His quick glance revealed that the twinkle was still resident in his eye. “But that did not stop me from tryingagain.”
“Yet she resisted you?” Annelise could not help but tease him a little. “Perhaps your charm is less persuasive than might be ideal,sir.”
“Perhaps.” His eyes glowed and his voice dropped low. “Can you resist me,Annelise?”
Annelise stared into his eyes for a long moment, then recovered herself. “The question is whether the djinn could resistyou.”
“No. She only granted me some hope of reprieve.” Her spouse frowned, but Annelise was delighted with hisconfession.
She repeated the words he had shared withher.
“Finally, by grace of the powersabove,
let this curse be broken by the blessing oflove.”
“Yes, that is it,” he acknowledged, watchingher.
“You were the wolf that chased me to the palace,” Annelise guessed. “Why?”
“I saw the other wolf attack your steed.” He shook his head. “I could not let you perish likethat.”
Annelise’s heart skipped. “You did not even knowme.”
His jaw set and he stared straight into her eyes. “I am a knight, Annelise. I have pledged to protect those in danger, particularly those weaker than myself. I fulfill that pledge regardless of my own circumstance. It was the only honorable course and I did as well as I could, under thecircumstances.”
Annelise was ready to abandon her heart to him in that very moment. A man of honor was not readily found in these times, let alone one who stood by his vows, and treated his wife as a thinking creature—never mind one who had shown her suchkindness.
He pushed a hand through his hair. “I forgot that the djinn had insisted that the first woman to cross the palace’s threshold would be required to wedme.”
“A man cursed to become a wolf half thetime.”
“Indeed.” He granted her an intent look. “What manner of marriage isthat?”
Annelise knew. She closed the distance between them and reached for him, noting how he watched her, how wonder dawned in his eyes. She let her fingers slide over his shoulders and around his neck. She pressed herself closer, stretched to her toes, and was gratified to feel the accelerated beat of his heart when she brushed her lips acrosshis.
It reassured her to know that he was not immune to hertouch.
“I think this might be the best kind of marriage,” she whispered, then kissedhim.
He caught his breath, but his hands closed around her waist and he deepened their kiss. The heat surged between them and he lifted her from the ground, feasting upon her mouth as if he would never get enough of her. Annelise hoped he would not. When he lifted his head, she smiled at him, loving how he whispered hername.
“I warned you that I meant to win your heart,” shesaid.
He smiled. “You did, indeed, give fair warning, myAnnelise.”
“And I think the breaking of the curse upon you would be a finestart.”
He smiled with obvious reluctance, his eyes glowing as he looked down at her. “Doyou?”
“I do. Tell me just one thing,” she urged before she kissed himagain.
“No. No, Annelise. Ask me nomore.”
But he halted to stare as she unlaced the sides of her kirtle. He inhaled sharply as she shed the woolen dress, then loosened the neck on her chemise. His eyes brightened when she bared her breasts to view and his gaze fixed upon one nipple as it tightened to a peak in the cold. She lifted his hand and curved it around her other breast, feeling his heart race as he watched the nipple respond to histouch.
“Perhaps it is not so surprising that you believe in magic,” he murmured, his words husky. “For you, my Annelise, readily cast a spell over me.” Before she could reply, he bent to touch his lips to that nipple. Annelise arched her back and closed her eyes withpleasure.
With an effort, she recalled the one thing she wanted to know most ofall.
