He picked up his beer and let a few gulps slide down his throat. He needed to calm down, but he wasn’t sure how.
Aralynn sipped her beer as well, her complexion high. “I’m so embarrassed,” she whispered, once Marny left. But she was laughing.
“Why embarrassed? Don’t worry about Marny. She’s discreet.”
“That’s not it.” She met his gaze. “Because kissing you isn’t exactly a simple business.” She switched to telepathy. The whole time you were working your tongue in my mouth, I was thinking about your cock and having you inside me again.
He sat back in his seat and gasped for air. Her words had stiffened him so fast, he was bent sideways at an uncomfortable angle. He had to move to adjust himself.
“This artichoke smells wonderful.” She smiled at him as she drew the small white platter closer and began serving up portions.
He took a moment to look away from her and to focus on anything but his desire for her, like the new accounting staff he’d hired to maintain the business end of the Com Center. One of the recent invoices was at least five pages long. He’d been right to hire some accountants.
Okay.
Better.
For the next few minutes, he focused on his beer and the artichokes. He let her know he’d ordered filets, rare. Her eyes lit up. “I’m always surprised how hungry I am after a night of battling. Steak sounds perfect.”
Pleasure filled his chest at knowing that he was taking care of something as basic as what she needed to eat. He was providing for his woman and he loved it. He hadn’t expected to feel this way ever, but in the time they’d been together, and maybe especially since he’d made love to her on the marble slab, he’d come to really care about her.
When she picked up her beer, she put a hand to her chest and rubbed. “I keep forgetting that I’m a blood rose now and you’re a mastyr vampire. I’m feeling very full here, having created a fresh supply for you.”
He pressed his hand over hers. “What does it feel like?”
“A heaviness, as though my heart is pumping harder than normal.”
“Are you in pain?”
Her brows rose. “No, not at all. It’s not a discomfort. In fact it’s pleasurable, even sensual.”
Sometimes Aralynn surprised him as she did right now. She spoke straight and true. Not unlike Queen Rosamunde. Odd that he would think of the queen right now. But if he’d understood Aralynn, the queen had trained her from the time she was a child so of course there would be similarities.
She bit the end of the artichoke leaf. He followed suit. Food was a good thing for warrior-types who battled all night.
The steaks arrived soon after and he ordered a couple more beers, this time with a shot of whisky.
She grinned and tipped the shot glass back eagerly. She came up sputtering. “I’ve never done this before.”
“Really?”
“The, er, Castle Guard post is a pretty tight leash. You have no idea.”
“Drink your beer, then. Time to let go.”
“I think you may be right.”
~ ~ ~
Rosamunde leaned back in the booth and closed her eyes. The steaks had been heaven, very rare which her wolf loved. And the whisky had set her mind to spinning slowly. She was behaving badly and she knew it. She’d had two beers and a shot of whisky and she wanted more.
She didn’t want to think about that other thing. She wanted to forget that she was the Queen of Ferrenden Peace and for just this moment in time pretend she was a simple realm-woman, a shifter wolf on a date with a handsome man for whom she felt a mountain of admiration and yes, affection. Hell, maybe she even loved the vampire.
“You okay?”
“Unh-huh. Sort of. Really good and yet, Stone there’s something I’ve got to tell you. It’s important.”
He drew close and cupped her face, then kissed her. You sure it can’t wait?