“But—why?”
Fortunately for him, the drink she had consumed was making her less intractable than usual in the face of his insistence; her hand gripped his arm as they strode on, but she stumbled once, and he felt compelled to slow their pace as he ducked down several narrow passageways in search of the perfect spot. They passed a few servants and at least one noble lady along the way, but they kept moving onward…
And then he found it.Ah, yes…
Easing to a stop, Damien paused almost at the end of a wider stone corridor that had led away from the hubbub of the main courtyard. It was cooler here, and it overlooked a smaller and thankfully empty court, the center of which boasted a nicely carved stone cross, surrounded by a rectangular garden of herbs.
One arched and stone-latticed window-hole was cut into the wall, so that passersby within the castle could look out, if they chose, and see the peaceful sight of the little garden. That window in turn provided the only light for the dim passageway, and Damien pulled Alissende to a stop at the edge of it, turning to face her as he did.
“Here, now,” he murmured, taking in a deep breath and noting with pleasure the faintly spicy scent of the air here. “I want you to take a few moments and do nothing. Try to remove all else from your thoughts but the quiet of this place.”
“What?”
Alissende’s face was slightly flushed, from the wine as much as from the afternoon’s heat, he warranted, and she was gazing at him right now as if he’d grown a second head.
“Do as I ask, lady, before you fret yourself into a faint.” He smiled. “And in the process, remind yourself that it is the opening ceremony of a tournament we attend this day, not an execution.”
“I am well aware of that.” Her flare of indignation deepened those unusual eyes of hers almost to sapphire, and she dug her fisted hands into her hips. “I cannot believe you pulled me away from the main courtyard for—for—” Stuttering now, she gestured out the stone window in the direction of the herb patch, managing to finish with the very eloquent, “—forthis!”
Damien resisted the urge to laugh, however, deeming it likely dangerous to tease her in her current state. Instead, he reached out his right hand and cupped her chin, an action that made her fall silent immediately. Before she had time to formulate another question in regards to it, he murmured, “What—do you not find it beautiful, lady?
She appeared nonplussed. “Well…”
Unable to look again at the garden because of his grip upon her chin, she simply gave a short nod, her wide-open gaze locked with his. “I suppose it is.” That maddening and yet somehow lovely flare of irritation lit in her eyes again, and she countered, “And what of you, sir? Doyoufind it pleasing?”
Damien let another slow smile lift just the corners of his mouth, and the fact that he was staring at her alone when he spoke made quite clear the fact that it was not the garden he referred to at all. “Aye, lady, what I see is undeniably lovely.”
He felt, rather than heard, her hastily drawn-in breath in response to that, and it gave him unaccountable pleasure to know that he had succeeded, at least for this moment, in getting her thoughts off the endless intrigues and forthcoming tensions of their court appearance.
“That is not the reason I brought you here, however.”
“It’s not?” She sounded far less certain of herself this time, and again Damien resisted the urge to grin at her.
“Nay. Having been to Odiham only once before, I confess to not even knowing this garden existed. Last I was here, this courtyard held little more than two benches and some weeds.”
“Why did we come here, then?” she asked, looking even more adorable for the hint of confusion that appeared in the slight crinkling of her nose.
“For this…”
As he spoke, he tipped his head forward for the kiss he had been longing to give her all day, his lips nibbling, teasing hers, brushing with gentle tenderness across her mouth before coming back for a deeper taste.
Alissende made a sound that shifted to a soft sigh. In the instant after his mouth touched hers, she tensed slightly, but then she seemed to melt into his arms, her hands slipping up his shoulders as she stretched into his embrace.
She returned his kiss with a vigor that surprised even him. He wondered if it was the effect of the wine that made her amorous so quickly. It was certainly possible. Through the warm waves of sensation lapping at him as they kissed, he made a mental note that wherever they were living in the future, be it Glenheim or another of her dower estates, he would be sure to keep the place well stocked with a hearty vintage.
After a long, delicious moment the kiss ended, and Alissende teetered back a little, swaying, so that he reached out and grabbed at her waist, steadying her.
“Careful.” Unable to keep from smiling fully now, he continued, jesting, “I’m flattered, however. I’d always hoped my kisses would be powerful enough to make a woman swoon.”
“I am not swooning.” Alissende sounded peevish that he had managed to take her by surprise. “I am simply a bit unsteady.” She frowned. “Perhaps I indulged too heartily in the spiced wine.”
“What a pity that is the cause and not my wondrous skill.” He gave an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose I shall have to keep working on it, then.”
That made her laugh. “You do very well already, if you must know. But you’ll be getting no more kisses until I am in full possession of my senses.”
“When will that be?” he asked, raising his brows hopefully.
“You are incorrigible,” she retorted, but the scolding lost its effect for the dreamy look in her eyes.
