A joke, but the thought of Tarben feeding me chocolates had my toes curling. As did the idea of having more nights like this.Stop it. Focus.
I didn’t know what had come over me, but I had to regain control of myself. Tarben needed to confess his love for me, and it was time I gave him a shove.
“Will you give me a truth?” I asked, abruptly changing the subject.
If he was taken aback, he didn’t show it. “Of course.”
Pretending to think, I bit my lip in the way I knew drove males wild. As expected, Tarben’s gaze fell to my mouth. “Have you ever been in love before?”
He blinked at me. “No, have you?”
I traced my finger around the rim of my goblet. “No.” I paused for a moment. “Why not?”
“I like to think it’s because I hadn’t met the right woman. What about yourself?”
“The same. I’ve never met anyone worth giving my heart to.” I looked at him through lowered lashes. “At least not until recently.”
“I feel the same way, in fact…” He touched my hand. “Divine goddess, you’re freezing.”
This was the second time that had happened today. Truthfully, I’d been shivering in the thin material of my dress, but now was too important of a moment to worry about something as trivial as my body temperature. I waved off his words. “I’m fine. You were saying?”
“It’s not fine—your hands are like icicles. Let’s get you inside,” he said, standing and offering me his hand.
Swallowing my frustrated sigh, I slipped my fingers into his and allowed him to steer me inside the sitting room. It was gloriously warm. And, more importantly, free of servants.
The cozy space was dimly lit; the only light came from the flickering flames of the hearth and a few candles arranged across the mantle. Perfect for seduction.
Tarben reached for a woolen blanket in a basket next to thehearth. “There,” he said, draping it around my shoulders.
“There are other ways you could keep me warm, you know.” The husky quality to my voice was no accident.
“Oh really?” he asked, his mouth twisting into a sly smile. “What do you propose?”
The rapid thud of his heart rivaled my own. “You could come closer, for a start.”
He took a step towards me, closing the space between us. He gazed down at me. I had never noticed the traces of amber in his eyes before—like honeyed sunbeams reflected on a blue-green lagoon. “Like this?”
I allowed my eyes to lock onto his. Allowed him to cup the side of my face in the palm of his warm hand. Allowed his gaze to study mine, then rest on my lips.
A single, subtle shift, and yet, with it, all logic and reason abandoned me. “I want you to kiss me,” I uttered, barely audible.
He maintained eye contact, edging closer and pausing just shy of my lips. “Close your eyes,” he commanded in a whisper.
Barely breathing, my eyes shuttered closed. At last, his lips found their mark, tracing the softest of kisses against my own.
The noise that escaped me was somewhere between a sigh and a moan, and his body responded without hesitation.
His featherlight kiss immediately gave way to something more desperate. With both hands cupping my face, he kissed me like it was akin to breathing. Like my lips were revitalizing, and he was fighting for his life.
His passion only fueled my own. Discarding the blanket, I wrapped my arms around his firm body, feeling his lean muscles through his clothing.
He broke away and panted, “I meant what I said the other night. I want things to be different with you.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I replied, breathless.
He looked tempted to continue his exploration of my mouthbut, instead, he said, “Maybe we should go back to talking.”
The strain in his voice told me all I needed to know. I bit back my smirk. “We’re just kissing.”
