Page 143 of The Ruler
Pearl gave up.
“Hey, did you just roll your eyes at me?” I asked and laughed. “What happened to your politeness and acting with poise and grace?”
“I married you and it all went out the window,” Pearl said with a sigh.
“What window, this window?” I pointed to the drone.
“Oh, stop it, will you? You’re getting on my nerves.”
And there she was: the lioness who had stopped fighting men from killing each other in a bar, and convinced a greedy man to share his fortune. The woman who had unselfishly offered herself to save Athena and who tirelessly stood up for justice on both sides of the border. This woman was my match and so much more.
“Aren’t you glad you married such an incredible, intelligent, handsome man?” I asked, feeding on the energy between us.
“Yes,” she answered sardonically. “And I especially value how modest you are.”
“I know, you could learn a little from me on that front; it’s annoying when you constantly brag, you know?”
“I’ll try to limit my boasting and bragging,” Pearl said and poked a finger between my ribs.
“And your fits of violence,” I said and held onto her finger. “You almost cut me open with those sharp nails.”
“Oh, yeah?” Pearl angled her head, and humor played in her beautiful blue eyes. “Good thing you didn’t actually have to fight for me if a fingernail is all it takes to hurt you.”
I narrowed my eyes, “Just for the record, my darling,” I said and leaned close enough to brush her lips and speak in a low seductive tone. “If I had fought for you, I would have won! No man would be strong enough to stand between you and me.”
Pearl’s eyes grew bigger and she wet her lips.
“I would be fueled by the most potent power in the universe, and I would pity any man who stepped into the arena against me.”
“What power is that?” she whispered, her pupils dilated and her breathing ragged.
“Love, Pearl.” I whispered. “I would be fueled by an insane amount of desire and love for you.”
With her hands on my shoulders and my hands cupping her face we met in a hungry kiss, completely forgetting time and place until someone whistled shrilly and shouted at us.
“There are children present.”
We pulled apart, panting from the intensity and seeing the children point and laugh.
“You think we traumatized them?” I asked Pearl.
“Nah, I think we showed them that men and women can be very fond of each other; let’s hope they remember that when they meet the boys tomorrow.”
I chuckled. “You want them to imitate what we just did?”
“Nooo, of course not.”
“I do – in a few years, I mean.”
“You’re hoping they fall in love?”
“Of course,” I said honestly. “And not just because I want more women in the Northlands but most of all because I want my fellow Nmen to experience what we have.”
“And what is that?”
“Everything, Pearl. We have everything!”
“What’s does that mean?”
