"He was taking her breath away with his absent, leisurely exploration of her body. It was more than physical; she felt him inside her, admiring her, even as he wanted to force her compliance to his will. She felt him in her body, stroking her mind, caressing her heart. She sensed his feelings for her growing and growing until they consumed him. Mikhail sighed softly. "I am never going to get anywhere with you, am I? You have a way of disarming me. I am the leader of my people, Raven. I cannot have this. I have no choice but to resort to orders. I cannot have defiance from my own woman." Her eyebrows flew up. "Orders?" she echoed. "You think you'll give me orders?" "Absolutely. It is the only recourse open to me that prevents me from being a laughingstock among my people. Unless, of course, you have a better idea." There was laughter in the depths of his eyes. "How do I divorce you?" "I am sorry, little one," he answered blandly. "I do not understand this word. In my language, please." "You know very well you speak English just as well as you speak your language," she said. "How does one lifemate split from the other? Separate. Break apart. No longer together." The glint of humor in the depths of his eyes deepened to total amusement. "There is no such thing, and if there was, Raven"--he bent very close, his breath fanning her cheek--"I would never allow you to go." Raven looked innocent and wide-eyed. The hand on her breast, his thumb stroking her nipple, was making it hard to breathe. "I was only trying to help you. Royalty has so few options these days. You have to worry about what the public thinks. You can rely on me, Mikhail, to help you ponder such issues." He laughed softly, tauntingly male. "I guess I must be thankful to have such a clever lifemate."