Page 84 of Princess of Pride
“I want to ride. I’m great at it, and I’m going to guess you have some impressive horses on all this land.”
“You would be correct. And I know you’re a great rider. Jumping to be specific.” He offers a slight, roguish smirk. “But I can’t allow it. You haven’t ridden in years, and you’re still recovering from yesterday’s events. You need to relax, drink plenty of water, and practice your breathing exercises.”
He was serious about those? “I rode for years without ever passing out, I’ve been breathing fine all morning, and I had a glass of water already.” More like a few sips, but I also had some orange juice and coffee. “But if you’re insisting that I take it easy, I’ll have to extend the same rules to us. No sexual activity until further notice.”
His nostrils flare. He crosses his arms, his biceps stretching the material of the sweater. “I hadn’t planned to.”
I rub my lips together to keep from cackling in disbelief. “Okay.” We’ll see how long that lasts. I rock back and forth on my feet. “You should know I get bored easily and distract myself with reading romancenovels.” I draw out my next words and lower my voice to a seductive whisper, “Hot… steamy… toe-curling romance. Porn for women. It’s my favorite and quite the turn on.”
Along with classics like Jane Austen, but he doesn’t need to know that. I twist my hair around my finger and bite my bottom lip, my chin tilted down as I gaze up at him with innocent seduction.
Desire flares in his eyes. I do love how easily he reacts to me.
He closes the distance between us, grabs my chin, and forces me onto my toes for a searing kiss. His lips smash into mine and his tongue greedily sweeps into my mouth with raw passion. His hand moves to the back of my neck, anchoring me to him.
I moan, melt, grow dizzy.
He breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against mine so hiswords fan my lips. “Breathe in.” He waits until I do. “Breathe out.” I do, and he joins me. “In… out. In… out.”
My head clears, and my equilibrium returns.
“Good girl.” He straightens and tucks an errant strand of hair behind my ear. “You need to practice, and you need to recognize the signs so you can do this for yourself.”
“So what if I pass out? People choke each other during sex for the same effect.”
His brows hike up. “How do you know about that?”
“I read porn, remember?”
“People also die from it and can suffer brain damage.”
I cross my arms and roll my eyes. “You know this from experience?”
He rubs the scruff on his chin, his silence and the glint in his eyes answer enough.
“You’ve choked someone during sex?” I ask, aghast.
“I’ve choked several people for different reasons—only once was it consensual.”
My eyes spread so wide they hurt. “What else do you do for a living?” I no longer believe he’s just a shrewd businessman.
“Come with me.” He strolls past me toward the door to his bedroom.
I hesitate for a second then follow him.
We cross the room and exit into the hallway. He opens the door directly on his left. We enter a stone stairwell, similar to the spiral one he carried me up when we first arrived, only this is straight and narrow. It’s cold and smells musty. At the top, he opens a gate-like door.
My jaw drops to my feet. Bookcases line the walls of a circular tower that’s two stories high with a spiral staircase to a metal second-floor catwalk. The only break in the bookcases is a small fireplace with a wood surround and a narrowwindow. A round rug warms the stone floors. In the center, an oversized recliner looks inviting with a plaid wool blanket and a throw pillow that has the family crest. The colors of each are turquoise, cream, and burnt orange. Several stacks of books rest on the floor. The space feels cozy and magical.
Lachlan eyes me. “You’re speechless. Are you breathing?”
Shallowly, but yes. “I love it,” is all I can say. The room is more than I ever could have imagined.
“This was my mum’s favorite place in the castle.” He touches the blanket that lies haphazardly on the chair as if it were left that way after someone got up.
“It’s beautiful.” I turn and tip my head, taking it all in.
“This was the only place that made her happy after Ewan’s death.”
