A Kiss of Fire (A Kiss of Magic #2)(37)

His fingers went to the hem of her gown, sliding beneath it and caressing her bare ankles. He slowly removed her slippers, caressing her feet as he bared each one to the air.

“What are you doing?” she asked against his lips as a sultry groan erupted out of her. He was rubbing her poor beleaguered feet. He knew that some days she felt that it was better than sex. Well…almost.

She kissed him almost frantically, wanting to return his gift of pleasure any way she could.

“Hush,” he said once he could come up for air. “Let me do this. Let me do all of the work.”

He rose up off of his knees and bent to slide her back onto the bed, laying her down onto the pillows. She had to adjust her weight a moment and he helped her by tucking in a pillow here and arranging a limb there. Once she was reclined in a half supine position, he sat on the bed at her feet and pulled them into his lap. He immediately set about rubbing the swollen appendages.

“You’re too far away,” she complained, reaching out toward him.

“And you shouldn’t be on your feet so much,” he scolded gently.

She settled down, not having the means to argue with him when he was making her feel so good, which he had been counting on. Eventually his massage began to work its way up her legs.

It wasn’t long before he had slipped her dress off of her body entirely, followed quickly by her underclothes, and was massaging her everywhere he thought a tense or sore muscle could possibly lay. When he focused on her belly, his child rustled about as if in response to his touch. He liked to think that was it. He liked to think that his scion knew he was there, already taking care of his every need. Taking care of his mother’s every need.

By the time he reached her breasts, she was sleepy with sated pleasure. Now, this was a tricky moment. His instincts were to let her be, to let her fall asleep and relax. She needed the rest more than she needed the intrusion of his desires for her body. However, if he stopped she might take it as an insult…that she was too unattractive to him for him to want her. It was ridiculous of course and on a good day she would admit that, but there was no telling if this was a good day.

He slid up on the bed behind her, cupping her entire body with his, spooning her perfectly although she was nude and he was clothed as yet. He let his hand fall onto her belly and he simply rubbed her in a slow languorous circle, hoping she would fall asleep and rest.

“Don’t you want me?” she murmured sleepily.

“Always,” he assured her, his voice soft. “But I want you to rest. I can satisfy my cravings for you later.”

That made her smile.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Your promises don’t mean much at the moment,” she murmured.

The accusation stung, but she had every right to feel that way.

“This one means something,” he assured her as he pressed a gentling kiss on the spot right before her ear.

She sighed.

After a few minutes of silence, she fell asleep.

Dendri did not. But he lay there with his wife for quite some time, his mind turning over political ramifications again and again.

The world of Saren politics was about to be set on its ear…and he was going to be trapped in the middle of it. And if he was caught, then his wife would be caught. There was no way around it for him. He would have to work very hard to protect her, but he didn’t see how he could do that at a distance as great as the one between there and Kilt.

He would simply have to find safe hands to leave her in.

As his wife slept, he began to consider who that might be.





Chapter Eleven


Sin looked up from his work when a commotion was raised up outside of his study’s door.

“He’s going to see me!” he heard his brother’s strident voice say. “Out of my way or you will find yourself eating your meals through a straw for the rest of your days!”

Then there was a slam as the outer office door was shoved open. His brother’s large hand was the only thing that kept it from recoiling and striking him in the face as he stepped inside Sin’s sanctum.

Raj Vich stormed across the room to the desk his brother was sitting at, pressed both fists down on the surface of it and leaned into his brother’s face.

“You have Ariana Colla held prisoner?!” It was hard to tell if it was a statement or a question. Odds were he wasn’t asking; he was demanding confirmation.

“Ariana Colla is a guest in this house,” Sin said mildly. He had figured the information would filter down to his brother eventually, but he had hoped to have more time than just a couple of days.

“A guest under guard?”

Again, it was hardly a question. His brother clearly knew the answer already.

“She is being carefully guarded for her safety.”

“You stole her from her home city and dragged her here against her will!”

Now that disturbed him. Those sorts of details could only have come from one of the men who had been there for the kidnapping event. The idea that one of his men betrayed him did not sit well on him. Still, he did not let that disturbance show on his face. He kept his expression calm and placid.

“What is your point?” he asked his brother.

“The point is you are risking a war! Thousands of lives could be lost because you…you…you have a hard-on you cannot control!”