The Bargain Read Online Free

with a loud thud. She held her breath.
    On the far wall, she could see a man's form in shadow. He appeared huge, tall, with immense shoulders. Then again, she reminded herself, even the smallest of men could appear giantlike when cast in shadow.
    Mayhap those broad shoulders belonged to someone other than—
    "Aleysia of Braemere."
    Her heart hammered hard against her breast.
    Damn! It was de Wulf, and he knew she was here. For the love of God, did the man have eyes in the back of his head? How could he know she had come here when he had been so occupied with the servant wench? Unless, of course, he had finished.
    As though reading her thoughts, he said, "I followed you, little one, so you may as well show yourself now. Or mayhap you would like me to climb up the ladder and join you in the bed of hay."
    She had never moved so fast in her life.
    As she descended, he moved to help her, but she stopped. "Do not touch me" she said, venom dripping from her voice.
    He stepped back, a smirk on his lips. "Very well."
    Making the final step onto solid ground, she turned. "Why do you follow me?"
    "Why did you leave the hall?"
    "I wanted solitude."
    He watched her intently, his gaze sliding over her in a way that made her stomach flip. "Why?"
    How she yearned to slap that smirk clean off his face. "Your men are drunk, as are you. I was not enjoying the spectacle."
    He reached out and plucked a piece of straw from her hair. "Were you not? The way you watched so intently made me think otherwise."
    She frowned. He had to be joking. "I was merely appalled by the public display. That was the only reason I stared as I did. I could scarcely believe my eyes."
    He laughed then, his white teeth flashing in a boyish smile. To her chagrin, he was even more handsome when he grinned like that. "You could scarcely believe your eyes? Now that is a compliment."
    Compliment? Was the man mad? "What do you mean?" The words had scarcely left her mouth when she understood exactly what he meant. The size of his cock. God's breath, the man was incorrigible.
    "Come Aleysia of Braemere," he said, extending his hand. "I have need of a surgeon and you shall assist."
    "A surgeon? You seemed well enough a moment ago."
    He lifted a brow. "Do I detect a note of jealousy?"
    Feeling her cheeks burn once again, Aleysia lowered her gaze to just beyond his shoulder. "I most certainly am not jealous. However, I believe she would jump at the chance to attend you, my lord."
    "I am sure she would, but it is you I want," he said, his voice silky soft.
    She had not expected that bold statement. Nor had she expected the leap of her pulse from such a declaration.
    When she did not take his hand, he reached for hers, wrapping his fingers around hers. How large his hand was, and calloused, much like her father's had been. The hand of a warrior. Nothing soft about it, and the touch sent a current through her. An odd sensation. She pulled her hand from his, but he snatched it back, frowning down at her. "You will not leave my sight, do you understand?"
    "Am I a prisoner then?"
    "You offered a bargain, Aleysia—and I accepted. You will abide by that bargain. For now you belong to me."
    "And if I refuse?"
    "I will kill your brother."
    She stopped in her tracks. There had been no apology in his tone whatsoever. In fact, he made it sound as if he would enjoy killing Adelstan. She ripped her hand from his grasp. "What a horrible man you are to say such a thing!"
    The moonlight had cast them in shadow, but she could still see his eyes, and she saw the surprise there. "You think me horrible? I let you live. I let your brother live. And you yourself are the one who offered your body for your brother's life. How does that make me horrible?"
    Two guards who stood in the shadows laughed, and she wondered if they overheard the conversation.
    Ashamed that others possibly knew of her brazen bargain, heat flooded her cheeks. "Aye, you are horrible because you kill innocent people!"
    "These are times