A Kiss of Fire (A Kiss of Magic #2)(92)

“I am in robust health, my lady, I assure you.”

She sighed in happy relief. “It is still soon for you to be making such a trek on horseback.”

“I am perfectly healed. I shall prove it to you at the earliest opportunity.”

There was wicked promise in that statement. A wickedness that was reflected in his eyes. Ariana felt a warm flush skip quickly over all the surfaces of her skin. Yes. Prove it to me. I want you to prove it to me, she thought fiercely.

“I look forward to your demonstration,” she said boldly.

There was a hitch in his step and she smiled secretly to herself as he sent her a burning look. He squeezed the hand she had settled in the crook of his arm. When they reached the table, he ignored all protocol and gave no opportunity for anyone to seat him anywhere but right at her side. He seated her and took the seat immediately to her left. It wasn’t such a huge breech in etiquette. When at a formal dinner party the triumvirs preferred to seat themselves so they were peppered amongst their guests, able to entertain them and to perhaps aid in negotiating peace or trade treaties. And besides, Ariana had already arranged it that he would be sitting next to her.

As they began to eat and conversation grew, it was clear that her kidnapping was heretofore referred to as a diplomatic visit. Everyone on both sides silently agreed to not acknowledge the tenderness of feelings that her forced visit to the Kiltian court may have left behind. Instead, Jutsin and Mason treated the dinner as they would any state dinner. As an opportunity to further relations between their two peoples. They discussed how well the Kiltians were settling into their new land, and the potential for new trade once that land began producing a variety of grain and produce. Things, like Kiltian wine, would come to be in demand. Even though the Sarens produced their own wine, the exotic blends of grapes known only to the Kiltian winemakers were much in demand. Because the Kiltians had had to import all of the grapes for their wine in the past, this made the wine rare. As a rule, they did not trade away what they would need for themselves. Now that they would be producing their own grapes they might be able to mass-produce their wine, allowing it to be shipped overland to Saren or even other countries.

This was only one example of the things Kilt might be able to provide to Saren once they were on their feet and living comfortably in their new land.

Supper seemed to take forever, and Ariana barely tasted her food. All she was aware of was the dynamic man beside her and way he would slip his hand beneath the table, letting it run up the length of one of her thighs, his fingertips ghosting along the seam where her legs were pressed together. Her breathing went off-kilter when he did this and her skin turned hot and damp. She wanted him so badly. Nothing else mattered. Not the impossibility of their situation, not the difference in their cultures and most certainly not the opinions of her people. She didn’t care about any of it.

The meal ended and they arose from their seats.

“Perhaps I might interest you in a walk in the gardens?” Sin offered as he gave her his arm.

“In this weather? In the dark?” Mason asked.

Ariana was already thinking of the last time they had been in those gardens together. It had been their first kiss.

“You know the cold cannot bother me,” Ariana said quickly. “And it is a lovely moonlit night.”

That was barely the truth. The moon was only half full. Neither of them bothered to stop for anything like a cloak for warmth. They could keep themselves warm. They could keep each other warm.

Ariana’s heart was thumping so loudly it was a wonder the sound of it wasn't echoing into the cold, stark night as they walked deep into the gardens. Unlike the temple gardens, the capitol gardens had had decades to grow, and so they were thick and lush with evergreens and, in spring, everything from tulips to cherry blossoms. For now, he took her to the hedge maze and drew her inside the entrance and out of sight of the capitol building. He swept her into his arms and she rushed willingly into them. His mouth crushed down on her with unconcealed violence, his tongue sinking deep, marauding within her mouth and demanding her response.

She went weak and willing in his strong embrace, her entire body going warm and then hot. It had nothing to do with her power over fire and everything to do with his power over her. Ariana felt all the layers of their clothes between them and she groaned her frustration with them. She missed the easy comfort of the Kiltian style…where hands had easier access to soft, warm parts of the body.

As it stood, he held her to himself with one hand on her backside, using it to drag her hips flush to his. She could feel how hard he was and her hand went to the fly of his breeches so she could shape and mold him through the tight fabric. He groaned into her mouth and his hand came up to caress her breast through the silken fabric of her gown.

“I wasn’t sure you would accept my suit,” he rasped after breaking away from her mouth. “When you did I knew you still wanted me. Why did you leave me?”

“You know why,” she said breathlessly. “I had to think of my people. Of Mariah. Of everyone else but myself. But I don’t want to think about any of that right now. Right now all I want is your hands on my body.”

His hand squeezed her breast, then his fingers dipped beneath the low cut neckline of her gown until the point of her nipple was between them.

“Like this?” he demanded of her.

“More!” She gasped when he pinched that nipple almost punishingly.