Free Courting Kel by Dee Brice Page B

My shaft shrivels at the thought of
what might happen to it .” His droll expression warned her he was
teasing. “Besides, the tub is outside.”
    Glaring, she said, “Why? If this house is so much like your
palace—?”
    “It is a hot spring. It bubbles and soothes aches and pains.
And loosens glop-covered clothes.”
    “Then let it soothe and loosen your stuck garments.”
    Grinning wickedly, he reached for her vest. She slapped away
his hands.
    “Stubborn woman. The single problem with riding a pegagryph
is the wind and spittle glues your clothing to your skin. The only way to get
it off—without ruining the material—is to peel it off. Slowly and gently.”
    “I don’t believe you.”
    Shrugging, he tugged at his own vest. “Try it yourself.”
    She tugged, managing to free a tiny corner of her neckline.
Tugged again. “Ouch! Bespelled! You’ve cast a spell upon it,” she said, glaring
at him.
    “Haven’t. Believe me, Flame, had I cast any spell, you’d be
naked in my arms. Panting. Begging me to fuck you. You’d be on the bed and I’d
be fucking you. Feasting on you. Loving you.”
    Her cheeks burned, the images aroused her so. “What can
I—can we do?”
    Grasping her hand, he pulled her in his wake. “I hope we can
free it by sopping water over our skins.”
    “You must know. This isn’t your first visit here. You must
have faced this before! Ow! Ow! Owwww!” Gravel bit into her feet as she ran
with Aren.
    “Yes, I’ve been here before, but you’re the first woman I’ve
brought with me. Not that clothes sticking happens only when women are around.
Not that I’ve brought—”
    “Guanshit! When you left me at your palace, I watched the
vidscreens. When they were together the princesses constantly compared you to
their current lovers. They always—always!—fell short. And how would they know
if they’d never been on Ondrican? Been with you?”
    Irrational, Kel! Well yes. If he’d meant to bring her
here as his wife but had brought other women as well, that meant…what? That
this isn’t a special place to him? That I’m not special?
    “They have sisters!” he shouted, seeming to have no
compunction about sharing that information. Scooping Kel into his arms, he
leaped into the spring.
    Kel tugged at her vest, surprised by the lessening pressure
on her skin. Aren submerged in the pleasantly warm waters, bobbed up and down a
few times before peeling the leather from his chest. His skin looked red. Felt
hot when she laid her hands over his burning pecs.
    “By all the gods!” she cried, now pulling at his skintight
pants. “If your pegagryph has harmed you, Aren, I’ll slit his throat.”
    Goddess, I’m behaving like an idiot! I am an idiot!
Either escape or accept him as my husband. This dithering has to stop before I
go out of my mind.
    “It is not Peg’s doing,” Aren panted, helping Kel slide his
pants down his legs. Kicking them off, he peeled her pants over her hips and
down her thighs until he freed her completely. “Blame the wind,” he murmured in
her ear, laving it until she giggled and shoved him away. Now free, her vest
floated away.
    “Blackguard! It’s all a game to you.” She gulped down tears
of pain and sorrow. Staring over his shoulder toward the darkening trees, she
looked all around them—anywhere but at him. She refused to let him see how his playing
her for a fool cut her. If he is playing me! Which if she thought about
it…
    Not that having him care for her mattered. She didn’t even
like him although she craved his cock. And everything else he did to her body.
But craving—lusting—wasn’t caring. Besides, caring robbed a warrior of her
senses. Left her open to stupidity and recklessness.
    “It is not a game, Kel.” Drawing her to him until she
nestled against his chest, he said, “I’ve never ridden the winds with any woman
save you. I’ve never brought another woman here.”
    “Woman? Perhaps not. But you brought another female here.
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