Master of Chains - Jess Lebow [83]
She looked like an angel descending into Zerith Hold. She wore a flowing white silk gown with ornate lace sleeves that flared at her hands, hiding them from view. Her long black hair had been lifted into an exquisite pile on top of her head, adorned with wildflowers and a handful of tiny sparkling jewels. She seemed to float as she moved, the smooth fabric of the gown trailing behind her.
Looking at her made Liam feel warm all over.
"Hello, Liam," she said.
"Uh." Liam did a once-over of his own appearance. He was still wearing most of his armor and was covered in tiny bits of leaves and wood. "Hi," he said.
Liam looked into Samira's eyes. She smiled, and the rest of the world seemed to disappear.
"I don't want to keep you two any longer than I have to," interrupted Purdun.
Liam tried to break eye contact with Samira, but he simply couldn't. She was entrancing, and he was helpless.
"Liam," continued Purdun, "don't give me your answer now. But let me leave you with this one thought. The position I am offering you would come with a considerable raise in pay. Enough to, say, keep a lovely young woman in the custom she deserves."
Liam and Samira continued to stare into each other's eyes.
Lord Purdun bowed to the two of them. "I take my leave." Then he turned and hurried down the hall.
Samira reached up and pulled out one of the torn leaves stuck in Liam's armor. "What happened to you?"
Liam looked down at himself again. "Got in a fight," he said.
"I heard," she said. "Baron Purdun told me you saved a man's life."
Liam nodded. "I guess I did."
The two of them stood in the doorway for a moment longer, looking at each other. Then Samira grabbed his hand.
"Come on. Let's get that dirty armor off you."
Liam followed her inside his room and closed the door behind him.
CHAPTER 19
Ryder lay on the warm stone floor, Giselle's head on his chest, his fingers dangling in the quickly cooling water, staring at the stars.
The muscles in his back that had relaxed from the warm water and Giselle's caresses were once again knotted and tense. His head hurt, and it took tremendous effort to simply lie still. He laughed at the absurdity. This was a fantasy come true-he was on top of a tower inside a splendid palace with a beautiful, exotic woman lounging naked beside him. Things like this didn't happen to people like Ryder. They happened to the rich and powerful, not the poor farmer or the revolutionary. Yet, he couldn't enjoy it.
The moment they had finished, Ryder was struck right smack in the middle of his chest with a tremendous wave of guilt.
Samira.
How could he have done that to her? She would never forgive him, and he wouldn't blame her. She would never do something like that to him. Had he been killed, she would have likely spent the rest of her life celibate, grieving over him.
But not him. He had always thought of himself as a good man. But right now, he didn't feel like one.
Giselle stirred, stretching her arms and turning to look up at Ryder.
"Hi," she said, smiling.
He looked at her but couldn't keep eye contact. "Hi," he said, trying to put a smile on his face.
Giselle rolled over and got to her knees, then climbed up to straddle Ryder, looking down into his face.
"That was nice," she said.
"Uh-huh," he said, looking off over the tub.
Giselle grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. She was frowning. "What's wrong?"
Ryder shook his head.
Giselle shook hers as well. "No. I mean it. What's wrong?"
Ryder took a deep breath and let it out. He was nervous about how she would react to the truth, but if he didn't tell her… well, he didn't know what would happen, but he was sure it wouldn't be good.
"I… I don't know what to say," he said. He sat silently for a moment, trying to build up the courage to say what he needed to say. Finally he blurted, "Giselle, I'm a married man."
"Well," she said, leaning back a bit but not getting off his chest, "that doesn't seem like you don't know what to say."
Ryder looked up