Captain Gareth's Mates by Cassandra Pierce Read Free Book Online Page A

love weighed on him like a prison sentence. Suspecting she was attracted to him, as he now did, made the situation far worse.
    If only he’d found a way to stop the madness before things had spiraled this far out of control. His sole remaining option was to find a way to let everyone down easily and extract himself from this world and this marriage without causing undue pain to the people involved. How to accomplish that, he hadn’t the faintest idea.
    He sat up when he heard a rustling sound at the entrance to the dwelling. Three figures stepped inside—Izbal and two of the serving women, one on either side of her, holding her arms as if they were afraid she might run away. Gareth scowled, wondering why they saw the need to restrain her, even if her expression did suggest distress and embarrassment.
    He understood when the two women suddenly nudged her forward and held her in place, presumably so he could inspect her.
    Izbal was garbed in a dress unlike any he had ever seen before, even in space station bars with questionable reputations. Shaped like a simple tube, it dipped in the front not only to expose both her breasts but to cup them so they tilted toward him in a blatant offering. The front of the garment, too, was split to cover nothing but her hips and a small portion of her thighs. An inverse “V” framed the naked place where her legs came together.
    “Izbal,” he whispered, both astonished and embarrassed—and, he couldn’t deny, aroused by the sight. His guilty eyes trailed up her long, shapely thighs, over the downy triangle between them, and higher, to her taut, cinnamon-colored nipples. The fabric of his own robe stirred and stretched as his erection climbed from beneath. Beads of sweat popped onto his brow as he looked from one serving girl to the other. “Go!” he barked.
    The two of them released Izbal and withdrew. Izbal’s hands moved to cover herself. Flames of humiliation blazed across her face and chest.
    Gareth jumped up from the bed and wrapped a blanket around her.
    “I am sorry,” she wept, pressing herself against his chest. “I did not expect this, or I would have warned you. The details of the bonding ceremony are kept secret from the unmarried. I never meant to cause you such discomfort.”
    “No, Izbal. I’m the one who should apologize to you. I would have forbidden them to treat you this way had I known. Come and sit down.” Wrapping an arm around her now blanketed shoulders, Gareth turned to guide her to a seat and paused. The only suitable place was the enormous bed he’d just left. He settled her on the pillows and then stepped back to give her some privacy.
    “So what is this place?”
    Izbal shrugged. “My father had it built some time ago. He has brought each of his wives here. I was likely conceived in this very bed. My mother and stepmothers described the basic features of the structure to me as they prepared me for our wedding. They did not, however, tell me everything.” She looked down at her body, now discreetly covered, and the color returned to her face.
    “No wonder your father has taken so many wives. I can see how it would be enjoyable to stay here,” he admitted, looking around. His attempt to make her smile succeeded at least partially. Her body seemed to relax a little under the blanket, and the stress faded from her voice.
    “We are fortunate, of course. Each couple’s family is responsible for preparing their own refuge. This one is far nicer than most, befitting the household of a grand potentate. I hope you enjoy yourself here, my lord.”
    “I’ve asked you not to call me that. Especially now that I am your husband.”
    Izbal frowned. “Do you have another name besides Gareth? I have wondered.”
    “Yes. Krys. I’ve never liked it, though, and after so long in the military I’ve just stopped using it in my daily life. Everyone calls me Gareth now.”
    “If that is what you prefer.”
    “It is, and I have no title where you are