by Tina Donahue
For once, she appeared at a loss for words. She lowered her gaze and whimpered. Her robe had parted, once more revealing her nudity. Covered again, she turned her back to him.
Was she going to weep now because he’d seen her flesh, or because he wanted to see even more of it? He held back a sigh and considered his next move. She needed to know all was well, only how to convince her, especially after her cruel words about never wedding him? As though she had a choice in the matter when their fathers had struck the deal long ago, or as if she was unable to endure such a transaction with a Spanish knight after she’d yielded to his kiss while he’d disguised himself as an aged fakir.
Fernando sensed she enjoyed the man he was. The way she’d stared when he’d taken off his disguise was quite clear. Yet, she refused to remain at his side for a lifetime.
What had happened in the days after her abduction and before her arrival at the slave market? He knew the Moors had prepared her for sale. Her parted robe had revealed evidence of their work. What else had they done to her?
Before he allowed himself to consider the matter further and added to her distress or his, he uncrossed his arms but kept his distance to put her at ease. “When did you last eat?”
She hesitated before facing him and looked even warier. “When I ate is of no consequence.”
“Your growling belly says otherwise.” He pulled an orange from one of the hidden pockets in his robe. “Here.” He tossed the fruit.
She caught the orange easily, looked at it rather longingly, yet extended her hand. Wanting him to take it back?
He regarded her. “The orange is ripe, no?”
“I suppose.” She still offered the fruit.
He didn’t take it. “I expected my betrothed to be a lady, though not too pampered to peel an orange. You need me or a servant to do the work for you? Ah, señorita. You must learn the task quickly. After we wed I want you to peel all my oranges for me and feed them to—”
“I can never feed you as I can never—” She threw the orange.
It bounced off the trunk of a mulberry tree and rolled across the ground.
Again, he considered her abduction, what might have happened to make her behave this way. Although it wasn’t likely anyone had taken her virginity, since no slaver would attempt such a thing with valuable merchandise, men found other ways to enjoy a woman’s flesh. Ways in which her virginity remained intact while causing her to feel unworthy of the man who had a claim on her.
If such a thing had occurred, he’d hunt down the men who had dared defile her and bring them great pain before taking their filthy lives. For now though, she was safely back in Spain and on her way to being his bride no matter what she claimed. It was all he allowed himself to consider.
He turned to her. “Food is not to be wasted.” With his hand clamped around her wrist, he brought her to where the orange had fallen, retrieved the fruit, and slapped it in her palm.
“Eat. Then we bathe. Afterward, we journey to your papá’s castle for our nuptials. Say no more on the matter.”
He gripped her wrist and led her toward the stream.
Meet the Author
Tina Donahue is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary, and historical romance for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels (Freeing the Beast, Come and Get Your Love, and Wicked Takeover) were Readers’ Choice Award winners. Another three of her erotic novels (Adored; Deep, Dark, Delicious; Lush Velvet Nights) were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic romance, was chosen Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category) at the French review site, Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Deep, Dark, Delicious received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Take Me Away captured second place in the NEC-RWA contest. And The Yearning was honored with an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. She’s featured in the 2012 Novel and Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company. You can find her online at http://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/, twitter.com/tinadonahue and https://www.facebook.com/DonahueTina1/.