Read His Reluctant Bride for Free Online

servers bought out the first of seven courses all comprised of traditional Darlayan foods. The first course was a colourful salad that comprised of the usual suspects plus some peppers that were specific to Darlaya.
    Tariq frowned at his wife as she simply picked at the salad, her features seemed paler than normal and she appeared to have lost weight in the last two weeks. Thinking back to their last conversation he wondered if she had purposefully starved herself and anger stirred inside at the thought, even more so when the second course of Darlayan Boar arrived and she simply pushed it around her plate with not a single morsel crossing her lips.
    "Eat!" he whispered close to her ear and Katie turned her fiery gaze on him.
    "We've already done this," she reminded him and he narrowed his eyes on her pale features before he offered her a sample of his own meal and she had no choice but to graciously accept it while all eyes were on them.
    "And we will keep doing it until you eat something. You are too thin," he commented while Katie glared at him though the smile never wavered from her face. She could play pretend with the best of them.
    "I am not too thin," she hissed shifting nervously as his dark gaze raked her from head to toe.
    "I disagree, you have lost weight in the last two weeks," he accused and Katie sighed.
    "The last two weeks have been stressful," she said in defence as she took a small mouthful of her food beneath his watchful eyes.
    "You need to be fit and healthy for when you carry our child," he said quietly and she turned stunned eyes on him unable to completely hide her shock.
    "I will not be carrying any child of yours," she informed him warily and Tariq leaned closer his eyes flashing furiously.
    "Let's get one thing straight my stubborn little wife, you only get to maintain your independence because I allow it but I will only be pushed so far," Tariq warned her in an undertone making Katie realise that no matter how much she fought against him Tariq would always win. 
    "If you think I will just meekly follow your every order then you are mistaken," she hissed at him stunned when instead of arguing his point Tariq lowered his dark head and captured her lips in a tender kiss.
    "You have known this moment would come," he reminded her and Katie glared at him as she pushed her plate aside unable to stomach another bite.
    "It doesn't mean I have to accept it," she said furiously and his eyes narrowed on her flushed face.
    "I can be very persuasive" he told her as he pulled away and Katie turned deliberately away from him as the third course was deposited before her along with a glass of champagne. This course consisted of Darlayan fish that resembled oysters and were given specifically with the intention of being an aphrodisiac.
    All this did was remind Katie of what was to come once their reception was over and sickness suddenly threatened. Ignoring the meal altogether she instead turned her intention to the champagne and drank it in one go needing the sweet release of tension it provided.
    The evening dragged by slowly, with each minute feeling like an hour of hell for Katie who just wanted it all to be over. The meal seemed to go on for hours and thankfully it meant plenty of refills of her glass until Tariq had a quiet word with their server who all of a sudden stopped refilling her glass and avoided her steady gaze.
    "You've had enough!" Tariq announced when she tried to summon a different server and she turned on him with blazing eyes.
    "You have no right!" she declared vehemently trying to keep her voice low even as she longed to rage at him.
    "I have every right," he corrected and her glare intensified.
    "Because I'm your wife? Just because you put your bloody mark on me does not mean you own me!" she hissed and Tariq's eyes narrowed furiously.
    "No, but it does mean I can make sure you do not drink yourself in to a coma," he replied firmly with anger glinting in his eyes and Katie turned deliberately