Lover Enslaved: Thieves of Aurion, Book 1 Read Online Free Page A

massive shoulders flexed when he stretched his free arm behind him.
    She swallowed hard. Gods, who could concentrate with all that sleek, bronzed skin within arm’s reach? “The person who sent me didn’t feel confident you’d come of your own free will.”
    “Who sent you?” A thread of danger twined through his steely demand.
    “Queen Nalia of Zalan.”
    He blinked, evidently caught off guard. “Why the hell is royalty after me? I haven’t done anything to them…lately.”
    Mara cleared her throat before staring at the floor. Circling the pointed toe of her high heel, she traced the path of the wood grain beneath her feet. Okay, enough stalling. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.”
    “Believe me, I will.”
    She returned her attention to Dash and a prickle of alarm pinched the back of her neck. He was livid—no question about it. The throbbing vein in his brow appeared downright painful.
    Keeping him fixed in her sight, she leaned down and dropped the remote controller into the satchel. His fingers drummed a frantic tattoo against the mattress. When she realized what he was up to, she shook her head. “Don’t waste your time. The collar’s blocking your magic.”
    Murder and all manner of painful vengeance flashed across his face. A sliver of fear trilled up her spine. Good thing the handcuffs and collar secured him.
    He twisted his manacled wrist and cursed when it remained uncooperative. “Might be difficult delivering me to your boss with this bed attached to my arm.”
    Like she’d fall for that obvious ploy. “The queen’s driver is on his way. Your collar’s tracking chip sent him our coordinates when I switched it on.”
    His body stilled again—a mass of tightly bundled fury. Their stares waged a silent battle. Her nerves dancing a wild jig, she wet her lips, hoping like hell he’d take her next threat to heart. “By the way, her driver is built like a Foini bull and mean as one too.”
    He cocked one dark eyebrow in arrogant disregard. “Thanks for the heads up.”
    “I’m just saying it wouldn’t be wise messing with him…or me.”
    “Sweetheart, I’ve no desire to mess around with a Foini bull. You, on the other hand…” he scoped her body with a deliberate, snail-like pace, “…would be fun wrestling to the floor.”
    “Not happening,” she said, her tone flat as the marsh plains outside of Zalan.
    “Never say never.” Eyes glittering with carnal intent, his lips spread into a hard, feral smile. “I’ve tricks up my sleeve that’d make you spread your legs as easy as a Weliker bitch hound in heat.”
    She decided to ignore his vile crudeness rather than stray deeper into his crafty head games. Picking up the satchel, she strode towards the door.
    “Where the hell are you going?”
    Planting a hand on the doorframe, she coolly returned his outraged stare. “Outside to wait for Ronan.”
    “What the bloody hell am I supposed to do shackled here?”
    She gave him a saccharine smile. “You’ve a free hand. Be creative.”
     
    ~ * ~
     
    Don’t invite a Maddoc fae’s touch. They’ll steal your sanity. Her brother’s voice a phantom whisper inside her head, Mara leaned against one of the porch’s peeled log support beams and stared at the stars overhead. She didn’t know about sanity, but they stole hearts. And left them to wither and die in the blackest hour of the soul.
    Nalia’s silver aerocoach floated down the drive, its luminescent headlights slashing the darkness and Mara’s painful memories.
    “About damn time,” Mara muttered, pushing from the porch. She trotted down the steps and waited until Ronan maneuvered the bulky vehicle onto the ground. Compared to Dash’s sleek Riato, the aerocoach resembled an oversized meat locker.
    The tinted rear window rolled down and Piper flew out. “Where is he?”
    Mara found it impossible to corral her impatience. “In the kitchen, making us sandwiches for the road. Jeez, where do you think he’s at?”