“The threat is gone, is it not? I can’t just abandon my shop. And you must have,” she hesitated, “youknow, underlord things to do.”
“I don’t.” He drew her back lazily against him. “Stay for a little while longer.”
“Ican’t.”
“You can.”
She blinked at him. “Is that a demand?”
He rubbed his cheek against hers. “No. Just a command.”
She gave him a snort.
Hah!Hah...She could still scarcely believe this moment. She had—heavens above—slept with a man. In his bed. Joined bodies with him. Withhim. The very thought probably should have horrified her even just the slightest bit now that the adventure of the night had passed. Not now. She had done the most natural thing in all the world. Her body, her heart, her very bones had always known he was meant to be hers.
And she his.
Which was absurd, of course. Entirely mad. And yet...
Promise me.
Lord. For the love of wax,Lord.
Shehadpromised. She’d made a promise! In her books, she might as well have married the man. And she wanted nothing more than tolaze in this bed, curl herself into him, and allow the day melt away. But she could not. Her shop called. Responsibility tugged. She couldn’t let him sway her. Right?
Wait! Her dog! She glanced up at Maxen. “Where is Prince?”
Not even a pause. “Knight has him.”
Wait . . . “Knight, as in your brother?”
“Is there another?”
Her face went hot. “Maxen! Does he know?” She motioned wildly at the tangle of linens between them.
A soft chuckle grazed her ear, unexpectedly wicked. “Feeling embarrassed?”
“Yes!” she hissed. She jabbed a finger at him. “Wouldn’t you?”
He pushed into her, his lips brushing her temple, his breath warm and sure. “I could never feel embarrassed with you.”
The words shot straight through her chest, as did the hardness of his body, leaving her momentarily speechless. What kind of man said such things after ruining a woman’s every good sense? And worse, what kind of woman’s whole body went weak at them?
Yours.
Hah!
Calliope, you harlot, you!
“Such deep words in the morning.”
This time he hesitated before murmuring lowly, but with conviction, “I’m not a man of depth.”
She didn’t believe that. But then, all people had multiple depths to them. “It’s all right to have shallows as well. The ocean isn’t all deep. It’s shallow too. And the deep parts push out waves that roll out to crash onto shallow shores. They are all still beautiful.”
“There is nothing beautiful about me.”
“I suppose you are right.Handsomewould be the better word.”
