“Tell me just your name then,” shemurmured.
He stiffened at her suggestion, then tried to hide his response. Instantly, Annelise knew that she had found anissue.
“I cannot.” He released Annelise abruptly and backed away, his expressionwary.
This was no good. Annelise was determined to dismiss his curse and she needed his help to do as much. It was promising that he had confided as much as he had thisnight.
But she would havemore.
There was one thing she could offer, one deed for which her spouse clearly had a weakness. Annelise was not above using the weapons shehad.
She shook off her chemise, tossing her shoes and hose aside. When she stood nude before him, his heated gaze danced over her. He licked his lips and shesmiled.
He wanted her. It was a start, but Annelise needed more frommarriage.
She wanted this man to loveher.
She was going to ensure that he did. She would break his curse and earn his love. She walked slowly toward him, pulling the pins from her hair and shaking the tresses out, andsmiled.
“Then I shall guess your name, husband of mine,” shewhispered.
His eyes widened. “You cannot. You shouldnot.”
Annelise savored how his gaze burned when she stopped directly before him. She immediately set to unlacing the front of the shirt he haddonned.
“But I can.” She kissed his chest, liking when he caught his breath. “And I will,” she vowed, then kissed him upon his mouth. It took him only a heartbeat to respond. His hands found their way around her waist and he lifted her against himself, slanting his mouth over hers in a most satisfactoryway.
“Be warned, sir. I am good at solving puzzles,” she whispered when he lifted hishead.
Her spouse chuckled. Annelise glanced up to see him smiling down at her and the intent in his eyes made her heart beat faster. “I cannot dissuade you, can I?” hemurmured.
Annelise shook her head. “No. I like you best as aman.”
Helaughed.
His shirt was discarded in short order and she began to unlace his chausses, her touch silencing hislaughter.
“But Annelise...” he began to argue, until her busy fingers made him gaspaloud.
“Is it Michel?” she whispered. “Antoine? Richard? Gautier?Christophe?”
“No, Annelise.” He groaned beneath her caress. “No, no,no...”
“Didier? Bayard?Edouard?”
“Annelise!” he protested when her fingers closed around him. He whispered her name again as she caressed him, and Annelise pulled his head down for a soul-shatteringkiss.
It was some time before her husband had enough breath to argue with heragain.
