“A curse? I knew it!” She rounded upon him, a marvel in her concern for his welfare. “You must change the name of your destrier, for invoking demons is folly beyond allelse...”
Rolfe dropped a finger to her lips to silence her. “It was no demon,” he whispered. “It was adjinn.”
Annelise gasped and her eyes widened. “This is a djinn’s palace,” she whispered. “She was the lady who builtit.”
“And she was compelled to give it to me, which did not pleaseher.”
“So, she cursed you!” Bright color burned in Annelise’s cheeks and her eyes flashed with fury on his behalf. “What a wretched deed to do!” She clutched at his hand. “Can the curse be broken? What must wedo?”
Rolfe smiled that he had made the right choice. Annelise was devoted to his cause already, and their working together could only improve matters. “Here is the part about breaking the curse,” he said, then recalled the precise words uttered by the seconddjinn.
“And whether he feel good orill,
the palace shall reflect hiswill.
Finally, by grace of the powersabove,
let this curse be broken by the blessing oflove.”
Annelise laughed. “But you, sir, do not believe inlove.”
“We have loved with vigor each and everynight...”
“That is the act of love,” she said, interrupting him. “And it is common enough that it cannot be the means to break a curse. No, sir, you must open your heart to me as I must open mine toyou.”
“But that makes no sense. What will be the tangible measure of that love? How will anyone know when it has beenachieved?”
She thought about that for a moment, looking around the courtyard. “Perhaps this strange palace will know when I lose my heart to you, sir.” She lifted her gaze to his, her eyes shining with delight. “But I will know, sir, when you surrender your heart tome.”
Before Rolfe could think of a reply, Annelise closed the distance between them. She slipped one hand around his neck and pulled his head down to her kiss. She was in his arms, pressed against him, her kiss demanding more from him than she had thus far, and he forgot djinns and curses and everything except the lady in his arms. He was breathless when she broke her kiss, awed by her passion, and his heart thundered that she could be both wife andally.
“Let me seduce you this night, sir,” she whispered, her words husky. “Let me share with you all that I have togive.”
It was an invitation Rolfe could notrefuse.
* * *
Annelise had not intendedto seduce her husband so thoroughly and she certainly had not intended to delay their evening meal. But his fledgling trust in her had so pleased her and she had wanted to reward him in a way heunderstood.
She would leave him in no doubt that she was delighted by hisconfidence.
Their mating was wild and thrilling as it had not been before. It clearly pleased him when she took the lead and so Annelise did, touching him and tasting him, teasing him as he had teased her, until finally the fury of desire claimed themboth.
She fed him in the great bed, finding his lips with her fingertips. When she missed and dripped the sauce upon his chest, she licked it off, leading to another enthusiastic bout oflovemaking.
The third time was slow and sweet, so intense that Annelise almost wept. She felt that their bodies and their souls had merged, that they were each part of the other, that it was impossible to think of being without him. Night had fallen completely by the time she nestled in his embrace, dozing against hiswarmth.
He wasprotective.
He was gentle and he waskind.
He liked her impertinence and her passion, instead of finding fault with hernature.
He was the perfect man forher.
Annelise smiled as she heard his breathing slow. When had he slept since their marriage? Where had he slept? It was only right and good that he should sleep here, in their nuptial bed, with her. His heartbeat slowed beneath her cheek and she was glad to have offered him a haven, even for the rest of thisnight.
But Annelise was wide awake. She thought of his confession that he was cursed. She thought of the book. She thought of his fear that she would change her thinking about him if she looked upon him, and she knew she had to becertain.
