Page 12 of The Princess Tied

To the left was the drop into the waterfall chasm.

Water spilled in dribbles and a small spray down the lichen-covered, red-brown rock to the right, filling the shallow concavity with cold water. Her nipples had shrunk to aching points, and goosebumps had sprung up all over her breasts, arms, and the rest of her—she probably had them on her rear. Po hugged herself, then with soap in hand she waded into the middle. It was a foot deep at the most. On the far side was a crevice that led into the mountain side, and at the back of that was a way upward. If she dared. She would get scratched, likely. She might fall.

Her studies numbered among them, riding, archery, dancing, chess, clockmaking, algebra, swimming, cooking, and best of all, climbing—using pitons, ropes, and with people at hand to take the weight of the rope if she fell. Even so, it was climbing. Small heights only so far, but she did have the right muscles, and heights did not bother her.

Po sucked on the inside of her cheek for a moment.

It was possible; therefore she would do this.

She would be naked. Po frowned. The man had spare clothes in his saddle bags. She could ride in men’s clothes for long enough to reach the town they’d passed at the bottom, among the foothills. The mayor would see who she was and summon aid.

She must be quiet, must not get too wet, or she would slip on the rocks. She placed the dry soap aside, stirred the water noisily as if she were washing, then waded across and into the crevice.

“Come around that corner,” she sang back over her shoulder, “And I will push you over the edge.”

“Ah! Now the murderous princess is revealed.”

“Asshole,” she muttered, surprising herself, as she’d never called anyone that, ever, out loud. “Asshole,” she repeated, just for the pleasure of letting it roll off her tongue.

Then she found her footing, calculated her route upward—she could see the lip of grass above, and began to climb. One step at a time, make sure the holds were secure…

And she must be quiet.

It was when only a few feet up that she heard a noise below as if water swirled. Po looked up for the next handhold and it was high, and she’d need to go up on tiptoe. Swiftly, she did so and stretched and reached.

A hand grabbed her lower ankle. “I thought you were too quiet.”

Damnation. She shut her eyes.

“Come down before I pull you down.”

“Let go of my ankle first.”

“Just do it. Now!”

How dare he threaten her. Anger rising, heart thudding, she descended, despite his grasp on her ankle, then on her thigh, then on her hip as she reached bottom.

“And what a view that was.”

He sounded so self-satisfied that she turned to slap him, only to find her wrist smacking into his hand as she swung.

“So predictable, Princess.” Grinning, he pressed her into the smooth face of the rock, holding her already captured hand high above then catching her other hand and yanking it up there too, gathering them both under one fist.

By then she was panting from all the exercise and her annoyance at being caught and pinned so indiscreetly—which made her chest heave even more. Which made him look at her there, his eyes settling on her breasts then languidly travelling lower and stopping again at her sex. His eyebrows rose, as if he were startled. Her maids regularly waxed her there into a slim V.

“How dare you!” she spat.

He met her gaze. “I dare because you are the cause of Xander’s kidnapping, with your dabbling in pirate shares and eggplant stocks. I dare because you lied to me and tried to run.”

“I never said I wouldn’t!”

“No?”

“No! You disgusting—”

He covered her mouth with his palm, muffling the rest of her words. Then, then he leaned in closer and stared directly into her eyes.

“I’m going to tie you up again and then soap you too, rinse you off. I think a clean princess can be achieved quickly. And if you protest too much, I will fuck you here and now.”