ALL MY LOVE (Lovemark #5)

3. Xavier-2

I turned my attention to Guthrie as he flushed, indeed unable to unequivocally claim that she had, in fact, commanded a snake to attack him.

“If it wasn’t yours, then why did you call it by name?” he finally returned.

The pretty girl paused as if caught, but then she heaved out a breath, squared her shoulders and spat back, “Because you’d just killed it. Everything should be given a name in death. And I had to call him something, so I just made a name up on the spot.”

“And what a common, everyday name you just made up on the spot,” Guthrie snapped back. “Charmaine, was it?”

Charmaine? That did seem like a rather odd name to come up with for a serpent.

The woman slapped her hands to her hips. “Maybe that was my father’s name,” she retorted, not about to back down.

I smiled, silently cheering for her to win the argument.

But Guthrie scoffed. “Who in the hell would name a foul belly crawler after their own—”

“Okay, enough,” I broke in, my voice mild and slightly amused as I lifted my hand to halt the squabble. When the guard and the girl fell instantly quiet and even winced in apology, I said, “Is there some reason I should be quite this concerned about a dead snake in the grass?”

“I believe she was trying to cause your downfall with it, Your Majesty,” Guthrie started earnestly.

“Oh my God, really?” the girl cried and threw up her arms over his admittedly ridiculous claim. “You are so insane. How the hell could I kill anyone with a snake?”

“By using its venom to poison our king,” Guthrie shot back, just as adamant to best her as she was him.

“I’ll go find the snake,” one of the other guards announced before disappearing around the side of the tent.

“Or trying to constrict him to death and—”

“Guthrie,” I murmured, honestly over the whole snake bit. I lifted a staying hand. “That will be all, thank you.” And I turned to the girl. “Now, you, on the other hand…”

She blinked at me, and as if remembering I was still there, she sucked in a breath, her eyes going wide with curious awe all over again. Then she shook her head slowly. “I still can’t get over the fact that you’re the freaking king.”

My lips twitched with amusement. “It surprises me as well,” I murmured with an accommodating nod. “Now… Do you deny trying to gain access into my private quarters?” I finally just asked because the idea flattered me more than it concerned me.

“I…” Her eyes flared with guilt. Then she cringed. “Er...okay,” she admitted in a small voice. “I was trying to get in, but only to—”

I lifted my hand, stalling her. “And you hail from High Cliff,” I noticed, taking in the distinctive tattoo on her temple. “What’s your name, little one?”

If she really was a lady of the court, then my cousin or his queen probably knew her.

“Her name’s Rowena, Your Majesty,” one of the lower ranked soldiers—Tolman, I think his name was—spoke up from the back of the crowd.

I turned his way, and the others stepped aside to let him come forward. He did, pausing only when he reached the girl’s side, where he protectively rested his hands on the hilt of his sword that sat in its scabbard at his waist as if willing to die to defend her honor.

Which…irked me for the wrong reason. It should’ve been at the threat he was making toward me, but instead it was the thought that she was not his to protect.

She was mine, the primitive beast in me insisted.

And I was growing really annoyed by that inner voice, too. Because this woman most assuredly was not mine. She was a complete stranger from another kingdom.

What the ever-loving hell had been in that elixir that Val had given me?

“She’s been riding with the wagon of harem girls at the back of the cavalcade ever since we left Elaina,” Tolman went on to explain. “But they claim she wasn’t one of them before today.”

“Harem girls?” I asked, squinting slightly as I shook my head. “What harem girls?”

The soldier shrugged. “Concubines from the old King of High Cliff, from what I hear. King Olivander disbanded their troupe when he took the rule, so they’ve been following us in the hopes of serving you at Lowden Castle.”

“Oh, are they, now?” Turning to look directly at Rowena, I slid my gaze over her, thinking she was comely enough to entice a king. And that explanation would certainly answer why I was so captivated by her; she definitely knew how to entice a man. But, hmm, she also appeared too wholesome somehow to join a harem.

Confused, I grew even more curious about her, wondering why she didn’t seem to fill any of the roles my men were trying to convince me she belonged in and why I felt convinced that she simply belonged with me.

She blinked at me, and I found myself smiling at her sadly as I said, “I hate to disappoint you, love, but like my cousin, I don’t plan on having a harem either.” Because for her, I had a bad feeling I could be convinced to make an exception.

“Well...good,” she said, lifting her chin as if feigning a courage she didn’t quite feel. But then her brown eyes probed mine with a bold intimacy. “Because I don’t plan on sharing you.”

God, but why had she gone and said that?

Because now, my c**k was f*****g hard, and I wanted to drag her back to my tent and make her prove her words true. I wanted her to claim me as hers in every way possible. Hell, a part of me was tempted to take her right here in front of everyone, so the entire world could see that no one else was allowed inside her but me.

Need crackled along my flesh, sizzling its way straight to my jock, where I began to throb quite painfully.

Damn, but nothing had ever aroused me so thoroughly before.

“Greedy,” I murmured, unable to hide how much I liked her style.

But alas, despite my ravenous curiosity to sample her, it wasn’t meant to be. I needed to focus my attentions on running a kingdom, not bedding some mysterious High Cliff girl.

