Free Forced Handfasting by Rebecca Lorino Pond Page A

Hesitantly, she took a small bite and chewed. The veggie was good, and hot, and reminded her of broccoli. She hurriedly took another bite before diving back in for a fork full of the green stems. Next to the veggie was a round slab of yellow meat that was unidentifiable. The meat she was very leery of and wasn’t quite sure she wanted to taste it.
    Against her better judgment, she cut off a tiny piece of meat then smelled it. It wasn’t a smell she was familiar with, and nearly put the bite back on the tray, but her hungry stomach prevented her from doing so.
    “What the hell,” she said then stuck a fork in her mouth. She chewed on the bite for a few seconds. “I don’t know what this stuff is but it is damn good!” She no longer hesitated with any of the food on the plate, and hastily ate it all. She wiped her mouth with the provided napkin then leaned back on the sofa, and closed her eyes. “I’m stuffed.”
    Her stomach for the first time since she arrived in Puerto Rico was now full. She was surprised her stomach could even hold as much as she just ate since she had gone so long without enough food to be satisfied.
    She glanced out the huge picture window and found that night had completely fallen around the house on the mountain. She didn’t have a clue to what time it was, but all she knew was that she was dog tired, and wanted to sleep for days. With her belly nice, and full, her eyelids started to grow heavy.
    “I’ll just take a short nap,” she said out loud as she reached for a blue blanket that was sitting on the back of the sofa. She scooted to the end of the sofa until she could rest her head on the plush handle then spread a blanket out over her. “I’ll figure out what I need to do later.”
    Her eyes closed, and her body released all of its tension as she drifted off to sleep. She didn’t even hear the door open then shut again hours later when Jahan finally returned to find her asleep on the sofa.
    Sam’s next conscious thought was that of someone lying pressed up against her back. She was nice, and warm, and didn’t want to move, but as soon as her thoughts came flooding back, she jerked to a sitting position.
    “What the hell?” she shouted at the sleeping man next to her.
    She waited for Jahan to fully awaken before she questioned him. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes to clear out the sleep. It was sexy as all hell to watch him, but she wanted answers, and she wanted them now.
    “How the hell did I get in the bed with you?” She pushed his knee off her leg.
    “How do you think?” Jahan’s voice was thick with sleep, but his eyes twinkled at her as he spoke.
    She didn’t want to answer his question, so she looked away, and folded her arms across her breasts. The man had the nerve to move her into his bed with her permission!
    “Well? Are you going to answer me, my little wife?”
    Her head snapped back to him. “Don’t call me that!”
    “Why ever not? That’s what you are, my wife.” He reached out to caress the skin on the back of her arm.
    “Don’t touch me either!” She scooted to the side and hoped he didn’t try to touch her again. As she watched him, she saw his eyes darken with lust. The little sparks of fire she had felt last night when he kissed were back, and it was making her very uncomfortable.
    Jahan threw his head back and laughed at her. “Ah, my little human, you amuse me. I have every right to touch you if I choose to do so, but I did promise to give you a few days to adjust. After that, I will assert my husbandry rights.”
    “Husbandry rights! You don’t have any! You forced me into that Handfasting, and you know that!” Her anger was rising, and she figured she had better get off the bed before she said something stupid.
    Her legs slipped over the side of the bed, but before her bare feet could touch the floor, she found herself on her back underneath her husband. She realized as soon as she looked Jahan in the face that she had