“Do you really want to make it worse for yourself, Honor?” he demanded. “I would never hurt you, but if you’re going to hurt me, I’m going to spank you for every time.”
“I’m not sure how you’re defining hurt, but I can’t believe you have all that family money and yet apparently can’t afford a dictionary!”
He tried to take me off his shoulder to maneuver me across his lap. I thrashed around and I managed to get an elbow across his jaw, and his head snapped back.
He did not seem remotely impressed, though, instead wrapping one leg around mine to hold me still over his lap. He slapped my ass, the sound resounding through the room. I gasped in surprise at the sudden heat that flooded my ass, that throbbed between my thighs. I was pissed off and wet all at the same time.
“Maybe I’ll start spanking you every time you swear at me,” he said. “I’d consider spanking you every time you’re mouthy, but then I’d probably never get you off my knee and have a chance to do anything.”
“You are an absolute barbarian.” I fumed.
“I’m not going to argue with you.” Jaik sounded so cool and calm once more, which didn’t fit with his hand slapping my ass. Each time stung and yet even as it hurt, I felt it just as much in my traitorous core, which throbbed more than my ass.
“You are an absolutely ridiculous asshole!”
Jaik laughed. Or least, it seemed as close to a laugh as I’d ever heard from Jaik, and I craned my head over my shoulder, trying to get a look at his face. I’d never seen the man smile.
“Well, talking to me like that, I have to assume you like it. Otherwise you might choose your words more carefully.” He went on spanking me with increasing enthusiasm. Warmth heated my body even as I thrashed around, trying to escape him.
God, I wanted to punch him in the face and jump him at the same time. Which was not exactly an unusual feeling when it came to my relationship with Jaik, but it was certainly more intense than ever at the moment.
He finally came to a stop, resting his hand on the curve of my throbbing ass. “There. You can get up now, if you’re ready to be a good girl.”
I did not dignify that with an answer. Jaik rubbed his hand across my ass, and more lust stirred between my thighs.
“Be a good girl and say yes sir,” he told me before slapping my ass again.
“Oh, I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll be a good girl.”
“Somehow I doubt that very much.” But his grip on me loosened, and I got to my feet. I felt momentarily wobbly from being upside down and from the intense ache between my thighs.
Jaik looked at me with a look of benevolence on his face. It seemed he might actually tip over into a smile.
As much as I would’ve liked to have seen that, I punched him across the face. My fist crunched into his nose and he fell back, his eyes widening as his hand rose to staunch the sudden flow of blood coursing down his face. He seemed so shocked.
“I’m happy for us to play that little game again in the bedroom,” I told him, “but a good girl doesn’t have to accept being manhandled against her will. Don’t you ever touch me like that without my permission, Jaik.”
He got up and grabbed a towel, staunching his bloody nose and glowering at me. Then abruptly, he turned and walked away. He let the door slam shut behind him.
I stared at the heavy wooden door. My desire for him was still intense, almost as intense as my anger.
But I wasn’t going to go after him.
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Honor
The door suddenly flew open. Jaik stalked back in, his face furious.
I rose from the couch. I’d half-expected him to send someone to watch over me and half-expected him to be so angry he didn’t bother.
“What?” I demanded.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice rough. Then he paused, as if he were debating what to say next. “You’re mine. I don’t want to ever lose you, Honor.”
“You can’t lose me. I’m not a backpack or a wallet or a dagger—”
“You’re sharp as a dagger,” he muttered.
“I’m not going anywhere, Jaik,” I promised.
He studied me. He’d wiped the blood away, and he must’ve gone to wake the physician, because he was no longer bleeding.
I didn’t know what to make of the way he was looking at me. “What?”
“You piss me off like no one else.” He crossed the ground to me in a few quick strides, and maybe I should’ve been worried about a second round of spanking, but I knew he wouldn’t hurt me.
And honestly, I liked the idea of more spanking—as long as it wasn’t a symptom of him being an arrogant ass.
He caught my chin between two fingers and lifted my face to his. His lips clashed against mine, and our bodies swayed together. The hard muscle and heat of his body enveloped me. His hand swept across my ass, drawing me closer to him, and I moaned into his mouth as I ground against his thigh.
I pushed him away, just for a moment, despite feeling even more hot and ragged than I’d felt a few moments before. “Are you still mad at me?”
“Oh yes.”
I stared up at him, surprised, then said, “You know what? While you’re pissed at me anyway, we need to finish our talk about Caldren!”
“Oh good god.” He raked his hand through his hair.
Losing his warm, hard hand on my ass annoyed me, but I crossed my arms and stared him down.
“I love you, Jaik,” I said, and his gaze widened. The words were reckless. It was too soon, but it was also true, and I couldn’t hold myself back any longer. He needed to know. He might be one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, but like every other human in the world, he needed to be loved.
His lips parted, and I said, “No. Wait. You might not want to say it when you hear what else I have to say. I love you, but I’m not going to choose just you.”
He frowned, and I went on, “I like Caldren a lot too. I want Caldren. Just like I like Talisyn. And I’m not going to choose between the two of you, and I’m not a prize in your ridiculous rivalry.”
He stared at me, his jaw working. Then he said abruptly, “Fine. You are going to realize what an asshole he is, the hard way. But that’s your right.”
I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t have the chance to respond before he grabbed me against him and kissed me, his lips fierce and claiming. I kissed him back, the two of us clashing together, full of heat and ache.
Jaik pulled away to mutter, “I’d rather have some of you than none of you.”
“Someday, you’ll realize you can share me and still have all of me.”
He looked doubtful, but he still ran his thumb tenderly over my cheek. “Honor, I still want to say it.”
My lips parted. Relief swelled inside me; I hadn’t realized how much I dreaded his rejection until the moment he accepted me instead.
“I love you too,” he said. He rested his forehead against mine, his hand sliding to the nape of my neck. “You make me crazy, and you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”