“Why?”she asked, unable to resist poking the sleeping tiger inside her cool water wizard.“Would you like me to share my magic, perhaps with Dahlia, or even Jadren?”
His expression flashed into anger, wizard-black eyes going as hard as obsidian.Recalling Quinn’s delighted shivering, Nic reveled in the possessiveness of her wizard.And Gabriel was better than Sylus because—as Gabriel had rightfully pointed out—Sylus was a bit of an asshole to Lyndella, which Gabriel could never be to her.Nic watched him in the mirror as she applied her lip paint and he wrestled with his baser instincts, finally saying in analmostneutral voice, “Is that something you want?”
Utterly charmed, she went to him, straddling his lap and planting a long kiss on him, further satisfied when his hands settled on her waist, clasping her tightly.“Silly wizard,” she murmured.“I’m bonded toyou, which means only you have the privilege of accessing my magic, unless I choose to give it to someone else, which I don’t.Or unless you command me to.But that would be highly unusual, given the possessive nature of wizards,” she teased.“Customarily, only unbonded familiars are shared between wizards.”
“Ah,” he breathed, drawing her into another kiss.“It’s probably terrible that knowing that makes me so happy.”
“It’s in a wizard’s nature to be possessive,” she reminded him, threading her fingers through his silken silver-white hair.And perhaps in a familiar’s, too, because she wasn’t inclined to share her wizard with anyone.
He captured her wrists, tugging them down to her lap and looking her in the eye.“So you said that just to yank my chain?”
“Yes.”She fluttered her lashes.“Perhaps you should punish me.”
He laughed.“You are incorrigible.”
“Youhave lip paint on your mouth,” she countered.
She shrieked as he flipped her over, quickly reversing their positions so that she lay beneath him on the chaise, one huge and bulging muscled thigh riding up to part her legs, grinding against her sex as he kissed her with crushing thoroughness.Yielding beneath him, she moaned, writhing in blatant encouragement, dizzy from the sudden passion and lack of breath.Just when she thought she’d have to beg to breathe, he broke the kiss, gazing down at her in smug, masculine satisfaction.His disordered silver curls hung around his striking face, the wayward black lock escaping to hang over one eye.
“Do you want me?”he asked, voice hoarse with desire, his thigh insistent between her legs.
“Yes,” she sighed.“Oh yes, Gabriel, please.”
He smiled, giving her a soft kiss.“Too bad.”Face breaking into a wicked grin, he leapt up, leaving her bereft.“There’s your punishment, naughty familiar.”
“Gabriel!”
He only laughed, going to the mirror to wipe off her lip paint.“Just yanking your chain, my heart.”
She pushed herself up.“You wrinkled my dress.”Steam scented the air, and her dress magically refreshed with Gabriel’s easy use of water wizardry, the low-level sort he’d said most of the folk of Meresin could wield.A nifty household trick.
Turning to eye her, he grinned, completely without remorse.“Better fix your lip paint.The workroom awaits.”And he strode out of the bathing chamber, whistling merrily.
Nic dutifully repaired her makeup, reordered her hair, and smiled to herself in the mirror.There was more than one way to manage a broody wizard.
The north wingwasn’t completely silent, as a few people were up and about, including a few servants who were delivering linens, hot beverages, and cleaning up empty chambers.
“Where did all these workers come from?”Gabriel asked.“I mean, I recognize many of them, but how have you rounded up so many to come work in the house?”
“By paying them well,” she answered.
“Can we afford that?”
“Depends on how you define ‘afford.’It’s a pinch, but I figure that by putting coin in the pockets of the people of Meresin, we’re creating a pool of money that will find its way back into our coffers as we offer them enticing merchandise to purchase.”
He glanced at her with an amused half smile.“I begin to understand why House Elal is so wealthy and powerful—and why people regard Elals warily.”
“Like Jadren has any room to talk,” she scoffed.“There’s a world of irony in an El-Adrel accusing an Elal of guile.”
“Are you surprised he stayed?”Gabriel asked quietly.“After his contentiousness last night.”
“Not at all.But let’s not discuss it here.”The far end of the north wing hallway was dim and deserted, but you never knew who might be listening.
Gabriel nodded, saying nothing more.They reached the end of the hall and the set of impressively large and imposing doors that filled the entire wall.Setting down the several lanterns that Nic was really happy she’d remembered they’d need, Gabriel produced the silver key from his pocket.He’d made it from moonlight, following the pattern the house seemed to require, using the Phel traditional magics to unlock the ancient enchantments.
“It will be interesting to see if any wizard can use this key,” Nic observed as he inserted it in the lock, “or just you.Or our child,” she added.They’d already established the key didn’t work for her.
He paused without turning the key in the lock and tipped his head to look at her.“That’s an arresting image—our child standing in this spot and unlocking the workroom.”