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.How about this: I ve heard the republics on the coasts of theMidlands Sea worship in their pantheon a goddess whose dominion isthe act of physical love.Women and men lay with the priests andpriestesses, and in so doing, they touch the divine.Lovemaking is theirholy communion wherein they worship with both soul and flesh.Inpleasing their partner, they please their goddess.This is how it was with Rian.He worshipped me; he blessed me.Hetook my body both with reverence and with hunger.I prostrated myselfbefore him; he gave himself to me, entirely.Together we touched thedivine.No? Too vague and airy? Very well, I shall be blunt.He licked andsucked me until I screamed his name.He fucked me until I couldn t seestraight.He rode me hard and made me love him for it.I did not think what I felt for him was love, not at first, for we spentonly a few nights of each month together.Everyone knows servants havelittle free time for themselves.The palace staff was no exception.The Prince was particular about his stables and his horses, andRian s days at the palace were long and tiring.The only nights he could66 www.bettiesharpe.comEmberget away were the nights of the full moon when the Prince locked himselfin his rooms at the palace in order to hide his true face from the world. The Prince should not force his servants to work so hard. Icomplained one night as we lay together in my bed. He doesn't force them. Rian's reply sounded faintly defensive. No, his curse does it for him.He asks you to work from dawn todusk, and you are happy to comply because his curse makes you lovehim above all others including yourself! You re wrong. Rian rolled atop me and pinned my shoulders tothe bed.The fire of anger in his eyes might have cowed a weaker woman,but I met his gaze and waited for him to explain himself.That, alone,seemed to calm him. I hate the Prince. He whispered. I hate the way all people lovehim, though none know him.I hate the fields of false smiles that blossomin his wake.I hate the courtiers and flunkies who trail after him,desperate to ingratiate themselves no matter how coldly he treats them.The anger in Rian s eyes faded and his gaze grew unfocussed ashis thoughts wandered. It isn t right that one man should command somuch unearned adoration, but he never asked for it.His curse does notaffect animals.The stables and the kennels are his escape.I felt my mouth drag into a frown. Oh, the poor, poor Prince.Howterrible it must be beloved by everyone and to always get what he wants.www.bettiesharpe.com 67Bettie Sharpe You re cruel.Don t you think it must be a peculiar sort of hell tolive surrounded by sycophants? Like living in a dollhouse.No matter howperfect your playmates, they are cold porcelain.Soon enough, you wouldlong for the heat, the softness, and the imperfections of living flesh.Youwould long to hear words and wishes other than your own.He quieted and looked into my eyes as though waiting for aresponse.As though he expected me to agree with him.Had I answeredhim, I would have noted how he d gone from hating the Prince todefending him between one breath and the next.I would havecomplained that he seemed to care far too much what I thought of thePrince.I wondered what Rian would do if the Prince were to find and claimme.I wanted to think he would fight for me, but my cynical heart knewhe would give me up as easily as he d surrendered his time and hissympathies.No one could resist the Prince s curse.No one but me.And I was not certain how long my resistance would hold. Ember? Rian s voice broke through my brooding thoughts.Hishand traced a gentle path along my cheek. Your expression is dark.What worries you?I did not reveal my thoughts to Rian, but kissed him instead.Isnaked my hand around his neck and pressed his head closer to mine.We spoke no more that night, and I never again complained that hespent too much time at the palace.68 www.bettiesharpe.comEmberBy the time the moon had waned and waxed again, I d decided itwas as well that we only met when the moon was full and the Prince waslocked in his rooms at the palace.I did not know how I would explain mydisguise, or the reasons for it, to Rian.And the more I came to care forhim, the more I came to fear what he would make of the Cinder Girl.I did not fear he would reject me for wearing a false face, or fordeceiving all who saw me by day no, my worries were far pettier thanthat.The Cinder Girl was beautiful where I was not.She had golden hairand pleasant features.She had all of her fingers and two straight feet.Ido not often dwell upon my looks, but I cannot deny I was afraid mylover might like the Cinder Girl s face and form better than he liked mine.And so I engaged in another deceit.I kept my longing for Rian tomyself and pretended I was content to see him only a few nights amonth.His work and my petty worries made both of us grudgingly happywith the scant time we had together.Besides, who can say whether our time together was not sweeterfor its brevity? We had almost six blissful months of stolen nights beforeI ruined it all.www.bettiesharpe.com 69Bettie Sharpe5.The Loup Why Master Rian, I would not have thought you were animpatient man. Rian s hands didn t slow in their quest to raise myskirts. Only with you. He buried his face in the crook of my neck andscraped his teeth along my skin. I ve been waiting years for you. You exaggerate.We ve been apart for less than four weeks. Mmm. He lifted me against the cookshed wall and entered me inone smooth, divine stroke. I don t care what the calendar says.It hasbeen too long.I agreed with him, but I didn t want to admit it.I d been fond of myprevious lovers, but not like this.I missed Rian when we were apart.AndI missed him for more than just the skill of his hands and the size of hiscock.I missed him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]