Sahar refused to say more.What would shehave said anyway?Yes, his kiss was that good.Yes, he had reasonto be pleased with himself because she had fallen into his arms andresponded to his kiss despite herself.That the low, husky whisperof his voice calling her his tigress still sent shivers down herspine.She shook herself and adjusted her head scarf.“Is Lasairready?”
Ratter handed her the mare’s reins.
Her thoughts scattered between the race,Lasair’s training, Aleksandr’s kiss, and Ratter’s gossipytendencies.Sahar led Lasair from the cool dimness of the stablesinto the blinding sunlight streaming in through the main door, andwalked right into the one man she did not wish to see, not yet, nottoday.Not ever.
“Ooof.”Aleksandr rubbed his nose whereSahar’s forehead had banged into it.“By the gods, woman, first youput a blade to my stones, then you slap my cheek, now you try tobreak my nose.”He raked a hand through his hair and that cursedshank of golden brown fell right back over his forehead.Hegrinned.“Are you so concerned that Zolotoy and I will beat youthat you must resort to injuring me?”
Sahar tore her gaze from his smiling browneyes and gathered her wits.“For a man who claims he can bescorched to bare earth and still rise again, you complain overmuchof such trifling inconveniences,” she said in her haughtiest voice.She waved him away.“Now, if you would be so mannerly as to moveout of my way, Lasair and I have some training to do.After all,”she threw over her shoulder as he stepped aside and she saunteredby, “I do not wish to make it look too easily done when we beat youand every other man and their steeds.”
He laughed.“There goes my tigress,” he said.“Fur ruffled and chin up.”
Sahar whirled around.“I am not yourtigress,” she growled.“I am not your, or any other man’sanything.”
He cocked his head.“No?”he said.“You arenot your father’s daughter, your brother’s sister?”
She leveled him with her glare.“You knowwhat I mean.”
“I do?”
“I am my own woman.I do not need, nor do Iwant, a husband.”
“Who said anything about a husband?”
“You did, the first time you proposed.”
“The first time?Does this mean you expect meto propose again?”He stepped up to her and reached for a tendrilof hair that had escaped her head scarf.“And again?”His voice waslow and teasing.“And again?”
“No,” she said, flustered.“Of coursenot.”
“Your words say one thing, but your eyes,your lips, they say another.”He smiled, slow and cocksure.“It’sthe kiss.”
She reared her head back.“Do not be soarrogant as to think that kiss—”
“Kept you awake half the night, as it didme.”
His confession startled her.
“Was it your first kiss?”he asked.
“No.”But it was the first kiss she had feltall the way to her toes.The first kiss she had dreamed about.Thefirst that made her entire body flush while thinking about it.Still, it wouldn’t do to have the arrogant ass knowing this.“I amtwenty and one years of age,” she told him.“I have had marriageproposed to me by at least thirty men since the spring I turned tenand four, and I have been kissed at least that many times.”
Aleksandr frowned and the muscle on the sideof his clamped jaw ticked.
“What?”she asked, indignant now.True, she’donly kissed three men, including him, not the thirty she hadclaimed.That wasn’t the issue.“You can kiss thirty women but Ican’t kiss thirty men?”
“It is unseemly,” he said.
“It is none of your concern.”
After checking on Pyotr and Serge and theirstring of horses, of which two mares had already been sold at theirasking price, Aleksandr slept a good deal of the afternoon away onthe cot with Kiska tucked close to his chest, figuring the extrarest would likely do both him and Z some good after the longjourney here.He gave the stallion an extra bucket of oats andasked Ratter to watch over Kiska while he supped at the palace,where he arrived as the first course of meat and vegetables werebeing served.He took the seat held for him by Feroz, glad to seethat Yago sat at another table with a hawk-nosed prince calledTaweel the Tall, and a few others, gladder still to see that Saharsat at her family’s royal table.He did not like the idea of hersitting beside the Wolf any more than he did of her kissing thirtyother men, or even one.
The meal passed uneventfully, and no one saida word when he wrapped up choice bits of meat and rice and cheesein his linen square and tucked it into his pocket.Once thesumptuous meal was finished, he rose and approached the king’stable.
“My compliments and thanks for your generoushospitality, King Asad,” he said with a dip of his head.
“You are most welcome, Aleksandr.”The king’suncanny gaze held Aleksi’s for a long moment, and Aleksi wasbeginning to wonder how much the king knew of his and Sahar’s shorthistory together when the king continued.“I hear from my stablemaster that your golden stallion is the horse to watch these races.I look forward to seeing him run.”
Aleksi stood tall and proud, unsure of why itmattered that the king approved of him, but it did.“Thank you,sire.I do believe we will be the horse and rider to beat.”Heglanced at Sahar, who glared daggers at him.“Though your daughterassures me otherwise.”
