War Bride (Battle Born #7)(26)
He cupped her breast and pulled her more tightly against his body. “How did you intend for it to end?”
“I was going to ask you about Arton and then slip out of your dream. You’d only told me enough to confuse me.”
“Well, someone told you a whole lot more than you were meant to know.” He released her suddenly, then pushed her toward the bed.
She dove between the sheets and kept her back turned until he joined her beneath the covers. She couldn’t allow Tonn to take the blame for the situation. It was better to let Kryton believe she’d broken her word. “Dream melds are strange. I didn’t intentionally seek out the information. I just hinted at things I wanted you to explain.”
“Doesn’t that amount to the same thing?” He slipped one arm beneath her neck and wrapped the other around her waist, pulling her back into the warmth of his body. “You still accessed information you had no right to know.”
The argument was counterproductive and she was determined to move forward. His secret motivation had given her a glimmer of hope and she had no intention of squandering the opportunity. “How did you intend to ask for my help if I’m not allowed to know about Arton?”
His chest heaved and his warm breath stirred her hair. “I would have allowed Tonn to tell you once you became more cooperative, or I might have told you myself.”
“That’s quite a paradox because the only reason I’ve found to be at all cooperative is your son’s rescue.”
He pulled her even closer. “It didn’t seem that way while you melded with my dream.”
His hold was restrictive rather than sexual, yet she felt his body harden against her back. “Dreams aren’t real. And dreams don’t result in children.”
“Did you mean what you said?”
She squirmed restlessly, trying to find a position that decreased the pressure of his erection against her back. “Which part? You’ll have to be more specific.”
His arm tightened and his fingers splayed against her ribs. “Stop wiggling. This is important.”
She stilled, but already her body ached for more of what they’d experienced in the dream meld. “Why’d you insist on being naked if you wanted to talk?”
He simply ignored her question and continued the topic he’d introduced. “Is the thought of losing your child what keeps you from responding to me?”
“It’s more complicated than that, but yes. I would be devastated if you took my son from me.” She felt tension ripple through his body. This was another fact she’d only revealed in his dream.
“How accurate are your visions?” A hint of skepticism crept into his tone.
“My brother started documenting them six years ago. He was not able to confirm the accuracy of each because some were too confusing, but only two have been disproved.”
“Two misfires in six years?” He no longer sounded doubtful, more like filled with dread. “How many times have you seen our son?”
He wanted a daughter, needed a daughter if he hoped to reintroduce magic into his bloodline. Was that still his goal? Would he give up if she stressed the futility of his current plan? “I’ve seen him three times. If we continue along this life path, I will bear you a son.”
“Doesn’t your vision make that inevitable?” His hand ascended along her ribs, then cupped the underside of her breast.
“My visions reveal likely futures, but when changes are made the outcome can be altered.” He shifted his hand, stroking her nipple with his thumb. She grabbed his wrist and guided his hand away from her breast. “If I agree to use my abilities to help rescue Arton, will you free me?”
He rolled to his back but left his arm under her neck. “If your abilities lead to Arton’s rescue, I’ll return you to your brother.”
She was no longer sure she wanted to return to her brother. As Kryton pointed out, her brother’s plans for her weren’t much different than Kryton’s. She was still to be forced into a loveless joining to advance someone else’s agenda. She rolled until she faced him, inadvertently pressing her body against his side. “Three attempts. You agreed to that stipulation in the dream.”
“I’ve reconsidered.” He stared at the ceiling, his profile chiseled and stern. “I will only release you if we succeed. You’ll try that much harder if your freedom depends on success.”
“But that’s not what—”
He whipped his head around and silenced her with a glare. “That’s my final offer. Agree or we go on as before.”
She searched his eyes, trying to understand his sudden coldness. Was he frustrated that all of his careful planning would lead to a son, not a daughter? Or was he tormented by thoughts of his firstborn son? Whatever the cause, his ardor had apparently cooled. She should be grateful. Instead, she felt sad and alone. “If I agree, will you stop trying to seduce me?”
A dangerous smile slowly parted his lips. “You’re my mate. As your visions and my dream proved, our joining is inevitable.”
Her jaw dropped. How dare he throw that back in her face? “We are potential mates and my visions revealed one possible future. Nothing is inevitable.”
“If you say so.” He chuckled and closed his eyes. “Your only hope of evading me is to keep me focused on something else. Go to sleep and dream about Arton. I’m anxious to begin.”