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Eleri’s heart pounded violently as she approached the castle stairs with her intended at her side. She was unable to form the words to halt Sir Guy as he mounted the stairs ahead of them with long, easy strides. Although she had seen him many times riding through the village on his black stallion— his lips curled in scorn, flattened in indifference, or compressed in the flash of cold fury visible before a blow— she had never spoken to him before. Sometimes, he appeared in her nightmares, grabbing her roughly by the wrists and forcing her mouth open, his knife poised above her tongue. She pitied Lady Marian for Guy’s preference. No matter how much veneration he showed during courtship, Eleri was certain that any woman desired by Guy was destined to become a mere trophy or toy. A castle guard barked at Guy’s retreating back, “These two wanted to see you, sir.” He turned with evident irritation. “What do you want?” With effort, Eleri forced herself to meet his caustic glare. “We seek your blessing and permission to marry, my lord.” Guy’s lips twisted into a characteristic smirk as his eyes swept Eleri from head to foot. “Come closer. Just you,” he added as her intended stepped forward alongside her. Determined to conceal her fear, Eleri advanced alone. Although she was considered tall, Guy towered over her. At close range, his leather-clad bulk took the air out of her lungs like a punch. His keen eyes surveyed her beneath incongruously long lashes while a smirk continued to play around the edges of his mouth. “Have you ever heard of droit du seigneur?” “No, my lord.” “It’s customary for the lord of the manor to have the first… ah, dance with a new bride,” he said, sliding a gloved hand down her spine and gazing at her so intently that it was impossible to mistake his meaning. A painful blush spread from her chest to the roots of her hair. “I’d rather die,” she said with quiet vehemence. “Really? The Sheriff will be delighted. He wants more hangings.” Guy turned away, but his eyes followed her expectantly. Eleri choked out, “Stop.” “I thought so.” Without looking away from her, he called down to her intended, “You wait there.” The expansion of his voice had the same effect on her as his physical proximity. Just give up, she thought, and an overmastering chill ran through her. Like a sleepwalker, she followed Guy into the castle. They did not speak, but she could hear him breathing as they hastened toward a room on the second floor. It was a nondescript chamber with assorted tables and chairs and a large casement window. He locked the door behind them, and the click echoed horribly in her head. “I have a necklace that’s of some value,” she said, fingering the silver chain. “Perhaps you might consider…” He let out a low laugh. “You will take off everything except the necklace.” With desperate rage in her eyes, she pulled off the gold tunic that she had donned so hopefully that morning and unlaced her corset. It was mere moments before she was standing naked before him, willing herself not to cower or fruitlessly cover herself. She tilted her chin up and stared him down, wanting him to feel her hatred. He stepped forward and— before she could prepare herself— grabbed the intricate coil of braids at the nape of her neck and pulled it down so that her head tilted up farther. She gasped, and he mercilessly jerked the handful of braids down harder and pressed his lips against hers. It was a kiss unlike any she had experienced. She had received many sweet, tender kisses from her intended, his lips brushing softly against hers. But this— this kiss was different. Guy pressed his tongue between her lips and held her as though he were slaking a long-suffered thirst. She remained resolutely immobile, refusing to move her lips against his. She felt an unwonted heat surge down her body, but she stood as though carved from marble. When it became clear she would not be moved, Guy released his hold and turned away. “Enough. You bore me,” he spat, although she couldn’t help but notice that he was breathing hard. “Get out of my sight.” Eleri remained rooted to the spot, her eyes following him warily. “Get out!” Guy shouted, and the timbre of his voice flared through her in another wave of heat. “Was it not enough that I allowed you to have me? You wanted me to perform for you?” The taunt escaped her lips before she could stop to think. Guy surged toward her and laid a gloved hand across her neck. At the look of fear in her eyes, his hand softened. A twinge of shame crossed his features so quickly she wasn’t sure she had seen it. “You’re lucky I’m feeling generous,” he said, his open hand hovering in front of her throat. “I’ll give you a simple choice: stay or go.” She told her limbs to move but they would not. A merciful escape unfolded in her mind, and she cursed her paralysis. His eyes bored into her. Such strange hypnotism. And then they both moved at the same time. He bent toward her and she tilted her face up to meet him. It was insanity, but she felt herself smiling against his lips. He groaned as her lips fell open, and his hand cradled the back of her neck with surprising gentleness as he deepened the kiss. She felt herself rearranged into one long, boneless wave of sensation as she melted against his chest— kindled, yet childlike beside him. His eyelashes brushed her cheek as he trailed kisses along her jawbone. When their eyes met, she was shocked to see shadings of tenderness and playfulness there alongside the masterful determination that transfixed her. He held her around her rib cage, just below her breasts, as though his hands were listening to the blood rushing beneath her skin. His thumbs stroked over the peaks of her breasts, and her nipples hardened. He removed his right glove with his teeth and pinched her nipple between his thumb and index finger. An “oh” escaped her mouth as her head dipped back despite herself. Without warning, he ducked his head to slide his tongue over the sensitized nipple, and she felt her knees buckling. He caught her and laid her on a nearby sofa as though she weighed no more than a doll. Kneeling beside her, he continued his attention to her breasts, flicking his tongue softly over the peak of her nipple before taking the entire nipple in his teeth. She cried out and arched upward, tangling her fingers in his long black hair and pressing his head down. He settled into a fast rhythm, pulsing his tongue against her nipple, and she realized that the tension was about to break loose inside her without a single touch between her legs. Her orgasm burst from her in shock as she jerked up into his mouth. He laughed and licked a long stroke up her neck before kissing her ravenously. When he straightened up, she could see his erection tenting the leather. He unbuckled his belt and tossed it to the floor before pulling down his pants. Her jaw dropped as she saw the length of him between the thick lines of his muscular thighs. He was poised above her in a moment, his darkened eyes urgent. “Tell me you want this.” She looked back breathlessly. “I said," he pressed her neck again lightly, "tell me you want this.” “Yes,” she said, complying but flushing with a renewal of anger. As he slid inside her, she tried to shut out the pleasure. “I hate you,” she said through gritted teeth. He cupped her face, holding her head in place. “Do you?” There was that smirk again. “I wonder who’s performing now. You’re going to come for me again whether you like it or not.” Filled with a strange, shuddering rage, she slapped him across the face. He grabbed her wrists and fucked her faster. His pelvic bones hit hers hard enough to leave bruises. His breath ragged, he slowed again but cruelly paused after each stroke to grind against her clit in a way that she could not prevent her body from responding to. Each involuntary twitch brought another smirk to his face. Suddenly, he flipped her over and began fucking her from behind. The pressure against the back of her vaginal wall made her lose all sense of time and place. She was ecstatically disappearing and only Guy was real. His breath was against her neck, his voice was in her ear, his unseen eyes floated in her vision. He filled her in every sense. She murmured, “I surrender to you.” He turned her chin to the side to kiss her. She allowed herself to feel it, and inexplicable tears rose to her eyes. He quickened his rhythm. As she passed the point of no return, clenching around his cock, the door sprang open and her intended stood aghast before them. The sight of him could not stop her. Perhaps it wickedly augmented her pleasure, because she had the longest, loudest orgasm of her life. Her vision went white as her body stilled and Guy kept fucking her through it. By the time her intended unfroze, Guy was already on his feet again. He dwarfed the second man so completely that the latter did not even try to throw a punch. Instead, he turned on his heel and left. Guy looked back at Eleri, who was scrambling to gather her discarded clothing. He bent to whisper into her ear, “You’re mine.” She let her body go limp again, and he gathered her into his chest. “You’re mine.” His eyes found hers and she melted into his kiss.