Bonds of Blood [Lords of the Expanse] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free

turned to face her once more.
    “I normally am aboard a vessel which I command,” he told her softly. “I have a home in the country in which I reside when I am not required within the city. As to living together or not, that would be your choice, my lady, though on my world husband and wife do not live separately unless they are separating.” Or if he was keeping a mistress. “Sending you home is not an option, and, this is something you should consider now as well, my lady. You will likely never return unless I am able to schedule it into a route of my ship.”
    She shouldn’t have felt relief, she really shouldn’t, but she did. “I will admit that I haven’t traveled in space much at all.” She took a step closer to him, looking out the windows and seeing nothing but his reflection. They were a striking pair, he with his short blacker-than-endless-space hair and she with the unusual natural lavender color. The citron of his eyes made her want to have them watching her always, but she held her tongue. He was after all a man and as such…well she didn’t have too much trust in men. “I would rather not live away from a husband I had. When I wed, I would like it to be forever. I want to have one man only as the man who wakes at my side each day.” She shrugged and closed her eyes. “And of you, my lord? I have to admit to much ignorance where your people are concerned. Do you marry once, or as many wives as you can handle?”
    “We marry once, though separations do occur,” he said to her, looking down at her face and wondering why she seemed so nervous. “There are cultures on our world where a second or third wife is not forbidden, all at the same time, but not here.” Turning slightly, he tipped his head to better see her face. “Why do you ask?”
    “Because I don’t think I could be a second or third wife to any man.” She nodded and turned to face him. “If you had your choice, and please don’t give me the side speak and twisted words of a diplomat, if you had your choice, would you marry me?”
    “I don’t know you well enough, my lady, to make an accurate determination, but based on what I’ve seen thus far I see no reason not to,” he told her honestly. “You appear healthy and with a strong will of your own. You don’t appear to be fragile in a way that would cause you any problems with living on our world or among the peoples here.” Raking a look down her form, he ticked off other criteria in his head as to her shape, her form, her stance, and the breadth of her hips. “I see no reason to cancel the wedding unless you have something you wish to bring to our attention, my lady.”
    She shook her head. The relief was almost instantaneous as she looked at him. “No, there is nothing.” She bowed her head to him and turned back to the window. “When would you like to proceed? Will it be soon or would you rather send me back home and have it be at a later date more fitting your schedule?” She prayed to the moon and stars he wouldn’t send her home.
    Signaling behind her back to the chancellors, he kept his eyes on her. “We are ready now, my lady. If you wish to change, feel free to go with my assistant to your chambers. We will reconvene at your convenience,” he added so that she wouldn’t feel rushed at all. “Or, if you wish, we can delay until another day if you wish for any of your people to be present.”
    She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to leave this room until I am safely married to you.” The whisper of fear was there because she knew if she walked out of that room, Diego would feel it his place to ensure that she was properly reprimanded for allowing them to keep him out of the chambers.
    Stunned to hear her words, especially the tremor of fear, Andries nodded slowly. “If that is your wish, my lady, we can accommodate you.” Nodding to the chancellors, he offered her his hand. “We’ll need to go into the next chamber to meet with the minister. Do