The Curse (Belador #3)(71)

That was the danger of playing this game. Someone would get burned and he couldn’t afford for it to be him this time. Not with so much at stake.

He knew of only one hope for getting past the shields around her mind without her catching him. He’d have to overrun her senses until she couldn’t think. Take her to the edge of climax and hold her there, separating her mind from her body.

She waited for him to acknowledge that he’d enjoyed their coupling as much as she had.

Refusing to allow the anxiety riding her gaze to deter him, he answered with cold determination. “Fine. We’ll call the shagging a draw. That make you feel better?”

She winced. “So that’s it? You aren’t willing to forgive me? Or is it that you don’t believe me?”

He looked away, searching for the anger he’d carried for weeks. How could the pain in her voice slide past his resolve and feed the guilty knot in his chest? Swinging his gaze back to her, he admitted, “I don’t know what to believe most days.”

Hope unfolded in her gaze, delicate as a rose opening to sunshine.

Did she speak the truth?

He cursed the stars above for putting him on the opposite side of a war from her.

“I am sorry, Quinn. I would never use you against your own people if I had a choice.” She floated just above the floor, moving toward him until he could feel the heat coming off of her.

He reached out and ran two fingers along her cheek. Her smile trembled. He swallowed, strangling on the urge to wrap her in his arms and keep her safe from everything, including himself.

“What is it, Quinn?”

“Foolish thoughts.”

Her sensuous lips curved with a smile. “Tell me.”

“Just wondering if we’ll ever see the day we aren’t enemies.”

“You’re not my enemy.”

He started to correct her, but she’d realize how wrong she was soon enough once he gained the information he needed.

Hadn’t that been the point of calling her in? To seduce her so he could mine her memories?

She unfolded her hands as if she intended to lift her arms and wrap them around his neck, but hesitated.

He’d been an arrogant fool to think he could do this. Sweat dampened his upper lip. He would gain the information some other way, but not by using her.

She put her hand lightly against his chest and he stifled a moan. His skin yearned to feel her hands everywhere. Her fingers toyed with the dusting of blond hair on his chest. He grasped her hand to stop her from tormenting him.

He was supposed to be doing the tormenting.

Cupping her wrist to his lips, he kissed her skin.

She moaned as if his mouth had been somewhere far more intimate.

Her eyes were closed and her mouth slightly parted, waiting.

Reason fled with another slip of his control, leaving only the hunger that pushed him into dangerous waters. Releasing her wrist, he pulled her to him. He touched skin, lots of soft skin exposed by the backless gown.

He kissed her, savoring the taste he craved more than his next breath.

She clutched his damp hair and hugged him closer. Her lips burned against his with fierce determination, urging him to take as much as he wanted. More.

Nothing should taste this sweet. He devoured her mouth, tangling her tongue with his.

Hair finer than spun silk brushed over his hands, reminding him of times past. Her on top. A curtain of lava-red hair cascading over his chest and shoulders.

He held her with one arm, lifting a hand to cup her breast and brush a finger across her nipple. She gasped hard and tensed.

His conscience warned he had to stop now or go for broke.

Grabbing Kizira’s upper arms gently, Quinn pushed her away. “You should go.”

Her eyes blinked with confusion. “You want me to go? Why? Because you don’t trust yourself around me?”

“I accept your apology. You should go before we do something else you’d regret.”

“I would not regret making love with you, Quinn.”

“We’re on opposite sides of a dangerous conflict. We can’t do this.”

“Yes, we can. Don’t waste our time. I might get called back to T?μr Medb at any moment and I don’t know when I can slip away again. If you accept my apology, then accept me.”

He had a duty to the Beladors, but he saw no honor in stealing from Kizira’s mind when he had no idea what Flaevynn might do to Kizira if she found out how he’d gained the information. “I am a danger to you.”

“Because you want to search my mind for information?”

Dear goddess, she knew. What had he done to give himself away?

“Stop beating yourself mentally,” she told him in a calm voice that showed no hint of worry, or anger. “I came here knowing you probably hated me for what I did, but I could not live with the guilt and hoped you’d allow me to explain. I didn’t expect you to just welcome me back in. I knew you’d need a reason to allow me to come into your room again and assumed it would be to gain information on the Medb.”

“You expected me to take advantage of you.” He shouldn’t take offense since he had baited her into his suite for an ulterior purpose, but that didn’t wipe away the film of shame sliding across his senses.

“No.” She shook her head. “You are the most honorable man I know, which is why you’re trying to push me away. You can’t go through with what you want to do, but I deserve to have my mind breached after what I did to you.”