Page 21 of Grounded By Love
Robert slid his sword back into its scabbard, and then offered his hand down to her, and he swung her up before him on the horse.
Robert wanted to stay and lie in wait for the rock giant to return from hunting, but then he remembered the way the rock giant had rampaged through the town to take Claira, and he decided it might not be such a wise idea.
Instead, he would take Claira back to the village where she would then have to wed him. She would have no choice. The mayor would only accept her back if she married him.
He smiled, as he felt her body riding in front of his. He could imagine her in his bed. The things he would do to her. She didn’t know how long he’d thought about this moment. Finally, he was seeing his dream come true. She would be his for the rest of time!
He stifled a groan. Robert wasn't sure he could wait until they got to the village to have her. How many years had he craved her? She’d always given him a stiff shoulder, but now she had no choice. It was death or marriage for her.
“I would’ve remained at the camp to fight the rock giant, but I didn’t want to risk your life. I mean, after all, you were the reason I came all the way out here. To put your life in danger again would’ve been foolish.”
When Claira said nothing, he knew she must be in awe of him. Any man who was willing to go up against a rock giant on her behalf must be quite the specimen. His chest puffed out a little more, as his ego soared among the clouds.
Claira stopped herself from snorting at the ridiculousness of his statement. She knew he wouldn't be pleased, if she doubted his ability to take on the rock giant. He might even turn around just to prove he could, and Claira didn’t want that.
So she tried her best to make conversation with him, while trying not to piss him off as well. Which was easier said than done. His ego was bigger than she had ever guessed.
As mid-day hit, Robert stopped the horse for a break, since Claira couldn’t stop complaining about a sore butt.
Claira sighed with relief, the moment her feet touched solid ground. She needed to stretch her legs. Riding a horse day after day was not something she found fantastic. Her butt and back ached from it all.
As she walked away to get some much needed space, Robert’s fingers wrapped around her arm in a bruising grip. He whipped her around and brought her against his chest. The air rushed out of her lungs, as she smashed into his chest.
With a hand wrapped around her arm, and his other hand wrapped around the base of her skull Claira was stuck in place, as his head came descending down. Their lips met and bile rose up in Claira's throat. Robert groaned, as he tried to work his tongue past her tightly clamped lips.
He broke away. “Open those delicious lips of yours. There’s no one around.”
It was her chance, she tried to knee him, but she missed as Robert dodged. He kept a firm grip on her arm.
“Stop, Robert!” She yelled at him, trying to get some sense back into his head, but he clearly wasn't going to take no for an answer.
He stepped towards her, so Claira backed away. Reaching out a hand he clasped the front of her shirt, trying to yank her back towards him. All he managed to do was rip the front of her shirt, exposing the top of her breasts to his greedy view.
His eyes dive-bombed to her chest. A chest that was breathing so quickly it was bobbing her breasts a little. Although her chest hadn’t been completely bared to him, she felt fully exposed.
Robert smirked, and she felt some more bile build up in the back of her throat. He was letting his passion blur his reasoning. There was no way she would lay with him, after everything he’d done and was planning on doing to her.
“Did he touch you?” Robert asked as he kept openly ogling her breasts.
Her eyes widened at the question. “The rock giant?” She asked dumbly.
“Yes, the rock giant!” Robert barked, and she cringed at this strange side she’d never seen before.
“No!”
Kaeldar had kept his hands to himself, so far, unlike Robert. She folded her arms in front of her breasts, hiding them from Robert's gaze and trying to take up a defensive position. She hoped hiding them from his hungry gaze would return him to the man she used to know. Even if he hadn’t been her type, he had been sweet, or so she’d thought.
“Good, then you have yet to be ruined.”
“Ruined?” A spark of indignation flew through her.
“I wouldn’t want the seconds of a rock giant.”
Claira’s lips turned down in a frown. “The rock giant may not have touched me, but I can assure you that I have been with a man before.”
She could see the comment had fired him up, as his eyes bugged a bit, but then he waved it away. “As long as the giant didn’t touch you, I can forget the other men in your past. You will need to marry me and give up any hope of ever healing again.”
“Your wife?” Claira shook her head, as she took a couple more steps away from Robert. “I can't marry you! You can’t force something like that.”
