Nadir snapped out of his daze, and his features faltered as Bala started to walk away. “What—No—Bala—wait— come on!—” Nadir’s fist clenched in the air just as Bala left them, and he cursed under his breath.
“You’re trying really hard, aren’t you?” Nyssa teased.
He sighed heavily at her words, his hand reaching into his own hair as though he could push his fingers through it. “I respect your sister. So as much as I’d love to take you on to this dance floor and put the Blackhands to shame, I’ll have to settle for the two minutes of conversation Bala was nice enough to allow us to have.”
“I suppose that’s it then?” Nyssa asked. “You’ll be off to woo one of these Blackhand women? Charm one of them into your bed?”
The blue-green of his eyes was hardly apparent with the dilation he looked at her with. He grabbed his own cup, and the right corner of his lip quirked just so. “I doubt I’d enjoy it now.”
“Why not?”
“None of them are you.”
She had to bite her lips to conceal the outburst of laughter she so desperately needed to release. She wondered how many other women he’d used that same line on before.
"I can't believe you just said that," she mocked, eyes watering at trying to hold in the laughter. “Does that usually work?”
He hung his head as though she’d scolded him. “Occasionally,” he admitted.
Nyssa snorted into her cup despite herself. “Those poor women,” she bantered.
Nadir chuckled out loud this time, his head swinging back. “You know, you’re really not helping our situation.”
“And I really don’t know what you mean."
“I think you know exactly what I mean,” he said before taking another sip of his drink. “Do you know what else I think?”
She was grateful for the table behind her, knowing she would have been swaying with the wine otherwise. But she smiled crookedly up at him nonetheless, and she hugged her arm into her chest. “I don’t, but I have a feeling you’re going to tell me.”
He leaned closer to her, his hand pressing into the table almost at her back. “I think you’re much more dangerous than anyone in this room gives you credit for,” he uttered in such a low tone that the purr of it caused the hair on her arms to raise.
Nyssa cleared her throat and forced down the flutter in her chest, grabbing onto her sarcastic defense.
“That’s a bit of an insult, Commander. How dare you,” she bantered.
Nadir laughed under his breath. “I do dare, Princess,” he winked.
She started to retort, but the appearance of Draven crossing the dance floor and joining her sister diverted her attention. She knew by the look on her sister’s face that she would notice no others in the room.
So Nyssa pushed off the table and held out her arm to Nadir.
“Come. I’ll show you who’s available.”
He eyed her, gaze narrowing with deliberate tension. “I’m not sure that’s smart,” he finally determined.
“Come now, Commander,” she said. “We can’t take each other back to our beds tonight, even if it is something we both want—”
His brows arched high, but she ignored his inherent surprise.
“—The least I can do is help find someone suitable to take my place,” she finished.
“I’ll need you to repeat the first part again.”
Her head tilted at his banter, and finally, Nadir took her arm.
“Lead the way, Princess.”—
“—Nys?”
