Page 21 of Forbidden Desire

“How dare you!” Her palms crashed into my back, rage radiated from her in waves. “Put me down!”

Holding onto her backside to steady her, I bit back my laughter.

“No, Elodie.” I patted her enticing rump. “We shall travel much faster this way, but to answer your question, our women are much less curious.”

“Let. Me. Down!” Her hands thundered on my back, though the strikes were barely irritating and did little to slow my pace. “You’re nothing but a brute!”

My lips twitched, though I resisted the urge to tell her the truth—how I had been more than patient with her procrastination, and how imperative it was we get to the village—an odd sense of satisfaction filled me as I strode on with her tipped over my shoulder.

“Jeemie!” She heaved in a breath. “Stop this, please. I can walk.”

“Not quickly enough.”

I was enjoying myself, cutting through the long grass as I marched back to my brother. For so long, it had been he who had wooed the prettiest women, he who had focused on such folly in the name of procreation. Although I had purposefully never permitted myself to be drawn into the fray and couldn’t risk unrequited affection beyond the occasional romp, I had to admit, it was fun to hoist her over my shoulder and strangely compelling to know I had total control over her delicate form.

“Please,” she implored. “Put me down, and I’ll show you. I’ll be faster.”

Glancing at her, I caught sight of her delicious backside, my palm grazing over its pert orbs.

“If I let you down now, you will surely run.” I blew out a breath theatrically.

“I won’t,” she insisted from behind me. “I came for Desiree, remember? I won’t run, and I won’t leave without her.”

I hesitated, momentarily swayed by her response.

“Your sister won’t be leaving.”

“Wh-What makes you say that?”

Once again, I smiled at the bizarre conversation. I had never interacted with a female this way but was forced to confess, I liked it. I relished her sweet scent close to my nostrils and reveled in the feel of her squirming body. The truth was, I would have been happy to have kept Elodie close to me, to feel her body writhing at my command. I sought to indulge the intimacy. My palm inched to her delightful bottom again, enjoying the shape and size of each cheek.

“She is our mathair.” Lifting my chin, my feet increased their pace. We would make the village much faster now I was in control of our velocity.

“What does that mean?” Her voice was strained as she struggled with her new position. She had apparently given up fighting and was set on engaging me in conversation.

“It means she is mistress of the village.”

“Desiree?” Elodie panted over me. “She only came here for a few days away with Charlie. I... I don’t understand.”

“Your sister got a lot more than she bargained for when she came here.” The breeze collected my laughter and sent it through the trees. Tightening my grip at her thighs, I bit back on the final clause that threatened to rise.

And now, so have you.

Chapter Eleven

Elodie

PANIC SWIRLED IN MY brain, fighting with the blood that rushed there as the brute carried me. What the hell was happening, and how could anyone think this was an acceptable way to behave?

Still, my protests had achieved nothing except his vice-like grip of my thighs and the dull certainty there was little I could do to make him put me down. The best thing I could do was to appease him and lull him into a false sense of security, but it wasn’t easy when the momentum of each step made me giddy.

“Jeemie!” I pulled in a breath, fighting for any sort of composure. “Stop this, please. I can walk.”

“Not quickly enough.” His tone was annoying gleeful, as though he liked having control over my actions. My brows knitted at the idea. I’d never met a man so huge, strong, and irritating.

“Please.” It pained me to have to beg, but I wasn’t a fool. There was no way I would get free of his grasp without some effort on his part. “Put me down, and I’ll show you. I’ll be faster.” Silence whipped around me as he strode on.

“If I let you down now, you’ll surely just run.” He sighed dramatically.

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