one who wanted to talk first.”
“I did, didn’t I?” He was against me in a second, his hands on my arms and his mouth on mine. I sank into the kiss even as my brain screamed he was trying to distract me. It was working too. I was slowly becoming less concerned with everything except the feel of his body, and if he hadn’t pinned my arms to my sides, the ploy might have worked. But Lucen had pressed me against the cabinets, and I couldn’t touch him. As hot as it could be when he restrained me on occasion, this time my inability to move left me with enough brainpower to stay focused.
I pulled my head away, gasping for breath. “Nope. You chose to talk. I want to talk.”
“I changed my mind.” He reached for my mouth again, and when I dodged, he went for my neck, trailing kisses down my skin. Releasing my arms at last, his hands slipped under my shirt and cupped my breasts.
It was difficult enough to breathe, never mind think with his thumbs teasing my nipples. My body screamed to let him continue, and the scent of his skin was stronger than ever. He had to be hitting me with everything he had. I was moaning against my will, aching, and the part of me that could think straight was getting annoyed.
Recognition of such was all it took. The protective glyphs the Gryphons had drawn on my back grew warm. I focused on that heat, so unlike the heat the rest of me was feeling, and pulled the power in deeper. I hadn’t thought I’d need to use their magic at all, but I guess it could be handy.
With the protective magic dulling my senses to Lucen’s power, I pushed him backward and extricated myself from the cabinet. “You don’t get to do that. You know I want you, but I’m not an addict you get to fuck into submission.”
Lucen flinched. Then he ran a hand through his drying hair with an apologetic expression. “Sorry, Jess. You haven’t minded when I’ve used my magic on you before.”
“No, but that’s not the point, and you know it.” I wanted to stay angry at him, but the chagrin on his face was softening me. Damn him. “You were using it to try to distract me. That’s what I object to.”
I didn’t expect him to deny it, and he didn’t. But then, I suspected that Lucen didn’t lie to me often, if at all. If he didn’t want to tell me something, he was upfront about it. Maddening, but honest.
He was quiet a moment longer while I fixed my clothes. “You’re right, and I’m sorry.” He kissed me on the forehead. “I’m going to go light the grill.”
I collapsed at the table with my wine as he stepped onto his tiny deck off the kitchen. Well, this had gotten off to a great start. The Gryphons thought I was going to dig out information? The only satyr I could actually call a friend was not merely clamming up on me, but being dickish and manipulative about it. Lucen must know something about F that he didn’t want to tell me.
I wasn’t going to get answers. Just frustrated in a variety of ways.
I was mostly through my wine when Lucen returned. He opened the fridge and took out the food. “Come on outside. It’s cooling off.”
I eyed him warily from where my head rested on my arm, then joined him. It had indeed cooled off, but the setting sun continued to throw off an orange-gold heat that illuminated the deck. Especially with the grill going, it was toasty.
Lucen’s deck was barely big enough for the two of us and the table of charm-making supplies he had out here. There were glass jars filled with clear liquid that could have been water but probably wasn’t, and a variety of substances of even less certain origin. Some required time to soak in the sun, others the moon. Hence, their positions on the table. I didn’t touch them, but I examined them.
“They’re mostly for making some basic healing aids,” Lucen said, putting the burgers on the grill. “Can’t be too careful when you’re friends with a woman who carries a salamander-forged knife around at all times.”
He
“I did, didn’t I?” He was against me in a second, his hands on my arms and his mouth on mine. I sank into the kiss even as my brain screamed he was trying to distract me. It was working too. I was slowly becoming less concerned with everything except the feel of his body, and if he hadn’t pinned my arms to my sides, the ploy might have worked. But Lucen had pressed me against the cabinets, and I couldn’t touch him. As hot as it could be when he restrained me on occasion, this time my inability to move left me with enough brainpower to stay focused.
I pulled my head away, gasping for breath. “Nope. You chose to talk. I want to talk.”
“I changed my mind.” He reached for my mouth again, and when I dodged, he went for my neck, trailing kisses down my skin. Releasing my arms at last, his hands slipped under my shirt and cupped my breasts.
It was difficult enough to breathe, never mind think with his thumbs teasing my nipples. My body screamed to let him continue, and the scent of his skin was stronger than ever. He had to be hitting me with everything he had. I was moaning against my will, aching, and the part of me that could think straight was getting annoyed.
Recognition of such was all it took. The protective glyphs the Gryphons had drawn on my back grew warm. I focused on that heat, so unlike the heat the rest of me was feeling, and pulled the power in deeper. I hadn’t thought I’d need to use their magic at all, but I guess it could be handy.
With the protective magic dulling my senses to Lucen’s power, I pushed him backward and extricated myself from the cabinet. “You don’t get to do that. You know I want you, but I’m not an addict you get to fuck into submission.”
Lucen flinched. Then he ran a hand through his drying hair with an apologetic expression. “Sorry, Jess. You haven’t minded when I’ve used my magic on you before.”
“No, but that’s not the point, and you know it.” I wanted to stay angry at him, but the chagrin on his face was softening me. Damn him. “You were using it to try to distract me. That’s what I object to.”
I didn’t expect him to deny it, and he didn’t. But then, I suspected that Lucen didn’t lie to me often, if at all. If he didn’t want to tell me something, he was upfront about it. Maddening, but honest.
He was quiet a moment longer while I fixed my clothes. “You’re right, and I’m sorry.” He kissed me on the forehead. “I’m going to go light the grill.”
I collapsed at the table with my wine as he stepped onto his tiny deck off the kitchen. Well, this had gotten off to a great start. The Gryphons thought I was going to dig out information? The only satyr I could actually call a friend was not merely clamming up on me, but being dickish and manipulative about it. Lucen must know something about F that he didn’t want to tell me.
I wasn’t going to get answers. Just frustrated in a variety of ways.
I was mostly through my wine when Lucen returned. He opened the fridge and took out the food. “Come on outside. It’s cooling off.”
I eyed him warily from where my head rested on my arm, then joined him. It had indeed cooled off, but the setting sun continued to throw off an orange-gold heat that illuminated the deck. Especially with the grill going, it was toasty.
Lucen’s deck was barely big enough for the two of us and the table of charm-making supplies he had out here. There were glass jars filled with clear liquid that could have been water but probably wasn’t, and a variety of substances of even less certain origin. Some required time to soak in the sun, others the moon. Hence, their positions on the table. I didn’t touch them, but I examined them.
“They’re mostly for making some basic healing aids,” Lucen said, putting the burgers on the grill. “Can’t be too careful when you’re friends with a woman who carries a salamander-forged knife around at all times.”
He
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