to die.
I have told you that I do not take kindly to being made the butt of a joke. Even now, the recollection fired my temper.
“Will you never let me forget my ignorance?” I demanded.
Merlyn smiled. “It was charming. Indeed, I treasure the memory of your indignation.”
“Liar!”
“I tell no lie. Do you know, chère , how fetching you are when your eyes flash? You seem filled with the fire of life, a maiden wrought of flame.” When I did not reply, he shrugged. “What a relief it was to encounter a woman untutored in manipulative games. Your honesty is the trait I recall most affectionately about you. “
“Why? Because it contrasts so well with your skill in the telling of falsehoods?”
“Me?” He feigned innocence in a way that had once made me laugh.
“Yes, you! Clearly your repentance does not run deep.” I approached him boldly, wagging a finger at him as if he were a badly behaved child. “Lest we forget why I seek you out this morn, I am sorely angered with you.”
His eyes gleamed. “Yes, that was most clear last night.”
I ignored this unworthy comment. “You sent Fitz to lie to me, Merlyn. You had him lie about your demise to tempt me to this place, for some dark purpose of your own devising.”
“To seduce you soundly, I suppose.”
“If not more.”
“You should have protested more vehemently, chère ,” he chided with a gentle shake of his head. “A man could easily misconstrue your intent when you behave as you did.”
“Meaning what?”
“That I had no plan to seduce you. I came solely to speak to you.” Merlyn stretched out a finger and traced the outline of my lips. The gentle caress stopped my heart, so unexpected, so seductive. Again, I knew that I should retreat, but I could not summon the strength or the desire to do so.
Merlyn was alive and, in the secret corners of my heart, I was fool enough to be glad.
“Until you moaned, of course.” Merlyn bent closer, touching his lips to my cheek and whispered. It was all I could do not to melt against his touch. A sound of yearning escaped my lips, much to my own mortification. I felt myself flush.
“Yes, like that, chère .” His fingertips slid along my jawline, then down my throat. I lifted my chin and strained toward him, greedy for his touch.
“Until you arched against my hand, like this.” He murmured hoarsely, then ran his lips across the tender spot beneath my ear. I closed my eyes. His hand slipped to cup my breast and his thumb slid across my nipple.
“Merlyn!” His name fell from my lips, without my intending to utter any such thing.
His gentle laughter fanned across my skin. “Until you whispered my name, exactly thus.” His voice roughened. “Yes, exactly thus, chère .”
I knew he would kiss me then, I knew that I was powerless to stop him. I opened my eyes and found him watching me from close proximity, as contented as a cat whose prey has been neatly cornered.
I granted him too easy of a victory. Doubts flooded into my thoughts and I pushed him away, making a show of wiping the imprint of his kiss from my flesh. My accusation fell doubly harsh from my lips. “Unless you lied also to Fitz?”
Merlyn’s expression would have revealed nothing at all to another, but I knew he was irked with me. He seemed suddenly taller and darker, more forbidding, though he had not moved a hair. His gaze was both brighter and darker, a sign that did not bode well for me.
“If you would hear my confession, then you will have to come with me.” He gestured to the gaping maw behind him and offered his hand in invitation.
I took another step back, though I would never have admitted whether I was more repelled by the dark mystery of that space or the enigma of the man who offered the invitation. Certainly I was not anxious to share a confined space with the man who could so easily persuade me to be seduced.
Did I fear Merlyn’s plan for my fate, especially that I now knew he lived? Not truly, not in
I have told you that I do not take kindly to being made the butt of a joke. Even now, the recollection fired my temper.
“Will you never let me forget my ignorance?” I demanded.
Merlyn smiled. “It was charming. Indeed, I treasure the memory of your indignation.”
“Liar!”
“I tell no lie. Do you know, chère , how fetching you are when your eyes flash? You seem filled with the fire of life, a maiden wrought of flame.” When I did not reply, he shrugged. “What a relief it was to encounter a woman untutored in manipulative games. Your honesty is the trait I recall most affectionately about you. “
“Why? Because it contrasts so well with your skill in the telling of falsehoods?”
“Me?” He feigned innocence in a way that had once made me laugh.
“Yes, you! Clearly your repentance does not run deep.” I approached him boldly, wagging a finger at him as if he were a badly behaved child. “Lest we forget why I seek you out this morn, I am sorely angered with you.”
His eyes gleamed. “Yes, that was most clear last night.”
I ignored this unworthy comment. “You sent Fitz to lie to me, Merlyn. You had him lie about your demise to tempt me to this place, for some dark purpose of your own devising.”
“To seduce you soundly, I suppose.”
“If not more.”
“You should have protested more vehemently, chère ,” he chided with a gentle shake of his head. “A man could easily misconstrue your intent when you behave as you did.”
“Meaning what?”
“That I had no plan to seduce you. I came solely to speak to you.” Merlyn stretched out a finger and traced the outline of my lips. The gentle caress stopped my heart, so unexpected, so seductive. Again, I knew that I should retreat, but I could not summon the strength or the desire to do so.
Merlyn was alive and, in the secret corners of my heart, I was fool enough to be glad.
“Until you moaned, of course.” Merlyn bent closer, touching his lips to my cheek and whispered. It was all I could do not to melt against his touch. A sound of yearning escaped my lips, much to my own mortification. I felt myself flush.
“Yes, like that, chère .” His fingertips slid along my jawline, then down my throat. I lifted my chin and strained toward him, greedy for his touch.
“Until you arched against my hand, like this.” He murmured hoarsely, then ran his lips across the tender spot beneath my ear. I closed my eyes. His hand slipped to cup my breast and his thumb slid across my nipple.
“Merlyn!” His name fell from my lips, without my intending to utter any such thing.
His gentle laughter fanned across my skin. “Until you whispered my name, exactly thus.” His voice roughened. “Yes, exactly thus, chère .”
I knew he would kiss me then, I knew that I was powerless to stop him. I opened my eyes and found him watching me from close proximity, as contented as a cat whose prey has been neatly cornered.
I granted him too easy of a victory. Doubts flooded into my thoughts and I pushed him away, making a show of wiping the imprint of his kiss from my flesh. My accusation fell doubly harsh from my lips. “Unless you lied also to Fitz?”
Merlyn’s expression would have revealed nothing at all to another, but I knew he was irked with me. He seemed suddenly taller and darker, more forbidding, though he had not moved a hair. His gaze was both brighter and darker, a sign that did not bode well for me.
“If you would hear my confession, then you will have to come with me.” He gestured to the gaping maw behind him and offered his hand in invitation.
I took another step back, though I would never have admitted whether I was more repelled by the dark mystery of that space or the enigma of the man who offered the invitation. Certainly I was not anxious to share a confined space with the man who could so easily persuade me to be seduced.
Did I fear Merlyn’s plan for my fate, especially that I now knew he lived? Not truly, not in
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