He did want her! Oh the relief of it went so deep. So deep that she couldn’t ignore the feelings.
“I say, that’s preposterous!” Jutsin exploded. “After what he’s done? To come in here and ask to pay court to the woman he kidnapped and dragged off halfway across the continent?”
“Raja Sin abducted the triumvir in the custom of our people. Now he wishes to court the triumvir in the custom of her people.”
“And if she refuses?” Mason asked darkly.
“I have been asked not to leave here without her consent. I will be here for quite some time then I imagine.”
Mason scoffed. “The nerve of the man. Still trying to bully us. Well it won’t work. This time he isn’t getting what he wants. It would serve no purpose in any event. The purpose of a courting is with the intention of marriage in the end. Such a joining would be impossible.”
“Why?” Ariana asked softly.
All of the men turned to her, questioning looks on their faces.
“Ariana, surely you’re not considering—”, Jutsin began.
“Why does he want to pay court? Does he give you his reasons?” she asked.
Lindo let one corner of his lips curl up. “I would not presume to know the heart of the raja. However, I think he has made it very clear what his feelings are for you. He only wishes to pay you respects until such time as you come to feel the same for him.”
“Of all the unmitigated gall of the man!” Jutsin cried.
“My master merely knows his own heart and is unafraid to declare it and pursue his desires. Can you say the same, my lady?”
She could not. All she did know was that she wanted to see him again. More than anything. But Mason was right. There would be no ultimate solution for them if they embarked on a formal courting.
She realized then that she didn’t care. Once again he was bullying her, flaunting his desires in her face and demanding she acknowledge them. But this time she did not find them offensive. She found them charming. She found them to be so endearingly Sin.
“Is he here?” she asked breathlessly. “In Capitol City?”
“He is here,” Lindo confirmed.
“Tell him I accept his suit.”
“What?” Mason and Jutsin exploded in unison.
“Are you out of your mind?” Mason asked. “The people will never accept—“
“I don’t give a damn about the people!” she cried, shocking herself as well as her fellow triumvirs. “I am tired of doing what the people demand of me! They have been my keepers for much too long. It is time I do something for my own pleasure and peace of mind. Envoy Lindo, return to your master and tell him I accept his suit wholeheartedly. With all the enthusiasm I can muster. Jutsin, you can make the formal announcement to the papers. We should see the fallout from this as quickly as possible. The sooner the idea is out among the people the sooner they will get used to it. Meanwhile, we will house your delegation in the guest quarters, Envoy Lindo. I will not have you in the city where you might become victims to hostile sentiment.”
“Thank you, Triumvir. That is most generous of you. I will go to my master at once and we will return to you shortly.”
Lindo bowed again, turned on his heel, and led the delegates out of the parlor. The capitol guards would see them out the rest of the way.
“And now you would put him up in the residence? Without consulting us?”
“Why should I consult you, Mason?” she asked. “It is no more than what we offer to every visiting leader of a nation. Why should we make an exception for the leader of Kilt?”
“Because he kidnapped you, Ariana!”
“You heard what he said. He was simply following the traditions of his culture. He meant no offense by it. I was treated with dignity and honor at all times. I was forced to do nothing that caused me great grievance.”
“Ariana I don’t understand you,” Jutsin said. “This has no future!”
“You don’t need to understand. Just abide by my desires. I will have him treated as an honored guest. He is a good man and a good leader. He deserves respect for that.”
“Wasn’t it you who always said he was a barbarian?” Mason asked.
“I was wrong. So very wrong. And any who think that way now will also be wrong. I am not afraid to tell them so.” Ariana reached out and grasped one of their hands in each of hers. “Please. Do this for me. I do not ask for many favors. Let this be one of the few.”
The men traded looks.
“If you’re certain this is what you want…then of course we’ll honor you with our cooperation. We just don’t want you to feel obligated in any way. To feel pressured or bullied.”
“Bullying is part of his charm,” she said with a smile. “Don’t worry. If I didn’t want him here we would be putting him out of the city as we speak. I know this.”
“As long as you realize it’s an option.”
“I do. Now, they should be back in time for supper. I will have the kitchen and the footmen prepare for extra guests. I counted four in the delegation plus Sin.”
“It should make for an interesting dinner,” Jutsin said dryly.
“You’ll survive I’m sure,” Ariana said with amusement. She turned and left the room.
The minute she was out of their sight she leaned against a wall and drew in several deep breaths. Her heart was racing with a barely containable joy. She had never known such a feeling of utter happiness before. All because she would be seeing him again. Who would have ever thought she could feel so strongly for someone. For Sin.
She hurried down the hall to the kitchen. She wanted everything to be perfect. She wanted him to know what it meant to be treated like royalty in the Saren court. For he was royal. She had somehow let prejudice lose sight of that. He deserved equal treatment to any visiting dignitary.
Or more. Because he was Sin.
And he wanted her.
