Chained To Him [Editing]

Chapter Forty

She was lost in thought when the sound of the doorknob turning tore her abruptly into the present. She was still in her day clothes, not daring to move or undress without his permission. When Aragon slipped inside, he slid the bolt in place across the door before looking at her again, as if she had said something he didn't understand.

"My lord," she greeted softly, pushing lightly off the bed to stand before him. When she reached for his jacket, he pushed her hand away and set his jaw.

"Your attempts to avoid my anger are grating."

"What else am I to do?" She kept her voice soft, but she could hear the desperation that crept unwillingly into her words. "Will you hear me out if I explain myself?"

"No."

"Then—"

"Do you know why, Jayde? Because you know exactly what you do, and you know how fucking infuriating I will find it, and you do it anyway."

"You want me to be afraid of your anger."

He gripped her arm and pulled her close, his eyes gleaming. "I want you to obey; I don't want to hurt you to make you listen."

She could feel her own anger rising, urging her to argue with him even as he loomed over her. But she carefully tucked away the feeling and instead lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You know what I would do if you were one of my soldiers? I'd make you take that man's place, then turn you out to nurse your bleeding stump of an arm in the street."

Jayde said nothing, even when Aragon shook her roughly to look at him again. She tried to keep herself relaxed in his grip, but he looked like he would pounce on her at any moment, and she was sure her rapidly beating heart betrayed her.

"So how should I punish you? I don't think you intended to lose a limb when you intervened today."

"You don't have to punish me," she whispered, slipping her hand over the fingers that dug into her arm now. "If you truly don't want to hurt me, then why not just speak to me instead?"

"Because I know you, and I know that won't work."

"You've never tried."

He smiled coldly and let go of her to gently cup her cheek. "I won't pander to you, Jayde. I know you're clever, and I know you understand how to behave."

Jayde touched his hand and wrapped his fingers in hers. "I didn't want to cross you. But that man didn't deserve that kind of punishment, and I thought...that perhaps I could convince you."

"Because you spent one night in my bed without without bracing yourself for me?"

She flushed and closed her eyes, aware of the way he continued to scrutinize her. "It wasn't just that."

"Oh?"

"I thought we...something was different."

The anger disappeared momentarily from his face before his brow furrowed once again. But his glare had softened, and he seemed to pull her closer. "Why was that?"

Jayde set her hands on his chest and found it impossible to meet his gaze any longer. She looked at the buttons of his coat, letting her fingers rest against his collar. "I wasn't afraid of you."

He scoffed, but he didn't look away. "And your heart can be bought that cheaply?"

"No," she smiled softly. "It can't. But it does help."

"Hmm," he murmured, and then he leaned in to kiss her, gently enough that some of the tension left her shoulders. "I'll keep that in mind." Another kiss, and then he let go of her entirely. "But I still plan to punish you for what you did. You undermined me in front of my officers and soldiers, as well as the people in this town. I may appreciate your spark in private, but it's another thing entirely to question my authority publicly."