A Kiss of Fire (A Kiss of Magic #2)(95)

“I wanted you to come for me. I realize that now. I knew you would and I wanted it more than anything.”

“I will always come for you. I will retrieve you in any possible way. This time I chose to try your way of doing things, although I must admit it was difficult to overcome the urge to do it my way again. That and they were guarding you like hawks.”

She laughed at that, and then kissed his lips gently.

“What are we to do now?”

“I do not want to think of consequences at the moment. I want to think of nothing that will chase you from my arms.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she promised him.

“I do not believe you,” he said gravely. “I think you will leave me again at first opportunity.”

“I won’t. I promise, we’ll find a solution. Meanwhile, can we just enjoy one another?”

He grinned like a wolf at supper. “You will not have to do much to convince me of that.” He slid down her body, disconnecting from her much to her dismay. He trailed wet kisses down her breastbone then over to one of her breasts. “You so rushed me just now I didn’t get to enjoy all my favorite delights.”

She smiled as his mouth closed on her nipple and he applied light suction. The tip grew hard and pointed in the cavern of his mouth. He flicked his tongue over her.

He came back up and kissed the smile from her lips, devouring her like a starving man.

“My lady? Are you here?”

The couple in the bed froze as Mariah’s voice entered the dark room. Light spilled from the open doorway and onto the bed and Mariah gasped to see them there. She hastily looked away from their naked, entwined bodies.

“My lady, I-I’m s-so sorry.”

“It’s all right Mariah. See to drawing a bath for me. I’ll be in shortly.”

“Another bath? But you just—“, Mariah broke off as she realized she was being dense. She made a hasty bow and hurried from the room, shutting the door in her wake.

“Will she gossip?” he asked with a frown. “I do not want you open to slanderous gossip.”

“People are already gossiping now that I’ve publicly accepted your suit. It will be in all of the papers tomorrow. I saw to it personally that it would be. I want my people to have a lot of time to get used to the idea of you and I being together.”

He reached to touch gentle fingers to her cheek, brushing back a stray curl.

“Does it matter what they think?”

“It matters in that I want them to think well of the match. Wouldn’t you care what your people thought?”

“I would, but they would not greatly influence my choices. I am not as answerable to them as you seem to feel you are to yours.”

Ariana suddenly frowned. “Whatever did you do about your brother? He was always calling you out on your choices. Did anything ever come of my warning?”

“I discovered he was indeed plotting against me. He was responsible for the attack on us that day when we were riding. He was also responsible for setting Mordol on you. I will never forgive him for either…but especially not for the danger he put you in. It seems he realized that you were going to be my wife and would soon breed my children. He wanted to cut off the possibility before it even happened. Were it up to him he would have me alone and childless for the remainder of my rule…and then see to that rule meeting an abrupt end.”

“I am sorry. I know what a betrayal that must have been.”

“It was. He spoke out against me often, but I never thought him capable of such treachery.”

“And where is he now?”

“I wish I could say I know. He has fled and is on the run, always a step ahead of my guard who follows him.”

“Then who have you left in charge of everything while you are here chasing after me?”

“My mother.”

“Is she safe with your brother running around loose?”

“I have the temple well-guarded. I have brought troops into Temple City. Even if he could drum up an army for himself, he dares not attack her directly. It is more likely he will try and discover where I am and make an attempt on me.”

“And does he know where you are?”

“I am certain he has spies. Men like Mordol whom I think I can trust only to find them duplicitous. I have had Lindo doing interviews with those closest to me, making certain they are worthy of trust. As a Jadoc, Mordol was not easily read…not even by Lindo. It was far too easy for him to slip by unnoticed.”

“I don’t like the idea of your brother knowing where you are when you are not protected well. You should not have come with so few men.”

“Any more than what I have and you would have seen me as a threat. I did not want to appear aggressive.”

“Perhaps not. Can your men be trusted?”

“Lindo says they can. It would take a rigorously trained mind to deceive Lindo now that he is looking for betrayal.”

“You should not be here while your brother runs loose. You should have waited until he was caught.”

“That could take months. Perhaps even years. He has men and resources, people who are loyal to the idea of him becoming raja. I will have to watch closely lest he raise a decent enough army to cause trouble.”

“You cannot watch him from here,” she said anxiously.