Read The Pirate Prince for Free Online Page A

he moved back to smile slightly down at her, green eyes glittering. “Go on, scream. I dare you. Your punishment will be all the sterner when I have you in my house.”
    “Punishment?” she breathed, wide-eyed.
    “It is a husband’s right, you know. But as long as you’re my good little girl, you’ll have nothing to fear,” he whispered, kissing her again, if his assault could be called a kiss. “What’s wrong?” he asked when she refused to respond, tilting his head as he gazed down at her.
    She stared up at him in amazement, still unable to believe it was happening. Surely the straitlaced, impeccable Domenic, the golden boy of the Council, would never do anything like this. But when his grip tightened gently on her throat, she had to accept that it was real. She gritted her teeth, summoning up all her self-possession.
    “Get away from me this instant. You are drunk.”
    He smiled in his all-knowing way. “You want to use me—why can’t I use you? That’s what marriage is all about, isn’t it?” He kissed her again ruthlessly, nudging her legs apart with his knee.
    She fought to turn her face away. “I won’t marry you!” she gasped out.
    “Darling,” he panted hotly, his tone perfectly reasonable, “when I’ve spilled my seed inside you, you’ll have no choice.”
    She drew a breath to scream as loudly as she possibly could, but he clapped a hand over her mouth with a low, chiding laugh.
    “You cannot beat me, you see?” he said pleasantly. “Oh, I shall enjoy mastering you, Allegra. There are so few worthy challenges in life.”
    Abruptly he turned as if someone had tapped him on the shoulder.
    Allegra gasped to see the savage stranger from the bonfire standing right behind him. He towered above Domenic, hands on hips, his feet planted wide in black boots and gaiters above the knee. He was armed to the white flash of his teeth, his shoulders a yard wide, his black vest parted by his aggressive stance, revealing every smooth inch of his muscled chest and chiseled belly.
    “Pardon me for interrupting,” he said politely, his voice deep and commanding, “but I distinctly heard the lady tell you no.”
    She caught a glimpse of glittering midnight eyes, then the stranger grabbed Domenic and threw him. Instantly he put his own body between her and Domenic, his broad back to her clad in an expanse of black leather. The long, silky ends of his skullcap trailed down his back, billowing slightly with his graceful walk as he stalked toward Domenic, wielding the most barbaric-looking knife she’d ever seen. The knife twirled lightly in his grasp as he adjusted his grip.
    Domenic looked from the stranger to her, to the knife, as he backed away, panting, his blond hair tousled.
    “Friend of yours, darling?” he asked, shooting her a cold glance.
    “A good friend,” the stranger replied affably before she could answer. “A very good friend.”
    Domenic’s angular face took on a look of furious understanding. “Oh, now I see. Now I know why you’re always running off to your filthy peasants!” he spat at her, looking the man over from his skullcap to his boots.
    The stranger’s answer to his derision was a big, booming laugh, merry and wicked. The sound actually made Allegra smile a little, shaken though she was. With trembling hands, she righted her dress as best as she could, but Domenic had torn it two or three inches at the neckline. She clutched the ripped edges closed and thanked Providence for sending the mysterious stranger to rescue her before anything worse happened.
    “Allegra,” Domenic began, “I am shocked and disappointed in you—”
    “Don’t be jealous, mate. I only had her six or seven times.”
    Her jaw dropped. She snapped it shut again as she realized he was intentionally trying to enrage Domenic. Clever rogue .
    “You slept with this man?” Domenic nearly screamed at her.
    “And three of my brothers,” he assured him. “She wore us all out. The girl’s