“NO! I will not obey you,” she said defiantly. “Why should I obey a husband who is no husband to me? You ignore me, avoid me, and refuse to share our bed. You are a poor excuse for a husband.”
“On that we agree, wife!” he shouted at her. “Now go to the keep!”
She hurried closer to him and jabbed him again in the chest as she spoke. “Do you not understand when I say NO?”
He kept tight control on his anger not wanting to unleash it on her. “I’m warning you, Purity. For your own safety, go to the keep. NOW!”
She stuck her face close to his. “Why? What are you going to do if I don’t?”
His breathing had turned rapid, his heart hammered against his chest, and his shaft had turned rock hard. The tenacity and courage she came at him with only proved how much she loved him. She wouldn’t give up on him and that made him love and desire her even more.
But he wasn’t good for her and she would never accept that, so he would show her. His strong hand clamped on her jaw and squeezed it. “If you don’t go in the keep now, I’m going to drag you to the barn, rip your garments off, make you get on all fours and take you over and over and over again.”
“Let’s go,” she said eagerly, a spark of passion igniting in her eyes.
He shoved her away from him, more annoyed at himself than her. How had he thought threatening her with wicked coupling would deter her? She had been willing to try anything with him and why—she trusted and loved him.
“What are you waiting for?” she shouted.
He turned and shoved her. “Go to the keep.”
“NO!”
He shoved her again and this time she fell to the ground, her bottom landing in mud and sucking at her hands as she tried to steady herself. He almost reached out to help her, but stopped. She had to see him for what he was—an evil man.
Purity staggered to her feet, fighting tears and she went and jabbed him in the chest again. “You’re even more of a coward, threatening and not having the guts to do as you say.”
Her words stung him more than she’d ever know. He brought his face close to hers and through gritted teeth, said, “GO! NOW! PURITY!”
“NO! NO! NO!” She screamed and pounded his hard chest with her tight fists. “I won’t lose you. I won’t lose you. You can push me away all you want but I’ll come back. I’ll always come back. I love you. And no matter what you do or say, I’ll never stop loving you. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.” Her fists eased their pounding until she brought them to a stop. Her tears fell and she didn’t care. “I will fight the devil himself and go to hell to do it if I must, but I won’t let evil have you. I won’t let evil win. You’re mine and I’m keeping you—forever.”
His arms circled her instinctively, needing to ease her hurt, though how he could do that when he was the cause of it, he didn’t know. He only knew he had to hold her tight, feel her close, hold on to her love. “I am a coward for not fighting as hard for myself as you fight for me.”
“I know how hard it is to fight for yourself, especially when alone with no one there to help you. But you have me now. You’re not alone. I will fight endlessly for you, on that you have my word.”
Arran brought his brow to rest against hers. “You are far more courageous than me, wife.”
“Never,” she whispered and kissed his cheek. “You faced far more pain and suffering than I have and you had to combat evil to do it. You are a true warrior, a champion, and Brynjar can never win against you—unless you let him.”
He shook his head as he raised his brow off hers. “You are far wiser than me, wife.”
Purity smiled. “I can agree to that.”
She brought an unexpected smile to his face, though it turned to a frown when fat raindrops reminded him of the rain. “Though it is not wise for us to remain in the rain getting soaked. As much as you don’t want to lose me, I don’t want to lose you, especially from an illness after being caught in the rain. You need warmth and dry garments.”
“What about what you were going to do to me in the barn?” she reminded.
Arran shook his head again. “No, I’m not going to do that to you.”
“Why not?” she argued. “It sounds delightful.”
“In the keep now!” he ordered.
She continued to argue, “I say the barn.”
“The keep,” he said and scooped her up in his arms, giving her no choice.