He should let her sleep.He climbed the slender iron rope, hands then feet, hands then feet, until he could grasp her window ledge.
He should let her sleep.
But he knocked.And then he knocked again because she did not answer.And then a third time.
The window flew open.He could barely see the details of her shape, but the silhouette of her hands on her hips told him all he needed to know.
“Temple Grant, I told you not to climb through my window again.”
“Not through it yet,” he grunted.“Move.”
Despite her disapproval, she did, and he hoisted himself into her room, falling to his back as he rolled through the window.
“What are you doing here?”she demanded.
He recovered his breath, stared up at the angry woman who had begun to feel… indispensable.
“There is absolutely no reason for you to be smiling like that.”
He pushed to his feet.“Am I smiling?”
“Like a fool.”
“Hm.Here.”He slipped his hand into his pocket, slipped out the rings.“Give me your hand.”
“You’ll have that tomorrow.”She folded it behind her back.
He certainly wasn’t smiling now.And she wasn’t budging.
So he cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for a long, lazy kiss.
She came to him so sweetly, her body molding against his own, her feet flexing as she went to tiptoe, her hands searching as they curled in the taut linen of his shirt.He was marrying her to get something out of her, everything he could.But he could make sure she got something in return.An even trade.This woman had not been loved enough.
He began to suspect he could remedy that.No potion necessary.
“Temple?”
The taste of his name on her lips his favorite flavor.He deepened the kiss.Iron still sizzled throughout him, and he wanted to claim her.The rings in his palm, pressed against the back of her neck heated.
She moaned.She pulled to drag him lower.“You’re too far away.”Lust-drowsy words.“Why are you too far away?”Those with the sharper note of wakefulness.Palms flat against his chest, she pushed out of his embrace.“What is wrong with you?”
A rock-hard cock, that’s what.“Nothing you cannot fix.”He grabbed for her.
She ducked out of the way.
“Have you taken a potion of some sort?You… you’re huge!”
He scowled and looked at his hands.“Apologies.Happens.”
“What do you mean ithappens?”
She dragged him to the bed, sat him down on its edge.
He popped right back up.Knew what happened in bed.If he sank into hers, he would not get back up until she was no longer thinking about his size.
Well, maybe he wanted her thinking about his size, but not with appalled worry.
He settled at the window, crossing his arms over his chest.A seam in his shirt gave way with a loud rip, and he winced.“Keep forgetting you don’t know us.Alchemists’ bodies react to handling their element.Iron is rich in my blood right now, and my body… makes room for it.”
