Page 25 of The Time Of Queens

“No, my Lord.”

“No… is that all the information I am to receive?” he asked, taken aback.

“I am not that interesting, my Lord,” I replied, turning back to the horse. He took a step closer and whispered,

“Oh, I doubt that, for one, I know of the secret you hold in your pocket.”

I gasped. Especially when I felt his hand dip in, and I held my breath, only letting it out again when he brought his palm to the front of me. His fingers unfolded to reveal the sugar cubes I had hidden in that pocket also. The letter was still one secret I possessed.

I released my held breath. One he quickly stole again the moment he stepped into me. Doing so now so as to bring his hand towards the horse from behind me. A strategic move on his part that ended up trapping me between the stall door and his chest. His muscles I could easily feel were like a wall of strength behind me.

“But do not fear, for it can be our little secret,”he told me, and I swear I was close to self-combusting, as I was sure he was trying to kill me with lust.

Oh, how badly I wanted for him to turn me around and hike up my skirt so he could lift my arse up high enough to wrap my legs around him. Which was why I didn’t dare move, for fear of reacting the way I craved. To throw my arms around him and beg him to make love to me. Because like this, I lost all good sense. I lost all the reasons why I didn’t let him know who I was to him. I lost all good reason to why I was trying to leave him. Plan A, plan B, and plan Z were all a distant memory.

And all because I loved this man, no matter the year.

“Relax, Miss Williams, and have no fear, for I have not forgotten how to be a gentleman,” he told me, making me slip up.

“I wish…” I stopped myself just in time, and he rumbled behind me, before asking softly,

“What is it you wish for…”

“…Tell me, my Keira.”

10

RIDING TEMPTATION

“What is it you wish for… tell me, my Keira.”

Oh Gods, just the sound of my name coming from his lips was enough to have me closing my eyes tightly. My only solace was knowing that he couldn’t see the pain in my expression. As this was pure torture. So, after swallowing hard, I told him,

“I… I wish to know of your horse, my Lord.”

I felt his sigh as his chest exhaled, and I wondered if it was in frustration seeing as we both knew this wasn’t what I wanted. He stepped back and looked towards the next stall, one that held a horse that was far bigger than the one we now faced.

“His name is Samson, he is a black shire, and quite unruly at that.”

I couldn’t help but grin, wishing I was free to tease him about how it was a match made in Hell. But this wasn’t the Draven of my time, so I held back the impulse.

“Ah, then he must have beautiful uncut hair, for he sounds quite strong,” I replied without thinking. At this Draven turned to lean against the door, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded me.

“And pray tell, how would a lady’s maid know of such fables?” he asked, clearly intrigued. So, I quickly thought of a reason that would make sense, telling him,

“It is a biblical story, is it not, my Lord?”

“Ah, someone who listens intently to sermons then?” he surmised, making me laugh before admitting,

“Not that intently, no. But he was named after the famed warrior, was he not?”

“He was, for he is a force to be reckoned with,” Draven replied, and this time I couldn’t help my response.

“Like his owner then,” I teased, making him smirk down at me. Then he placed a hand to his chest and said,

“You wound me, Miss Williams, for I would wager you believe me to be a brute.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

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