Tainted by Cyndi Goodgame Read Free Book Online Page A

desire and anger all wound up into one Ian pinched smile.  I was trapped.  And every man standing here knew it.  Ian was enjoying every second of this little display of revenge build-me-up-to-just-combust show when just two days ago he was giving me the choice to walk away from him.   This is the Ian I knew well, just not ever used on me.
    I blinked once.  Twice.  When I opened my eyes he had the slight glow.  I darted my eyes around to see if anyone was seeing it.  No one else seemed to be indifferent to anything to his little show though Pike was a bit to clear minded.  I was the only one as far as I could tell.
    He walked over to the ring and whispered to one of the unarmored guards who only finished his second day of training.  He nervously peered around Ian and looked wide-eyed at me.  He shook his head no and I distinctly heard Ian say forcefully, “You will.”
    The boy bowed and stood back in the ring.  Ian turned to me and held his hand out to walk into the ring handling a sword intended for me.  “He will not harm you.”
    “But he’s new.”  The old me would be having a panic attack right now, not the new true to herself Wonder Woman who was standing up to her man at the moment and silently shouting, “I will conquer all!”  I raised my neck up to look superior.
    “His father was a record breaking swordsman.  He will not harm you.”  He repeated himself.  He did the repeating thing often enough when he was mad.  But this wasn’t the part of Ian I knew well.  This was a manly man working with the men Ian.  The manly man who thought he was teaching a man and didn’t question my ability until he knew I was a woman in sheep’s clothing.  So unfair.
    I heard Pike’s knuckles crack and glanced his way.  He was giving me a big old I-told-you-so stare.
    Fine! He wants tough! I stepped up and delivered the first blow.  My opponent was just going to let me win anyway so why not make them take notice.  I threw a slice on his arm and he pulled back.  When I ripped his shirt, he gritted his teeth and looked at Ian.  “Don’t look at him.  Look at me, you moron.   Now fight me or I’ll pardon you from your duties.”  The dog looked at Ian again.  “I am the queen.  Stop looking at him and fight me like you should, not like he told you.”  Ian shrugged at us both and said, “She has you there.”
    I was so glad I’d been practicing.  If holding up this heavy sword was important in the heat of battle, count me out.  But don’t mention that to the men just yet.  They’re already on my bad list.
    The boy didn’t hold completely back, but he stopped several times when he was about pierce skin and tore my dress into pieces instead.  He did have great control of where his sword was at any given moment as evident by the men and their chuckling man giggles.  Ian stepped in and excused the boy taking over his place.  He knew I was tired but his point was not yet made and he was holding all the cards at the second. I held my own for a girl in his eyes, I knew it.  But he had to have the upper hand and held back what he could really do anyway.  I swung, he blocked.  It was really the only move I knew.  When we were finally about to call it quits, my dress was shredded.  Zena, warrior princess would be proud of this outfit.  I had shoulders showing, thighs, stomach muscles that I was blessed with being proud of, and my dress in the back was completely torn to shreds without a single scratch to show for it. It showed a lot of leg for the Fey world. I had two nicks on my left knee made by my own hand and my gown was now a mini -mini skirt in danger of repeating our Halloween night fiasco! 
    We drew a crowd as we always seem to do no matter what we did, but all were aware of my appearance and not winning the fight with Ian.  My first thought was to ask for a cover, but my second thought won me over in the tease Ian back department.  Paybacks!
    I walked my best side to side