Page 12 of The Princess and The Warrior

“What is it?” she asked sharply, gripping my arm. “Please, Trax, tell me. I swear I’ll always tell you the truth if you make me the same promise.”

With a heavy sigh, I realized that there were so many gossiping servants throughout the castle that she would eventually be told anyway. She might as well hear it from me.

“There was some debate as to which of the two of us was more successful in battle,” I confessed. “Rack and I killed approximately the same number of marauders, yet I focused on commanders, and the largest men, whereas he picked off the smaller and weaker. After he heard that the King had decided to give you to one of us, the general had to decide which of us it would be.”

“Thank goodness you won,” she said, squeezing my bicep. She edged closer to me on the seat, and I found myself doing the same.

“Not exactly. Rack is the general’s cousin, so he should have been chosen for the sake of the family’s reputation. But once I heard the two of them discussing what they wished to do to you, I traded my farm lands to the general so that I would be bestowed the honor.”

“You…traded for me?” she asked, her lovely dark eyes confused. “All of your land? What about your family?”

“I’m an only child, and my parents passed away in a fire when I was about your age,” I said.

Her brow furrowed. “I’m so sorry, Trax,” she said, placing her hand above my heart. “ To lose your family, and your home. Your farm was likely most of your holdings.”

I didn’t tell her that it wasn’t most of what I had, but all. The soil had been poor in the beginning, but growing cabbage and arugula, plus my tiny soldier’s income, was almost enough to survive. Over the years, I developed new ways to enhance the soil, and till deeper, adding more produce until the lands had been worth something again.

Thank goodness I’d worked

so hard, or the farm wouldn’t have been valuable enough to give the general in return for his favor.

“There was absolutely no way that I could allow you to marry that dishonorable man,” I said, taking her hand gently. “I hope that you’ll forgive me, your highness. I would have preferred that you could have selected your own husband. But you must trust me when I say that I will be far more gentle and courteous than Rack, or any of the other soldiers.”

She nodded slowly, then gave a little gasp as the carriage jumped over a bumpy patch. There was a thunderclap, then the driver hollered, “We’re driving into a patch of rain, so you might want to tuck under the blankets, your highnesses.”

Rain began to fall past the open windows. By the time I had grabbed the carriage blanket and wrapped it around Althea’s shoulders, the breeze began to turn into a mild gale.

Any time this gorgeous woman was near me, I felt my shaft thicken. But when she jumped into my lap, cuddling against me for warmth, I groaned, unable to hide my arousal.

To my absolute shock, she began rubbing her hip against me as if she knew precisely what she was doing.

9

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Althea

My head was absolutely spinning knowing that Trax had saved me from the boorish Rack, and how narrowly I had escaped being married off to him. Although it still was disturbing to be traded as if I were an object, Trax was clearly the better choice, and it was gallant of him to be so respectful. He truly cared for me. Knowing he had sacrificed his family land to preserve my honor made the fire in my belly blaze out of control.

It was not something that a lady should ever admit, but my huge, strapping husband was making me feel lust for the first time in my life. Even with the lecherous elders in that chamber, the highlight of my entire life was the moment Trax made me completely lose control.

When the rain and wind began to chill me to the bone, I used it as an excuse to curl against him, crushing my body to his. Feeling his arousal was the most erotic thing I’d ever experienced, and I wondered how far I could push our closeness before he would become skittish again.

There was no way to make sense of the way my hands needed to cling to him and to explore every plane of muscle while my breasts brushed against his chest.

I knew beyond a doubt that I wanted this huge, sweet man to take me. If he felt the need for us to wait until we knew each other better, so be it. But he should at least know the pleasure of having his wife relieve the pressure I had felt in him all night.

Shifting in his lap, I turned to straddle him so that his manhood was between my thighs, with the blanket around us both.

Trax gripped my hips. “Your high…Althea, what do you think you’re doing?”

As the carriage rocked back and forth a bit, I let my hand slip to his trousers, unfastening the laces. “This feels incredibly tight,” I said, testing my sauciest smile. “Since you seemed to enjoy my intimate noises at the wedding, I believe it’s my turn to hear yours.”

“Please don’t feel you have to–”

He groaned as I pulled his thickness out, my hand skimming his flesh. It seemed to be sensitive to my touch. But it also seemed quite large. I’d seen paintings and drawings of naked men in my art studies, but this appendage was huge. It was also pointing straight up.

Taking it in both hands, I gently skimmed my palms from the root to the tip, watching as Trax leaned back, his deep eyes burning. “If I tell you to stop, you’re going to ignore me, aren’t you?”

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