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Remembering how much she’d enjoyed their evening sitting and talking, drinking wine together, Dianora answered honestly. “No, I ‘m tempted by you. I want—” But here her courage failed her and she couldn’t end the sentence.
Garrin took her into his arms and his arousal pressing against her through their clothing. “The ring brings you to me for a reason—we two are meant to be together. I find you intoxicating, my lady.” He gave her a kiss but when she sought to deepen it, he broke off the caress. “I admire your beauty but I also admire your courage, especially today in the stress of combat. Few who are untrained and unused to the savagery could have done what you did.” He rubbed his nose against hers. “Let me wash the stain of battle from myself and then may I come to you? I think we need to test this connection of ours, do you agree?”
She nodded, resting her head against his chest.
“We should wait until later, when we can have the entire night uninterrupted, but I fear I desire you too much to delay,” he said.
“Right, we have to go visit the wounded,” she said, disappointed they couldn’t shut out the entire world and concentrate on each other. Garrin was the ruler here, with responsibilities and cares besides her and she needed to remember his role. And her role? Did she even have one, aside from being a time traveling meddler?
“And we’ll be dining with my sword brothers, to plan our next move against the Craadil. I want you there as part of my inner circle. Your voice will be valuable.”
“Me?” She tapped herself on the chest and frowned. “I don’t know anything about waging war. Well, maybe I’ve read a lot of history texts about war and tactics but you and your men are the experts.”
“If we are to be life partners—” He placed a finger on her lips to stop her protest. “I know, I’m getting ahead of myself and I assure you I assume nothing but it’s my nature to plan and to think out the future. If we are to be life partners, then we must be equals and you must be involved in matters affecting the Argorn. Your insights and advice must be taken into account from the beginning. My people must understand who you are to me in all ways.”
Dianora was warmed and pleased Garrin was so egalitarian, given the times in which he lived and ruled. “I’m honored and I’ll try to live up to your faith in me.”
Now he did kiss her with all the pent-up passion the tension in his body was broadcasting. She parted her lips to give him access and Garrin took possession like the warrior he was, tongue thrusting and tasting and caressing. He held her close and tight and she ached to give him more. When they drew apart, breathless, he said with a grin, “Your bath water grows cold so I’d best not keep you from it.”
“Where are you going to bathe?” She didn’t think the tub was big enough for them both unless they were really creative and she lamented the lack of a shower.
“There are other rooms adjacent to mine. I’ll return when I’ve scrubbed myself off.”
Dianora cupped the impressive bulge in his pants. “Scrubbing is all you can do. You have to save all of this for me. You can imagine me in the nude in here, bathing like a goddess but you’re not allowed to spend yourself anywhere but in bed with me.”
He threw his head back with a shout of laughter. “So my lady is a bossy minx. Fair enough but you may be sorry when you see what I bring to the bed.”
She slid her hand inside the waistband of his pants and stroked his hard as steel cock, relishing the feel of the soft skin over the rigid shaft. “I won’t be sorry and neither will you.”
Still in a good humor, he removed her hand, kissed her cheek and sauntered out of the room, whistling. Dianora pulled off her boots, stripped out of her cargo pants and tee shirt and dropped them in a heap on the carpeted floor. The clothing was stained and she had no desire to look at the visible evidence of the battle she’d fought and the enemy she’d killed. Placing her bra and panties on a nearby chair, she tested the water which was quite warm and stepped into the tub. There were green granules in a shell on the edge and she cautiously tipped a few into the water, where the particles foamed into iridescent bubbles with a pleasant garden scent. Resting her head on the tub’s rim, she luxuriated in the warm bath, enticing her tightly strung nerves to loosen and relax. The lovemaking soon to happen in Garrin’s bed generated heat in her inner core and she allowed her fingers to drift to pleasure herself.
Smiling at how sternly she’d forbidden him to do the same, Dianora stopped herself as the orgasm was building and sat upright.
The maid knocked and bustled in, holding another large pitcher. “I’ve brought the rinse water, my lady.”
Embarrassed, Dianora rose carefully to her feet and stepped onto the thick bathmat. “Surely we’re not going to pour the water onto the floor.”
Indicating a tiled area with a drain in the corner, the serving woman said, “If you’ll step over here, milady.”
The rinse was quick and then she gratefully accepted the plush towel the maid produced. Making a mental note of probably the first of many things which she’d have to change in the future, bathing practices becoming less public became a high priority.
“I’ll take your clothes to be washed,” the maid said as she moved toward the big bedroom beyond.
“There are things I need in the pockets,” Dianora protested.
“I’ll be sure to empty the pockets and place your possessions on the table here.” A worried expression crossed the servant’s face. “None of your magics will do me harm to touch, will they?”
“Of course not.” Realizing her answer was too abrupt, Dianora added, “I’d have warned you first.” Sweeping her gaze across the room, she asked, “What am I going to wear while my clothes get washed? Garrin said we’d be having dinner with his men and I have to pay a visit to the medbay.”
“I’m sorry, the what?”
“The clinic, the hospital, wherever the wounded men from today’s battle are.”
“Ah, yes. The injured lie in the healer’s infirmary. Your robes are here, on the chair. Do you need help dressing?”
“I’ll figure it out, thanks.” Wrapping the towel more firmly around herself, Dianora stepped to the chair and examined the pale blue underdress and the dark blue robe. There were other clothes on the chair as well but she wasn’t about to wear more layers. Her own lingerie would be fine and she had her boots. With a chuckle, she imagined the unfashionable picture she was going to present.
“My lady amuses herself?”
