Free Lost Princess by Sandy Holden

slowly back into the bed with my husband, more bemused than ever.
     

Chapter Seven
    The next morning I woke early, the sun not yet touching the horizon. I moved and realized that the pain in my behind had mostly gone now. I looked at Max as I thought about what had happened here last night. He’d said he wanted to punish me. Was that because I’d made him mad, or had he felt that odd sort of pleasure that I’d felt during the punishment? I’d felt like I’d given him something almost like a gift. And what did it say about me that I—while not exactly enjoying what he did—felt somehow like it had made what happened afterward, our coupling, more intense?
    Max was proving to be more of a mystery to me than I’d ever thought he’d be. I’d thought he would be like I’d always seen him—remote and angry and heartless. I had thought he would come to me and impregnate me in the dark in a painful embarrassing way, and then would leave me alone until the next time he needed to do it again. Maybe it was because of my unusual upbringing that I hadn’t known that there was a whole lot more to being a man’s wife than that.
    I thought about how he would wake and his eyes would fall upon me. I began to blush as I thought he might just ask me what in the world was wrong with me that I had been so very hungry for him immediately after he’d beat me. I could understand, a little, the satisfaction of getting revenge on someone who had wronged you, but to be pleased to any degree about receiving that revenge seemed suspect behavior in the extreme.
    I just couldn’t sit here and wait for him to wake another minute. I quietly crawled from the bed and wrapped a shawl around me and went to a favorite place of mine, a window not far from the room Callista and I had shared. It had a wide ledge and I sat there, huddled in my shawl, and watched the sun rise. I waited there until I judged it time to wash and headed down, my mind turned inward.
    I barely noticed those around me, and only partially noted the giggles near by. I washed quickly, dressed and went down to breakfast, trying not to quiver at the thought of seeing Max again.
    Max had not yet arrived, and I went to sit where we’d sat the night before, waiting. He arrived within minutes and came directly over to me with his long stride. “I wake and find you gone. You will not do such again.” Several ladies of the castle were nearby and heard him. They looked at me and their heads went together as they enjoyed my shame.
    “I’m sorry, my lord,” I said quietly. “I couldn’t sleep.“Max didn’t answer but sat down, the food immediately being served. I concentrated on my food, and Max gave me several long looks that I caught through the corner of my eye. Devlin finally arrived, and Max turned to him with a scowl. “You’re late.”
    Devlin laughed and took a piece of bread from Max’s plate. “I am indeed, brother. Were you so famished that you couldn’t wait for me?”
    Max snorted and said, “Today we go to Macking. I have something there I must do.“Devlin gave an agreeable nod. “And you want my company? I suppose I should feel honored that you have not cast me aside now that you have a much more palatable choice.” He waved the bread towards me.
    Max gave me a sidelong glance. “I doubt she would find riding comfortable today.“I looked down at my plate and blushed.
    Devlin looked over at me then back at his brother. “Well, your wife liked you for one day, at least.” His voice was light.
    Max said in a flat voice. “Having my wife like me is not of any importance to me.“I bit my lip, refusing to look up as those cruel words crashed over me. What had I expected? I chided myself. Words of undying love?
    Devlin said in a low voice perhaps not meant for my ears, “Max, you are sometimes a damned fool.” His voice was taut with anger.
    Max looked up from his plate, honest surprise on his attractive face. “A fool? Because I care not what she