Page 54 of Sword of Desire
When he went to feed it to her, she leaned back. “What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to feed my lovely wife,” he said, a smile plastered on his face.
Not once had he ever cared for her well-being or called her lovely. While she knew his words and actions weren’t authentic, she had no idea why. There was no one around to see him. Her attention drifted to the door. Maybe he expected someone of importance to arrive at any minute, so he was on his best behavior, pretending to be someone he wasn’t.
“Here,” he said, regaining her attention.
She plucked the apple from his fingers, feeding it to herself. Then she quickly drank her tea and devoured the biscuit. Her head started to clear, and her strength began to return; she felt immensely better and could think clearly.
With one hand still on her back, Lyle lifted his free hand and cupped her cheek. Harley held still, not knowing what he intended to do. He could just as easily snap her neck as he could kiss her. He ran his thumb over her lips.
It took every ounce of Harley’s strength to refrain from biting his thumb off. She glanced at the doorway again, not seeing anyone. She had no idea why he insisted putting on this sham of a show—especially with no one watching.
“Focus on me,” he snapped, his voice low and demanding.
She did as he said, uncomfortable with how close he sat next to her. His breath assaulted her face, making her want to gag. He leaned in, his lips brushing hers. The gentleness of it surprised her. But she knew better and wouldn’t be fooled by a false gesture. Lyle was anything but gentle. Harley tensed, waiting for him to say or do something to chip away at her.
Lyle carefully bit her bottom lip, holding her in place with just his teeth, while his cold eyes locked onto hers making her scared to move or even breathe. A cruel smile slid across his face, and he released her lip. “I’m going to kiss your neck. Then you will slowly remove my shirt. Pretend like you’re enjoying yourself.” Mischief gleamed in his eyes as he leaned forward and kissed just below her right ear.
Not once had he ever kissed her like this before. She knew he didn’t do it for her benefit but rather for some other purpose, as if someone was watching. Although she didn’t fully grasp the game Lyle played, she refused to be a pawn he could control.
“Your turn,” he whispered, his hands moving to her waist, half pinching her.
“This isn’t our bedchamber,” she chided him. “We’re in the library, and anyone can walk right in.” She would not remove his clothing and do as he said, especially when she didn’t know why he wanted her to behave so scandalously.
“We’re alone,” he ground out, his voice laced with irritation.
“We may be alone, but I am now the queen of Melenia.” She spoke with conviction. “I will not behave so untoward in a public setting. If you wish to have relations with me, it will be in our bedchamber as custom dictates.”
He pinched her side, hard. “If that’s the way you want to behave, so be it. For not cooperating, your mother will lose a finger.”
Tears filled her eyes, but she had to hold them in so Lyle wouldn’t know he’d gotten to her. Someone cleared his throat from the doorway. Harley glanced over to see a soldier hovering there.
“Your Majesties.” The soldier bowed, then looked at Lyle. “He didn’t come down this corridor as you’d hoped.”
Lyle released her and abruptly stood. “Then this was a total waste of time. Escort my wife back to her room.” He strode from the library without a backward glance.
It felt as if a gust of wind had blown through the library, erasing all the tension that had been there.
“Let’s go, Your Majesty,” the soldier said to her.
Even though she outranked him, she decided to listen to him. Not only did she want to create sympathy so others might come to her aid, but she didn’t want Lyle to harm her mother on her account. She had a plan and needed to stick to it. Standing, she plucked the apple off the tray, devouring it as she followed the soldier back to the empty room she was being temporarily kept in.
* * *
“Harley,” a deep voice crooned. “Wake up.”
Lying on the hard floor, Harley rolled onto her side and opened her eyes, unable to see anyone in the pitch-black room.
“There are a few things I must know.”
She immediately tensed, recognizing Lyle’s voice. In the darkness, she couldn’t see him, but she could feel him mere inches in front of her. If he had a knife pointed her way, she wouldn’t know until she felt the tip pressed into her. She blinked, wishing she could see him. Her heart pounded, and a dull ringing sounded in her ears as fear flooded into every inch of her body.
“Love has never been a part of our marriage,” he said, his voice a soft whisper laced with the lethalness of a slithering snake.
Harley shivered. “No, it hasn’t.” She wondered where he was going with this and what he intended to do with her. In all her careful planning, she hadn’t accounted for him sneaking in and striking her dead. She figured she had at least a week until he killed her.
“You have always been a means to an end.”
