He laughed and brushed her lips with his, kissing along her cheek to her ear, where he nibbled and sent shivers racing through her. The ache turned into an inferno.
“Just do me one favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Wear this until I can take it off you.”
“I can do that. If things go smoothly tonight.”
He sighed and rested his forehead against her head. “The odds of that are bad and really bad. Something’s definitely brewing.”
“I’m just hoping it’s not a bloodbath. I’d really hate to see this dress ruined.”
“I’ll buy you another. Hell, I’ll buy you a dozen in different colors, and you can wear them around the apartment.”
“You might find it distracting.”
“You’re damned right I’ll find it distracting, but at least then I’ll be able to do something about it.” He bumped his hips against hers again.
Before she could respond, an angry rumbling of voices sounded from the other side of the granite stage.
“To be continued,” Mal said regretfully, easing away from Law. “We’d better go see what that’s about.”
Law swore, his hands tightening on her hips. Abruptly he pushed himself away, shaking himself as he strode off. Mal followed, admiring the way Law’s tuxedo wrapped him. His ass looked edible. Woof.
Chapter Twelve
What they foundon the other side of the granite stage was a good old-fashioned pissing contest. A group of large and small giants faced off against a group of large giants. They were arguing and insulting each other in English and their own language, with what sounded like progressively ruder insults. Finally one hit a really sore nerve, and his target, a small giant, swung her fist and clocked him in the side of the thigh. He staggered, bellowed, and tackled her, smashing her to the floor.
The rest jumped in, and it turned into a melee. For about ten seconds. Then the floor swallowed them up. One minute they were there; the next, they’d been sucked down, leaving behind an unmarred floor. Several onlookers protested and looked annoyed, and a dozen other giants descended, clearly eager to join the fight.
Law had other plans. He stepped into the middle of the now empty space and raised a hand to settle everyone down. When he had everyone’s attention, he spoke.
“If you wish to engage in any sort of physical contest, you may do so in the space provided down the brick path out that way.” He pointed. “No magic is permitted within that space. Anyone starting a fight here will be ejected from Effrayant. Do I make myself clear?”
His voice carried throughout the entire pavilion and beyond. He stared at a group of four big virdanas who now approached him. They surrounded him like four sequoia trees around a sapling.
“This is unacceptable. We are allowed to defend ourselves, anywhere, at any time,” one declared in squeaky voice.
“We will not tolerate insolence,” another said, her long, curly hair wrapped in a netting of sparkling gems.
“As I said, you can take it out the brick path if you feel the need to be physical,” Law said, uncowed by the way they loomed over him.
“Without magic,” a third one said in disgust. “We do not agree to have our hands tied. That is not our way.”
She made the mistake of balling up her fist and lifting it. All of a sudden, the four dropped until they were hip-deep in rock, with several arms and elbows trapped as well. Now it was Law’s turn to tower over them. His expression turned glacial.
“Your protests are noted. The rules stand as given. Do you understand?”
“You are not so powerful, little man,” said the one virdana who’d not yet spoken. She had her arms folded, so they hadn’t been caught in the rock.
She’d dressed simply, wearing a close-fitting azure gown, tailored to fit her ample curves perfectly. Her red hair curled tight and short against her head, and her eyes were coppery blue, like pennies in the ocean. Her skin, like most of the giants’, was a reddish clay color and silky smooth. Her gown fastened to her torque, which was blue and white. A chain of glittering diamonds hung down the middle of her naked back, splitting apart where it touched her dress and following the edges of it back up along her sides and along her breasts to where it fastened to the torque.
Her nose ring held a diamond teardrop surrounded by sapphires. She wore no obvious weapons, ceremonial or otherwise.
Mal edged closer as others in the crowd did too, sensing a confrontation coming and wanting to see the fireworks. Everybody always wanted to see the bloody disasters up close and personal. People were all the same, no matter their species.
Law turned to look at the virdana, who, having made her rude observation, was waiting for his return volley.
