Chapter 24
Tamsin pulled off the shredded rags of the see-through gown, tossing them away. “Mission accomplished.”
“Not entirely without casualties.” Cuan prodded cautiously at the shattered headboard, and grimaced. “This is going to be somewhat difficult to explain to the sidhean’s steward.”
Tamsin grinned and stretched, feeling as sleek and contented as a lounging lioness. “Just tell him that your savage human broke it.”
“I am high sidhe. I cannot lie.”
“Then let me do the talking.”
Cuan’s eyes gleamed. “It is rather enjoyable when you take control.”
Tamsin hummed in agreement, arching up into his kiss. She ran her hands down his arms, fingering the silk rope still knotted round his wrists.
“Let me help you with this.” She started picking at the knots. “Maeve may like her court all dressed up in bondage gear, but trailing half a bed behind you might be taking it a bit far.”
“I am certainly never going to look at court fashions in quite the same way,” Cuan murmured. “And I now have serious doubts about the real purpose of Lady Maeve’s dungeon.”
“I told you it was a sex dungeon.” She couldn’t get so much as a single fingernail into the knots. Cuan hadn’t been holding back any of his strength. “This is hopeless. Do you have a knife?”
“Always.” Cuan summoned a sword. He slid the blade carefully under each loop of rope in turn, freeing himself.
A little twinge of guilt went through Tamsin at the sight of the red marks around his wrists. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“You drove me to the very point of insanity.” Cuan dropped the ropes over the edge of the bed. He drew her down, tucking her into the curve of his body, an arm around her waist. “I adored every second.”
“Good. Me too.” Tamsin stifled a yawn. Her eyelids felt heavy. “Crap. We still have to get ready for Maeve’s ball this evening. I suppose there isn’t time for a nap?”
“We have some time.” His voice dropped a bit, going quieter. “A little, at least.”
Something about his tone made her raise her head. She wriggled round in his arms until they were nose to nose. His face was very still. All his earlier playfulness was gone now, leaving…she wasn’t sure what.
“Cuan?” She brushed a lock of hair back from his brow, searching his eyes. “What is it?”
She felt him draw in a deep breath, and let it out again, slowly.
“Tamsin,” he said at last. “I know I should not raise this topic again. And I vow that this will be the last time. But I must ask.”
Her heart thudded as she realized what he meant. She opened her mouth, wanting to stop him, but he put a finger against her lips.
“Please,” he breathed, and there were no walls up behind his eyes now. She could look through them, straight to the center of his anguished soul. “Stay with me. Be my mate. Not out of necessity, or fear. For joy. For love. For what we have together, what we could have. Please. Stay.”
She had to shut her eyes. She could feel the tears burning behind her lids. Without speaking, she pressed her lips to his.
The kiss was long and sweet. She held it, as long as she could, trying to memorize the precise curve of his lips. She would have held it for longer, but he pulled away first.
He nodded, once, as though she’d spoken aloud. “I know. I knew. But still…I had to ask.”
“You could come back with me.”
The words escaped before she could stop them. She cursed herself, wishing that she could call them back.
Awful. Unfair. I’m hurting him enough as it is. This will only make it worse.
“To the human world?” Cuan sounded as though she’d proposed that he move to the Moon. “Tamsin. You know I cannot.”
“I know.” She should leave it there, she should, this was just cruel… “But, but just suppose that it was. If there was a way to strike a deal with the Wild Hunt, so they’d leave you alone—”