Free Hatshepsut's Collar (The Artifact Hunters #2) by A.W. Exley Page A

both emotions on his face in the same manner. “Poe?”
    He nodded and continued his hushed conversation. “The queen is sharp. Don’t let her appearance fool you. Don’t admit anything, but see what you can extract. There will be a price for my release.”
    She gave a snort. “I can’t admit anything. I know nothing. You don’t trust me.”
    He ran his hands up to her shoulders, locking his gaze with hers. “Don’t ever think that. I trust you with my life, but in return, you’ll have to trust me in this.”
    Cara pulled away from him and backed up against the cold wall, her eyes wide. “Trust you? God, Nate, I love, but I don’t even know you,” she cried. “I’ve been so foolish.” She waved an arm at the small tower room. “This isn’t even a surprise to you. What else are you hiding from me?”
    Silence stretched between them and she swallowed a sob of despair. She held up her left hand and pointed to the ornate wedding band. “This does not mean anything, except I’m not ready to die yet.”
    Pain flared behind his eyes before disappearing.
    She grabbed hold of her anger and wrapped steel resolve around her, needing the armour to continue. “If I do this for you, in return, you must do three things for me.”
    Interest sparked behind his eyes. “And what exactly are your demands?”
    She drew a deep breath. “When this is over, if I don’t want to be your viscountess, you are to give me a divorce.”
    “No.” His eyes darkened. “I’m not letting you go. That is not up for negotiation.”
    “Yes, you will. You have to let me free. You can’t trade me like oxen.”
    He crossed his arms over his chest. “You are bound to me by the artifact.”
    She heaved a sigh and dropped her gaze, unable to meet his eyes. “Even a diamond can be broken, Nate, if you put it under enough pressure.”
And I’m close to shattering on the inside.
    “Next.” He moved her along, unwilling to discuss the prospect of losing her. Pain radiated through the bond, coming from both of them.
    “I want full disclosure of everything.”
    The mask dropped over his face and locked in place. Only the tightness in his jaw revealed just how much she asked of him. “Are you sure?”
    “I’ll not be treated as a dumb chattel. I can make my own decisions. You either trust me implicitly, or you don’t.”
    He searched her face for a long moment. She suspected the magnitude of her request, but she had to know. He gave an almost imperceptible flick of agreement with his eyes. “And the third thing?”
    “I want the most romantic marriage proposal that a woman has ever turned down.”
    “You want me to propose, but you’re telling me upfront that you intend to refuse me?” His eyes narrowed.
    “Yes. My answer will be a big, fat no.”
    A lazy smile crossed his face. “Why would I bother to propose then? Plus we’re already married, so it would be pointless.”
    “You bought me. You never asked; you simply stole my choice.” She injected all the pain at his deceit into her words. “You owe me a proposal. Call it a lesson in futility.”
    His smile disappeared.
    A knock sounded on the solid door. “Five minutes,” the guard called from the other side.
    “All right. And I assume if it’s good enough to change your mind, I can negate your first demand?”
    She hadn’t entertained that idea, but she couldn’t see him changing her mind, the betrayal so deep and raw. “You can try.”
    “Have you quite finished now?” he asked with a lifted brow.
    “Not quite.” She reached into the small pouch and retrieved the mate to her ring, and held it out to him.
    Nate slid it onto his finger.
    She nodded, satisfied she had been heard. “Now I’ve finished, why?”
    “Because I want to kiss my wife.” He drew her back into his embrace, bent his head and then his lips slid over hers in a soft friction.
    She nipped at his bottom lip to remind him he was not yet forgiven, before his tongue enticed hers into a slow