She was standing in the grand foyer of the residences only an hour later waiting for him to arrive. She fidgeted with the ends of her gloves, tucked her fingers against her fingers to seat the gloves more firmly. Then she wished she hadn’t worn them at all. They felt suffocating. And what if she had opportunity to touch him. She wouldn’t want the fabric of her gloves getting in the way.
The residences were all connected by this foyer. Each residence, three in all, was occupied by one of the triumvirs and their closest family. Each had a number of bedrooms, its own kitchen and its own dining hall. They each had their own parlors. Connected to the foyer were also the grand ballroom and the grand dining hall. These five places radiated out from the foyer like spokes on a wheel, with one hall leading from the capitol building into the residences. When they had guests or a ball, people would be led down that hall from the capitol building and enter the grand foyer. When the triumvirs and their families decided to dine together they used any of the private dining rooms or the grand dining hall.
Now they stood in the foyer facing the entrance hall, Ariana nervously fussing with the fall of her dress. She was aware of her fellow triumvirs’ bemused expressions as they watched her pat her hair self-consciously.
“Stop fussing. You look absolutely stunning,” Jutsin whispered to her at last.
Ariana looked at him with a grateful expression. He understood. Neither of them had, at first, comprehended why she would ever accept the suit of a man who had kidnapped her, but it was clear they were beginning to.
Then there was a sound in the hall and two footmen came down the hall with a group of men following behind them.
This was it! He was here!
When the footmen arrived at the threshold of the grand foyer doors they stepped aside and allowed the group of men to enter the room. Ariana looked at the man who stood head and shoulders above the rest. She wasn't prepared for the rush of relief that ran over her and her knees went weak when she saw his face. His expression was shuttered. Polite as he bowed to each triumvir in turn, ending with Ariana. Then he stepped up closer to her, close e
nough that she had to tip her head back to see up into her eyes.
“I am afraid I do not know much about the courting rituals of your people. You will have to tell me what is appropriate and what is not,” he said, his deep voice washing over he richly along with his heady masculine scent. What next made an impression on her was that he was dressed in the Saren style, with snug kid colored breeches, a waistcoat and frock coat of a deep burgundy that drew attention to the darkness of his eyes and the near blackness of his hair. Beneath these he wore a snowy white shirt with a high starched collar and an intricately knotted cravat. His knee boots were polished to a black shine. The clothing did not belong on him. She preferred him in the Kiltian style with its vibrant colors and looser fabrics. Not that he didn’t wear it well. He did. He looked deliciously handsome. But he was missing that slightly savage air that made her heart skip a beat in his presence.
Then he reached and picked up her hand and holding it within his he raised the back of it to his lips. He never once took his eyes off of her and his gaze burned with the promise of heat and savage passion. There he was. The barely tamed man she had come to feel so much for.
“I will be happy to guide you,” she said breathlessly. “You may start by leading me into the dining hall.” She turned after a cursory glance over Lindo and the other men of his group only to realize they too were all dressed elegantly in the Saren style. But none of them could hold a candle to Sin. “Are you well?” she asked, her voice low so that only he could hear her.
“I am in robust health, my lady, I assure you.”
She sighed in happy relief. “It is still soon for you to be making such a trek on horseback.”
“I am perfectly healed. I shall prove it to you at the earliest opportunity.”
There was wicked promise in that statement. A wickedness that was reflected in his eyes. Ariana felt a warm flush skip quickly over all the surfaces of her skin. Yes. Prove it to me. I want you to prove it to me, she thought fiercely.
“I look forward to your demonstration,” she said boldly.
There was a hitch in his step and she smiled secretly to herself as he sent her a burning look. He squeezed the hand she had settled in the crook of his arm. When they reached the table, he ignored all protocol and gave no opportunity for anyone to seat him anywhere but right at her side. He seated her and took the seat immediately to her left. It wasn’t such a huge breech in etiquette. When at a formal dinner party the triumvirs preferred to seat themselves so they were peppered amongst their guests, able to entertain them and to perhaps aid in negotiating peace or trade treaties. And besides, Ariana had already arranged it that he would be sitting next to her.
As they began to eat and conversation grew, it was clear that her kidnapping was heretofore referred to as a diplomatic visit. Everyone on both sides silently agreed to not acknowledge the tenderness of feelings that her forced visit to the Kiltian court may have left behind. Instead, Jutsin and Mason treated the dinner as they would any state dinner. As an opportunity to further relations between their two peoples. They discussed how well the Kiltians were settling into their new land, and the potential for new trade once that land began producing a variety of grain and produce. Things, like Kiltian wine, would come to be in demand. Even though the Sarens produced their own wine, the exotic blends of grapes known only to the Kiltian winemakers were much in demand. Because the Kiltians had had to import all of the grapes for their wine in the past, this made the wine rare. As a rule, they did not trade away what they would need for themselves. Now that they would be producing their own grapes they might be able to mass-produce their wine, allowing it to be shipped overland to Saren or even other countries.
This was only one example of the things Kilt might be able to provide to Saren once they were on their feet and living comfortably in their new land.
