Pharaoh's Desire by Chanta Rand Read Free Book Online Page B

dark eyebrows and well-manicured mustache and goatee.
    Dyzet had explained that the proper way to greet a Pharaoh was to bow and remain silent until given permission to speak, yet she stood hear ground, refusing to bow.   An uncomfortable silence hovered in the air, and she was filled with mounting anxiety, wondering what move he would make next. She saw his heated gaze upon her body, his eyes roaming from the top of her head to the heels of her feet. After a few moments, she could no longer keep quiet.
    “You summoned me?” she boldly asked.
    His eyes met hers and they narrowed slightly. “Has no one instructed you in observing the proper protocol?” he asked.
    “Yes,” she admitted. “I have been tutored extensively. In Nubia, women are allowed to speak freely at court. And we do not bow to our captors.”
    He walked slowly around her, circling like a bird of prey. Then, he paused and crossed his arms over his chest, his disapproval evident. ”You realize such insolence could get you killed?”
    Her reply was low and raspy. “Alas, I am not dead.”
    A dark shadow crossed Amonmose’s face. “I’ve given strict orders that you are not to be harmed in any way. If someone has given insult to you, I shall have the perpetrator’s head.”
    Kama bravely marched on. “It is you who has offered me the greatest insult. I would gladly face death a hundred times than be cursed with the fate you have in mind for me.”
    Hefrowned, his full lips quickly becoming a grim line. “And what fate is that?”
    “That of your concubine.”
    “Who fills your head with such thoughts?”
    Kama did not answer. How dare he play games and pretend that was not her intended purpose here?  
    “Find your tongue, woman,” Amonmose said dangerously.
    When she remained silent, he grabbed her arms, pulling her against him.
    Her heart slammed against her ribcage in fear. She had not realized his strength until that very moment. Her original plan had been to insist he release her immediately, but now she realized that was foolish. He’d taken her as one of his war prizes, and she had no influence over him. She could not simply make demands upon a mighty ruler like him. She had to be smart about this.   She must use diplomacy to demand her freedom.
    “Pharaoh Tehutimes, please grant me my leave. I have nothing to do with the wars you wage. I am no threat to you. I am but one helpless woman.”
    Amonmose stared at her, his amber eyes smoldering. “No. You are mine now.”
    Kama chose her words carefully, struggling to keep her anger at bay. “Sire,” she proceeded cautiously, “I am not for you.” Her thick eyelashes fluttered against her face, embarrassed. “You do not … please me. I could never willingly lay with you. So, if you want me, you must force me.”
    “I do not please you?” he asked incredulously and then tightened his grip on her arms. “I have provided you with food and shelter and taken care of your wounds. I have kept you from harm and provided servants for you! You have lived like royalty instead of a foreigner in a strange land! Yet, I do not please you ?” He loosened his hold on her and pushed her away. “To think, I have arranged for your every comfort, while all this time, the very thought of being my concubine has made you relish death instead!”
    Kama looked away, refusing to meet his hard gaze.
    But he placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face toward him, forcing her to look him directly in the eyes. “It matters little to me that you do not want me. All that matters is that I want you.”
    Kama felt her rage rising again, slowly simmering like a pot on a fire. She had tried to appeal to his sense of fairness, but he’d brushed her away like an insect. She wanted to scream in frustration.    How dare he treat her like chattel?   “Do what you will then, Pharaoh. If you want me, you must force yourself upon me. But always know that you would be with a woman who is repulsed by your