The Seduction (Unexpected Circumstances 2)

“You find that funny?” Branford inquired, and for a moment, I thought him angry, but when I looked to him, he was smiling slightly. He released my wrist and chin.

“A little,” I admitted. I calmed myself and went back to my task. “I belong to you, of course. I was given to you when we married—by Father Charles. It’s supposed to be that way.”

“Is it now?” Branford said with a smirk.

I looked up into his eyes again, trying to determine if he was telling me I was wrong, agreeing, or possibly just teasing me. I couldn’t determine the answer from his expression.

“I think so,” I mumbled. I focused back on the edge of his jaw, running the razor carefully over the curve.

“Marriage is a union, Alexandra,” Branford said when I moved to shave the opposite side of his neck. “As I told you on our wedding night, I do have expectations of you, but there are things I must do for you as your husband. You belong to me, but I am yours as well. You will take care of me and our children, and I will protect you and provide for all of you. What happens to a man if he cannot provide for his family?”

“Um…well…” I stumbled over my words, not expecting the directness of his question. “In Hadebrand, his family may be taken away and given to a man who can provide for them. It would depend on his station, but one of Princess Whitney’s other handmaids was taken from her father when he could not care for her and her mother.”

“I better make sure I provide for you,” Branford said.

“But you are a prince,” I reminded him unnecessarily.

“Only as long as I keep my kingdom safe.”

It was yet another idea I had not considered in a long list of things I had not pondered. There were many, many individual kingdoms within the realm, and though only a very few had stood strong for centuries, a handful of others combined to become stronger. However, the majority rise and fall as loyalties change and battles are fought.

“Is that what happened to Sterling?” I asked, tensing as soon as the words left me, for I did not know if this was a subject about which Branford would speak.

“Not…exactly.” Branford’s words were strained and his voice deep. I could see the tension in his jaw. “I’m not prepared to discuss that with you.”

“I’m sorry, my lord.” The words flowed out of my mouth automatically, just as the muscles in my neck and shoulders tensed for the potential physical assault. He did not make a move toward me, so I looked back to his face and studied him carefully.

His jaw was still tight with his teeth clenched. His hands were drawn into fists, and the muscles in his arms and chest were tensed and more clearly defined. Everything about his body screamed against the contained anger and violence within—everything except his eyes.

Branford’s eyes held the deepest sorrow I had ever seen. I had never witnessed tears from a man, and something inside me reacted instinctively.

Without thinking, I placed the cup and razor on top of the cabinet to free my hands. I reached out to him, and though I saw his eyes darken, narrow, and glare at the movement, I didn’t stop. I touched the edge of his jaw with my fingertips and then moved them further up his cheek until my fingers reached his hair.

“I’m sorry, Branford,” I said. “I don’t remember my parents, so I never really mourned for them. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you and Ida. I’m sorry.”

Branford’s eyes softened as they shifted to look into mine, but his jaw remained clenched. After a moment, I saw his throat move as he swallowed before he spoke.

“You had better finish with me,” he said. “I’m sure there’s something Ida is expecting me to do, and if I disappoint her again, I will never hear the end of it.”

I gathered up my tools again, quickly finished the last spot on his cheek and then moved to his chin and upper lip. Once those were complete, I probed his

skin with my fingertips, checking for any spots I might have missed. I found none and bit down on my lip to keep from smiling at myself. I took the last towel from the basin and covered his face in the heat again. I let Branford sit with his face covered for a moment while I cleaned the tools I had used, removed the wet towel, and gently patted him dry with a clean one.

“Excellent,” Branford said as he smiled broadly. His hands ran over his face while his eyes looked at me. “Thank you, my wife.”

“Anytime you wish, Branford,” I replied.

“You will spoil me, I think,” he said with another smile.

“Am I not supposed to?” I inquired. Branford laughed.

“Whether you are supposed to or not, I hope you continue.”

I nodded but could no longer contain my smile. Branford rose from the chair and stepped closer to me.

“I want to kiss you,” Branford said abruptly. He reached up and pulled my face closer to his. “Is that all right with you?”

“Yes,” I said, my breath already gone. “You don’t have to ask me for that.”