering breath, but her dress still felt far too tight. What had almost happened? Cold fear made her lips tingle. She couldn't afford to give in to her lust and the temptation to touch him. There weredrekiin this town, presumably hunting for her, and none of her reasons for leaving him hadchanged.
But it was toolate.
He'd seen her greatest secret. He had to bewondering.
He poured himself a wine, his head bowed and his shoulders stiff. Árdís licked her lips, pushing herself to the edge of the bed. Haakon's temper had always matched hers, and they'd once had numerous shouting matches that ended exactly where she was sitting... but she was more wary of this cold quietness he nowowned.
It felt like a leviathan swimming beneath the depths of a stillsea.
A predator just waiting for her to relax before it swallowed herwhole.
"Are you going to say something?" shewhispered.
"Would you like to explain to me why you still have your wedding ring?" Still looking away from her, he lifted the goblet of wine to hislips.
"A keepsake," she admitted, for she couldn't entirely avoid thetruth.
"A keepsake." His head bowed as he whispered the words, and his fingers trembled on the cup. "I want it back. That ring doesn't belong to you. It was mygrandmother's."
The ring pressed into her flesh as she gripped it tightly. "And yougaveit tome."
"I want it back," he snarled. "It was a gift, and you discarded it the second you threw meaway."
I didn't— She bit down on the words and pushed to her feet. "No," she said, unable to conjure a single reason why she shouldn't give it back. Herdrekilashed withinher.
