He almost laughed out loud, delighted with her innocence. “Yes. We’ll talk,” he told her. He didn’t add “eventually” to that promise, knowing that the word would only slow her down once more.
Chapter 6
Shantra stood in the foyer of the Piora palace, trembling as Laithir spoke to someone. The flight had been easy if boring since he’d spoken on the phone or with his aides the whole time. Thankfully, it had been short but she didn’t care. She was scared, not sure of what she was doing, wondering if she’d made the worst mistake of her life and terrified of what was to come next. Ciala and all of her sisters-in-law had been so excited for her but they were all in love with their husbands.
She looked over at Laithir and…okay, yes, she felt something very strong for the man but she wasn’t sure what those feelings were. Awe. Fear. Moments of tenderness when he said something nice to her. But those moments were few and far between. Laithir was a quiet man, his silence might speak volumes, but she wasn’t able to interpret all of those silences. Yet. Hopefully...soon, she’d be able to figure him out. She looked over at his austere profile. At that exact moment, he turned his head and looked at her. The look, that silent perusal, increased her trembling tenfold.
Laithir must have sensed her nervousness because he lifted his hand to the person he was talking with, telling the man that he was finished. The other man looked put out, irritated that he was being dismissed, but he bowed and stepped backwards.
Laithir walked over to her and took her hand. “You’re nervous,” he commented, tightening his fingers. “Why?”
Shantra stared up into his dark eyes, shivering like a butterfly and wishing she were stronger, more confident. “Fear of the unknown,” she replied honestly.
He led her down a long hallway. “I suspect that you know what is going to happen.”
She sighed and nodded her head. “Yes. I know what is supposed to happen.”
He stopped and turned towards her. “Supposed to happen?” he asked gently. Or as gently as a man of his size could come across.
She bowed her head. “I know my duties,” she told him, hating her lot in life at this moment.
He lifted her head with a hand under her chin. “There will be no talk of duties when it comes to our private life, Shantra,” he said, purposely leaving off her title. “We’re just a man and a woman here now.”
“Except we barely know each other.” She tried to pull her hand out of his. “Perhaps if we were to wait for this night, I wouldn’t be so…”
“What do you want to know about me?” he asked, walking again. It was a slow stroll, almost casual to an outside observer. But Shantra could feel the tension in his arm where her fingers rested against the fine material of his uniform.
She laughed at his denial of her request, earning her a look. She smothered her amusement. “In other words, there’s no way for me to get out of this,” she stared straight ahead. He was leading her down a hallway with a beautiful courtyard accessed by arches held up by marble columns. At the end of the hallway were a set of double doors guarded by two men who were heavily armed.
She hesitated, her mind and body not ready to walk through those doors. It felt like the end of her battle, even though she hadn’t really been fighting.
“Talk to me,” Laithir commanded, with gentle authority.
Shantra opened her mouth and closed it again, not sure exactly how to explain what she was feeling and thinking.
“Those doors,” she whispered, looking at the elaborate decoration on the outside, “they lead to your bedroom, don’t they?”
He only nodded his head slightly.
“And in that bedroom is going to be a big bed where you’re going to have sex with me, and I don’t think I want to do that. You’re a very large man, and I don’t think I want this.” She paused for a moment, taking a breath. “No, that’s not true,” she said. “I’m sure I don’t want this. I don’t want this at all. I don’t know you, and I know what you’re going to expect of me, and I don’t think I can do that. I don’t want to feel the pain of sex, and I definitely don’t want to go through those doors because it will be all over, and everyone will know what we’re doing, and I don’t like my privacy invaded in that way, and it just isn’t fair that you’ve already done this, probably so many times and I haven’t ever done this, and I feel inadequate and ill-prepared for what’s going to happen.” She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing as she realized that he was laughing at her. Not openly laughing, but there was amusement in his eyes. “And here I am, baring my soul to you, and you think this is all so funny! I’m standing here, more nervous than I can ever remember being in my life and you are about to chuckle.” She pulled her hand out of his. “Great! Just great! I’m married to an insensitive boor, who thinks my fears are humorous.”