Supper seemed to take forever, and Ariana barely tasted her food. All she was aware of was the dynamic man beside her and way he would slip his hand beneath the table, letting it run up the length of one of her thighs, his fingertips ghosting along the seam where her legs were pressed together. Her breathing went off-kilter when he did this and her skin turned hot and damp. She wanted him so badly. Nothing else mattered. Not the impossibility of their situation, not the difference in their cultures and most certainly not the opinions of her people. She didn’t care about any of it.
The meal ended and they arose from their seats.
“Perhaps I might interest you in a walk in the gardens?” Sin offered as he gave her his arm.
“In this weather? In the dark?” Mason asked.
Ariana was already thinking of the last time they had been in those gardens together. It had been their first kiss.
“You know the cold cannot bother me,” Ariana said quickly. “And it is a lovely moonlit night.”
That was barely the truth. The moon was only half full. Neither of them bothered to stop for anything like a cloak for warmth. They could keep themselves warm. They could keep each other warm.
Ariana’s heart was thumping so loudly it was a wonder the sound of it wasn't echoing into the cold, stark night as they walked deep into the gardens. Unlike the temple gardens, the capitol gardens had had decades to grow, and so they were thick and lush with evergreens and, in spring, everything from tulips to cherry blossoms. For now, he took her to the hedge maze and drew her inside the entrance and out of sight of the capitol building. He swept her into his arms and she rushed willingly into them. His mouth crushed down on her with unconcealed violence, his tongue sinking deep, marauding within her mouth and demanding her response.
She went weak and willing in his strong embrace, her entire body going warm and then hot. It had nothing to do with her power over fire and everything to do with his power over her. Ariana felt all the layers of their clothes between them and she groaned her frustration with them. She missed the easy comfort of the Kiltian style…where hands had easier access to soft, warm parts of the body.
As it stood, he held her to himself with one hand on her backside, using it to drag her hips flush to his. She could feel how hard he was and her hand went to the fly of his breeches so she could shape and mold him through the tight fabric. He groaned into her mouth and his hand came up to caress her breast through the silken fabric of her gown.
“I wasn’t sure you would accept my suit,” he rasped after breaking away from her mouth. “When you did I knew you still wanted me. Why did you leave me?”
“You know why,” she said breathlessly. “I had to think of my people. Of Mariah. Of everyone else but myself. But I don’t want to think about any of that right now. Right now all I want is your hands on my body.”
His hand squeezed her breast, then his fingers dipped beneath the low cut neckline of her gown until the point of her nipple was between them.
“Like this?” he demanded of her.
“More!” She gasped when he pinched that nipple almost punishingly.
“I should make you suffer as I have suffered these weeks without you,” he said without malice. He groaned as her hand fondled him between his legs most thoroughly.
“I suffered as well,” she assured him.
“Did you? Did you miss me? Not just your body, although I will take what I can get, but your heart. Did your heart miss me?”
She wanted to say yes. To shout it from the rooftops, but she was too afraid. Afraid of what it might mean for them. Afraid of the pain it would bring.
Then suddenly she didn’t care anymore. Suddenly she couldn’t keep it inside.
“Yes,” she breathed. “My heart missed you. More than words can describe.”
“Do you love me, Ariana?” he asked her, his voice choked with heated emotion. “Do you love me as I love you?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
She hesitated, but only for a moment. She was all in, she thought strongly. It was all or nothing…and she couldn’t survive with nothing.
“More than the breath I breathe,” she swore to hi
m.
It was apparently all he had wanted to hear, because his mouth sealed to hers an instant later, preventing further speech. They sank to the ground, Ariana pressed beneath him and his hand dragged the skirt of her gown up her legs…up to the tops of her thighs, exposing her to the cold night air. There was snow on the ground, but it melted under the radiating heat of her body. Her clothing grew wet, but she didn’t care. He cursed baldly when he realized it for himself.
“I want you in a bed,” he growled against her lips. “Not in the snow. I want to strip you bare and love every inch of your body knowing all the while that you love me. I want to make love to you and feel you making love to me.”
“Then take me back. Bring me to the residences. Come to my bed,” she invited him silkily.
“I will. But first…” He touched the tie of her drawers and pulled it apart. He reached beneath her with both hands and gripped her drawers, yanking them down her legs. She gasped as her bare bottom touched slushy snow, the cold making her hips surge up into his touch. He had tossed the drawers aside somewhere and now his hand was between her thighs, his fingers combing through the burnished curls guarding the last of her secrets. His fingertips ran through silky wet folds until he found the entrance of her body. Then he eased a finger inside of her as his thumb sought out her clitoris and began to flick against it.
“Sin!” she gasped.
“Just come for me once,” he demanded of her in a voice as rough as crushed glass. “Once now and dozens of times later.”
She was trembling all over. Partly from the icy cold of the snow beneath her, and mostly because this man made her body quake. His words heated her blood, his touch burned her body. There was nowhere safe from him, and she didn’t want to be safe anyway. She wanted to be in danger. She wanted to risk everything.
“I w-want you inside of me,” she begged him.
“I am inside of you,” he said, a wickedly confident smile on his lips.