Some already did not like how close I was to the High Cliff King, despite the fact that Vander and I were kin. They’d probably start a revolt if I took on a mistress with a marked temple.

She was all kinds of forbidden.

Which sadly made me want her even more.

Snapping my fingers, I motioned toward Tolman. “Return her to her wagon of women for me, will you?”

“What? No.” The girl cried in distraught surprise. “I need to tell you—” she started, just as Guthrie objected.

“But, Your Majesty,” he cut in, looking appalled. “She tried to breach your inner sanctum. Twice. She must be punished for her crimes.”

“Crimes?” she cried in alarm, whirling to gape at him. “What the hell crime did I commit? Is it illegal just to try to talk to the freaking king?”

“Without being solicited, yes,” he taunted.

The girl gulped audibly and sank a step back, meekly muttering, “Oh. Well, I didn’t know that.” She glanced my way with an apologetic cringe, just as one of the soldiers rushed up from around the side of the tent, crying, “I found the snake.”

He lifted his sword, to show everyone that he had indeed speared half a dead snake with his blade.

“Oh, dear God,” I groaned, pressing a hand to my brow.

We were back with the snake again.

“Looks like it’s just a plain, old harmless black snake,” someone else spoke up.

Which made Rowena cry, “Aha!” as she spun to point accusingly at Guthrie. “Guess I wasn’t trying to poison or constrict him to death after all, hmm?”

Guthrie’s face turned a vivid purple, and he took an intimidating step toward her, beginning to lift his sword as he went.

“Guthrie,” I said calmly, and he stopped in his tracks. “That won’t be necessary.” Turning to the woman, I hitched up my chin. “Tell me, love. Did you have any nefarious schemes in mind at all when you attempted to enter my tent?’

“No, of course not,” she swore vehemently.

I smiled and nodded. “I thought not. My attempted assassins are never so lovely.”

She blinked, then shook her head. “But I still need a minute of your time,” she insisted, widening her eyes as if to entice me with the severity of her stare alone. “In private. Er, if you please, your, um, Your Majesty.”

She definitely wasn’t accustomed to talking to royalty with the proper respect. That was obvious. And a bit refreshing. I had a feeling she’d be as real with me as Valerio was. It actually made me want to give her that minute she requested.

But I really couldn’t be swayed by a p********e. Especially a High Cliff one.

“Apologies, little one,” I murmured, wincing out my regret. Clasping my hands together, I tried to let her down as gently as possible. “But I’m no more looking for a single mistress than I am an entire harem full of them. I thank you for the gracious offer, though, as I’m sure your services would’ve been most pleasant indeed.”

Her lips parted, and I could tell she honestly hadn’t expected me to turn her down. I nodded toward Tolman, and he immediately stepped forward, taking her arm.

She glanced at him, then turned back to me, panic entering her eyes. “No! Wait. That’s not—I don’t want to have s*x with you!” she blurted.

I paused to glance at her, and she flushed before rolling her eyes.

“I mean, I do. Eventually. If you prove yourself worthy enough.”

My lips parted.

I knew I was supposed to be offended. It was the ultimate insult to issue any kind of judgment on a king. But the man in me itched to rise to her challenge and pursue her in the most intimate of ways, which almost immediately made my limbs freeze with a doomed sense of panic.

Why couldn’t I stop thinking such things about her?

Guthrie, however, didn’t seem to experience any conflicting emotions. He was just plain insulted on my behalf.

“How…dare you,” he breathed, lifting his sword with intent.

“Guthrie!” I snapped, and he immediately jerked back under my tight leash.

With a sigh, I motioned to Tolman to take her away before Guthrie really did lose his control and killed the girl.

Tolman nodded before tugging on her arm to pull her away.

“Wait, no!” she cried again as I turned and started off. “I need to tell you—hey! Stop. Just let me go for a second. I need to let him know—!”

Her muffled growl of outrage told me Tolman had probably slapped his hand over her mouth to silence her, which wasn’t a picture I liked in my head either. But seriously. What stunning moxie she had.

I chuckled over it all as I focused my attention on Valerio, who finally came racing through the crowd, fastening his britches as he elbowed people out of his way to reach me.

“What the hell’s going on?” he demanded, winded with his clothes all askew. I glanced past him to spot his wife, Sylvie, bustling along to catch up and trying to pull her chemise together as she ran.

“There was an assassin,” I announced brightly, slapping Valerio good-naturedly in the gut. “With a venomous, constricting pet snake. But don’t worry; I handled it. Thanks so much for your protection, though.”

“Venomous, constricting pet snake?” He shook his head, confused. “What?”

“Don’t know how I’d survive without you as my personal guard, Val,” I added before circling the air with my finger. “Now, nap time’s over. Let’s eat and get back on the road, shall we?”

“Was there really an assassin?” he demanded, gaping at me with his mouth fallen open before glancing past me at the crowd of guards that was beginning to disperse.

“Mm,” I murmured, turning back to watch the intoxicating High Clifter being led away, only to realize that Tolman had already escorted her out of sight. Pity. “And she was really quite lovely. It was too bad you missed her.”