Thirty-Six

 

Between the beseeching look in her eyes and her nipples poking through the thin fabric of her shift, Chase didn't know where to look. He'd be a fool to say no, but what sort of honour would he have left if he said yes?

"If you don't do this, it will be a whole year before the gods have a proper priestess. In their anger, who knows what they might do to me, or the village?" She took a deep breath, and his gaze darted down to her swelling breasts again. "Worse than a wolf pack. Perhaps they will send a dragon to destroy us. It is said the fire god alone can control the fire breathing beasts."

So he'd be honour bound to defeat a fire breathing dragon after all. Good for his reputation, if he survived. If.

Chase opened his mouth to tell her he'd do it.

"You promised to serve me. A week, you said. If you do this for me, give me just one night, I will consider your debt repaid."

By all that was holy, yes! If she brought honour into it, he had no choice.

He tried to keep his expression calm, though he was singing inside. "When you put it that way, Mistress Rosa, then it becomes a matter of honour that I do as you ask."

Her eyes lit up. "Truly? You will help me?" She whipped off her shift and lay naked on the bed. "Then take me, Sir Chase. For tonight, I am yours."

Chase swallowed. Now was not the time to admit he'd never made love to a woman before. But for the first time in his life, he wished he had, for he wanted to do this right.

If her gods helped him to make this a night for her to remember, he would serve them faithfully until the day he died.