Carpathian 01 - Dark Prince

her slender form. Mikhail swore softly, a few choice words in his own language, thankful he hadn't realized she was wearing nothing but his shirt beneath his cape. He probably would have torn out Romanov's throat. The thought of Raven approaching the young man, smiling at him, mesmerizing him with her siren's eyes, bending her head to his throat, touching him with her mouth, her tongue, her teeth… His gut clenched in total rebellion at the picture.
    He raked a hand through his hair, hung the cape in his closet, and filled the old-fashioned pitcher and basin with warm water. Once he had his imagination under firm control he could answer her with his usual gentleness. "No, little one, after giving it thought, I cannot say I would have been happy had you been feeding."
    "Isn't that what I'm supposed to do? A Carpathian woman preys on unsuspecting humans." There was an edge of unshed tears in her voice.

    Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    Mikhail carried the water over to the side of the bed, knelt down in front of her. "I am trying to understand my feelings, Raven, and they do not make sense." Very gently he began to bathe her feet.
    "More than anything I want your happiness. But I feel the need to protect you." His hands were gentle, his touch tender as he removed every speck of earth.
    Raven ducked her head, rubbing her temples. "I know you do, Mikhail, and I even understand to a point your need to do it; it's just that I am always going to be me. I'm impulsive, I do things. I decide I want to fly a kite and the next thing I'm doing it."
    "Why did you not stay inside? I asked for time to come to grips with my terrible fear for your safety."
    His voice was so incredibly gentle, it brought tears to her eyes.
    She touched his coffee-colored hair with her fingertips, felt an ache in her throat. "I wanted to go outside on the porch for fresh air. I had no other thought, but the night just called to me."
    Mikhail glanced up at her, his dark eyes warm with his feelings for her. "It was my mistake, I should have set safeguards to protect you."
    "Mikhail, I am capable of looking after myself." Her blue eyes were very earnest, impressing on him the truth of her words. He really didn't need to worry.
    Mikhail did his best to keep from smiling. She was too good, always believing the best of everyone. His fingers circled her small calves. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Raven. You do not have a mean bone in your body, do you?"
    Raven looked indignant. "Of course I do. Don't smile like that, Mikhail; I really do. I can be just as mean as necessary. In any case, what has that to do with what we're talking about?"
    His hand moved upward to her rib cage beneath the thin silk of his shirt. "We are talking about me needing to protect the one person who matters to me, the one who can only see good in everyone."
    "I do not," she denied, shocked that he would think so. "I knew Margaret Summers was fanatical."
    His hand moved upward to caress the soft underside of her breast, to cup the weight of it in his palm.
    His eyes had gone black and deep with emotion. "You defended her, as I recall."
    He was taking her breath away with his absent, leisurely exploration of her body. It was more than physical; she felt him inside her, admiring her, even as he wanted to force her compliance to his will. She felt him in her body, stroking her mind, caressing her heart. She sensed his feelings for her growing and growing until they consumed him.
    Mikhail sighed softly. "I am never going to get anywhere with you, am I? You have a way of disarming me. I am the leader of my people, Raven. I cannot have this. I have no choice but to resort to orders."
    Her eyebrows flew up. "Orders?" she echoed. "You think you'll give me orders?"
    "Absolutely. It is the only recourse open to me that prevents me from being a laughingstock among my people. Unless, of course, you have a better idea." There was laughter in the depths of his eyes.
    "How do I divorce you?"

    Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    "I am sorry, little one," he answered blandly. "I do not understand this word. In my language, please."
    "You know very well you speak English far better than I speak your language," she said. "How does one lifemate split from the other? Separate. Break apart. No longer together."
    The glint of humor in the depths of his eyes deepened to total amusement. "There is no