Master of Iron (Bladesmith #2)(81)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO


Knocking wakes me.

At first, there’s the extreme disorientation of waking up in an unfamiliar place. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.

And then there’s the snoring coming from the body beneath me.

Kellyn.

I get to admire him for all of a second before the knocking comes again, this time louder.

Kellyn rouses.

“What?” he asks.

The door opens, and Petrik strides in. Dressed and clean and looking for all the world like he could take on Kymora and her army single-handedly.

He looks between me and Kellyn for less than a heartbeat. “Good, Ziva’s here, too. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down. You’ve both been requested to attend another meeting with my brother and sister. You have one hour before it starts. A servant outside can lead the way. Try not to be late this time.”

And then Petrik whistles—whistles—on his way back out the door.

Kellyn’s head falls against his pillow. One arm shields his eyes from the light. “You probably should have had me lock him in here last night.”

“Why?” I ask.

Kellyn moves his arm, looks at me with amusement. “Why do you think he’s in such a good mood?”

“Because he and Temra finally made up.”

“They did more than that, Ziva.”

I feel my mouth drop open. “No! He wouldn’t— She wouldn’t—”

Oh, Temra absolutely would. And Petrik would be helpless to deny her anything she wanted, let’s be honest. Not that he would have any desire at all to deny her that. He’d be a willing and eager participant.

“Ick,” I finally say.

“Try not to think about it,” Kellyn says.

“I think Petrik and I need to have a talk.”

“What will you say to him?”

“That I’ll kill him if he does anything to hurt her.”

Kellyn rubs his lips against the side of my head. “I don’t think you need to worry about that, but Petrik could use a good scare every once in a while. I’ve never heard you sound so terrifying.”

“And I’ll need to have another talk with Temra.”

“About?”

“Being careful.”

“Careful?”

I eye him. “Against pregnancy.”

“Oh. You mean— Sorry, I didn’t know there was a way for women to control that.”

He looks extremely uncomfortable, which I find vastly amusing.

“There are herbs,” I inform him.

“I didn’t know. My parents obviously don’t bother with such things.”

That has me laughing so very hard.

And then I catch my breath, because what he’s saying means—

“So you didn’t know?” I ask.

“I just told you I didn’t.”

“No, I mean—all the women you’ve been with. You didn’t know whether or not you both were being careful?” He could have children that he doesn’t even know about.

That thought makes my stomach turn sour.

Kellyn bolts upright in bed. He hauls me up after him, holding me at arm’s length so he can look me in the face. “All the women I’ve been with? Just how many women do you think I’ve been with?”

Oh, I hate this conversation: being forced to think about how much more experienced Kellyn is than I am. My jealousy is almost a tangible thing with the way it consumes every space in my body.

“With your pretty face?” I say. “You’re probably approaching a dozen.” And then I worry over my answer. Will he think it too low? Have I offended him?

Who cares, Ziva?

This is not the time to—

“Ziva, I’ve never been with anyone.”

My eyes fly up to meet his. “What?”

“Not a single person.”

“Oh. But why?”

He laughs at the question. Then sobers. “Have you been with anyone?”

“Are you joking?”

“I didn’t want to assume—”

“You were my first everything, Kellyn. Well, not everything. Yet.”

And then I feel the blood rush to my face.

“Oh no,” I say, burying my face in my hands. “I didn’t mean that,” I mumble between my fingers. “Please ignore—”

“Yet?” Kellyn snags on that word like it’s some tasty treat. “Did you have plans? I need to hear all the details immediately.”

I try to grab the covers to bury my face within them, but Kellyn wrenches them from me.

“I need to go … get dressed,” I supply, making an attempt to roll out of his bed.

But he will have none of that. He moves his big body, pressing me into the mattress, caging me in. “Ziva, please look at me.”

He’s hovering above me, with his delicious weight warming my whole body. I sigh, find my courage, and move my hands.

Only to have his mouth capture mine.

The embarrassment disperses like a match being struck, and I kiss him back with everything I have.

All too soon, he pulls away, resting his forehead against mine. “I love you.” He says those words again, and my whole body melts through the bed, pooling in a puddle somewhere beneath it. “Don’t hide from me. No more hiding. We’re past that, aren’t we?”