Read Unexpected Pleasures for Free Online

gripped his wide belt and drew in a deep breath.
    â€œYour guardian is unjust, Justina.”
    â€œThat is not uncommon nor does it change the fact that he is my guardian.”
    He took a step toward her. “That does not excuse him.” Fury edged his words, noble fire that stole the breath from her lungs. All of her reasons for refusing him flew back into her mind. Her knees nearly buckled beneath the weight.
    Justina clasped her hands together, making herself steady and poised for the rejection she must give him.
    Synclair didn’t give her the chance. He closed the gap between them, his hand cupping her chin and holding it.
    â€œDo not waste yet more of your breath.” There was a hard warning glittering in his eyes and his tone was as sharp as steel.
    â€œI must. You cannot champion me.”
    â€œI assure you, Justina, I can.”
    She drew in a deep breath, frustration biting into her. Trust the man to take her words as an insult.
    â€œIt is not a matter of your ability; I am not a good match for you.”
    The fingers clasping her chin tightened to the point of discomfort but he stiffened and forced his grip to relax before true pain needled her. He lifted his hand away and she pulled in a deep breath, determined to cut him with her next words and send him away before he was smeared with the stains of her sins. She couldn’t bear that idea, and it tormented her unmercifully.
    â€œThat is my choice, madam, and what I have decided is that you shall be mine.”
    â€œSynclair—”
    He moved lightning quick once more, reaching out to slide one arm around her waist and pull her against his body. He also stepped forward so that she felt like he was capturing her, and indeed the knight was. She felt his strength wrap around her in a solid curtain that blocked out everything except him.
    â€œMine, Lady. I swear it to you.”
    Swear ... For a man such as he, that was a solemn oath. She witnessed it flickering in his eyes as her breath lodged in her throat. Justina shook her head, every fiber of her being refusing to allow him to come anywhere near her sordid life.
    â€œI have said it, Justina, and I plan to keep my word.”
    His mouth claimed hers in a motion that was forceful and demanding. She leaned away from him, seeking escape from her own longing for him. The hand that had cupped her chin found the back of her head and held it steady while his mouth reclaimed hers. There was no further way to avoid his kiss. He took her mouth, demanding that her lips part to allow the kiss to deepen.
    God help her, she wanted to do exactly that.
    Running through her was a current of excitement she had never felt before. In spite of her husband and lovers, a single kiss had never sent her blood racing through her body at such a speed that her head spun in a lightheaded manner. She had never noticed that a man’s mouth might taste sweet.
    Synclair’s did.
    A soft moan rose from her chest, somehow escaping through their joined lips, and the kiss changed. Synclair still held her hostage to his demands but his lips began to slip and slide across her own, gently teasing her lower lip before she felt the tip of his tongue flick over the sensitive skin. She shivered. Enjoyment took command of her body, making it impossible to control her responses. For all her experience, she discovered that she was powerless against his kiss because of the sweet sensation it unleashed upon her.
    â€œYour body craves my touch, Justina. I can feel you trembling in my arms.”
    She clamped her mouth closed against a sharp cry because she had never heard Synclair use such a tone before. It was deep and husky, touching off a moment of panic because she recognized how devastating that voice would be. She would become enchanted by it, in but a few more words.
    â€œI am no stranger to lust.”
    He growled at her, the hand holding the back of her head tightening while his eyes narrowed with his