Read The Dark God's Bride Trilogy, #3 for Free Online Page A

really didn’t mean to.”
    He knew.
    “I know there are a lot of misunderstandings between us that I couldn’t explain even if I wanted to, but you must know that it was never my intention to… what I meant is… everything is circumstantial and I’ve done the best I could with the hand I was dealt. Choices had to be made.”
    “Indeed,” he said coldly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “Get some rest,” he said to her as he rose to his feet.
    “You’re not going away again, are you?”
    He heard a trace of disappointment in her voice. That had been his intention, but he realized it may not be a good idea to leave the property. It would be wiser of him to be somewhere he could keep an eye on her. “I will be in the study.”
    He lowered his gaze upon her when she reached out for him. Slender fingers were lightly tugging on the sleeve of his shirt to prevent him from departing. He waited for her to speak, but she simply looked up at him. Her lucid grey eyes were questioning him with unspoken words. It seemed she was asking if he would stay.
    Her shy gesture made him feel warmer on the inside. Even if it could not melt the ice that was progressively encasing his dark soul, it was slowing down the process. Despite their time apart, his desire for her was stronger now than it had ever been. She appealed to his male needs like no other woman ever did, and if he had stayed like she had requested, she would know exactly what that meant. Nevertheless, he was a man who could weigh what he should and should not do.
    He couldn’t deny that at some level, he was angry with her , although he had no solid reason to be. His head was running on suspicions that he couldn’t get rid of, but he didn’t have the heart or the courage to ask her. He was afraid that the truth would irreversibly change what little bond was left between them.
    He had made an oath to himself that he would never again take her to his bed while he was emotionally unfit to control his anger. He had made that mistake once before and he would never have a repeat of that complete disaster.
    “I have work to do,” he said solemnly. “Dry your hair before you retire to bed. I shall be in the study should you need me.”
    “You must be thinking the wors t of me…” she spoke softly and slowly.
    Her grey eyes were capturing the light like they always did. He could see them so clearly even when there was little lighting in the room. His hand involuntarily reached for her face like a fool trying to capture the reflection of the moon. She always seemed to be within his reach, but perpetually unobtainable. Realizing this, he withdrew and returned his hand to his side.
    Once there was a time when it was habitual of him to give up the things that he wanted for the good of others because it was demanded of a man of his stature and it was the right thing to do. None of it mattered to anyone when he was left in a dungeon cell to rot. He no longer gave a damn about anyone anymore and he could not care less about doing the right thing. He decided that he would live for himself in the pursuit of the things that he wanted from life.
    And he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he wanted this woman looking up at him.
    It was wrong of him to try to obtain something that was never meant to be his; he had known that. He had done her wrong by keeping her against her will; he had known that too. Even so, he would not and could not let her go even if he had to sacrifice everything he had to live without.
    He thought he had turned to stone when he saw the look of guilt in her eyes again. Of all the things, why guilt? She never had any obligations toward him to feel guilty in the first place.
    “I expect nothing from you,” he said.
    “You never ha ve,” she replied softly with trace sadness in her voice. “You don’t need to remind me. I still remember.”
    He went on to finish the sentence she had severed, “…because I am very clear on where you and I stand in our