husband’s face when she hadn’t put it there was a shock. Olivia shot a glance at the tall golden man who stood with his back to one of the round windows. Anso’s friend met her gaze without expression. She did notice his fingers curling toward his palms, his hands not quite making fists.
The black centers of his yellow eyes jumped bigger.
Because she couldn’t very well ask him why, she returned her gaze to James.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. You?”
She nodded, and he stroked her damp hair behind her ear. His hair was dry.
How long had she and Anso’s ... activities kept the others waiting here?
“He didn’t hurt you?”
Olivia blushed and shook her head.
“All right,” James said, seemingly to himself. He hugged her again. “All right.”
She sensed James looking over her head at Anso, his hand stroking up and down her back through the blue silk robe. “She’s still mine,” he said to the king.
“You can’t undo that.”
The calmness of his voice surprised her. Anyone who heard him would have recognized both truth and confidence in it.
“I’m hoping we can reach a compromise,” Anso responded.
The man by the window bit out a terse swear word.
James tensed but didn’t let her go. “My wife and I need some time alone.” Olivia didn’t see Anso’s measuring stare, just felt a buzzy prickle at the back of her neck. “Fine,” the king said after a brief pause. “Meet us in the dining room when you’re done. It’s two doors further from this chamber.” James stood where he was, holding her, until the other men exited. Only then did he push back and clasp her hands.
“The spotted man sucked me off,” he blurted. “And it felt really good.” In spite of everything, or perhaps because of everything, Olivia let out a breathy laugh. “You always did like to get your confessions out first thing.”
“And you always prefer to think them through.” His eyes asked questions his mouth wasn’t ready to.
“We had intercourse,” she said. “Twice. He didn’t have to force me.”
“And you enjoyed it? No.” He wagged his head. “You don’t have to tell me.
Of course you enjoyed it. He’s probably a stud and a half. You have that look you only get after one of our Wild Weekends. At least ... At least tell me he used protection.”
“I’m afraid he didn’t.” Olivia sighed resignedly. “At the time, I was hoping he’d give me a baby.”
James closed his eyes, though he had to know she wasn’t playing Hurt You Worse. Their doctors hadn’t identified which of them was responsible for her problems conceiving a second time. After a few rounds of inconclusive tests, she and James decided they didn’t want to know. The daughter they did have was more important to focus on.
James opened his eyes slowly. “Maybe he could get you pregnant. He is younger than me.”
Olivia clasped his face, hating the hint of bitterness in his tone. “We need to get home. To our life. To Violet. I know she’s grown up, but she still needs us.” James was silent for longer than she expected.
“You want to stay?” she burst out in disbelief.
“Not want to. Or not exactly. But I’m not sure we have a choice. That king fellow isn’t going to let you go. He thinks you’re his mate in blood. His friend claims you two need to have frequent sex, like it’s an addiction.”
“People recover from addictions.”
“Yes,” he said. “But until we figure out how to get out of here, we might have to play along.”
“It wouldn’t just be play. These people make us feel things.”
“I know,” he said.
They looked at each other. She watched his pulse throb at the side of his neck, just like her own was doing. This, at last, frightened them.
“I love you,” he said huskily. “Nothing that’s happened can change that.”
“Even knowing I’ve been with another man?”
“Even that. I wish -” Her husband’s voice sank lower. “I wish I’d seen you with him. I wish I’d
The black centers of his yellow eyes jumped bigger.
Because she couldn’t very well ask him why, she returned her gaze to James.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. You?”
She nodded, and he stroked her damp hair behind her ear. His hair was dry.
How long had she and Anso’s ... activities kept the others waiting here?
“He didn’t hurt you?”
Olivia blushed and shook her head.
“All right,” James said, seemingly to himself. He hugged her again. “All right.”
She sensed James looking over her head at Anso, his hand stroking up and down her back through the blue silk robe. “She’s still mine,” he said to the king.
“You can’t undo that.”
The calmness of his voice surprised her. Anyone who heard him would have recognized both truth and confidence in it.
“I’m hoping we can reach a compromise,” Anso responded.
The man by the window bit out a terse swear word.
James tensed but didn’t let her go. “My wife and I need some time alone.” Olivia didn’t see Anso’s measuring stare, just felt a buzzy prickle at the back of her neck. “Fine,” the king said after a brief pause. “Meet us in the dining room when you’re done. It’s two doors further from this chamber.” James stood where he was, holding her, until the other men exited. Only then did he push back and clasp her hands.
“The spotted man sucked me off,” he blurted. “And it felt really good.” In spite of everything, or perhaps because of everything, Olivia let out a breathy laugh. “You always did like to get your confessions out first thing.”
“And you always prefer to think them through.” His eyes asked questions his mouth wasn’t ready to.
“We had intercourse,” she said. “Twice. He didn’t have to force me.”
“And you enjoyed it? No.” He wagged his head. “You don’t have to tell me.
Of course you enjoyed it. He’s probably a stud and a half. You have that look you only get after one of our Wild Weekends. At least ... At least tell me he used protection.”
“I’m afraid he didn’t.” Olivia sighed resignedly. “At the time, I was hoping he’d give me a baby.”
James closed his eyes, though he had to know she wasn’t playing Hurt You Worse. Their doctors hadn’t identified which of them was responsible for her problems conceiving a second time. After a few rounds of inconclusive tests, she and James decided they didn’t want to know. The daughter they did have was more important to focus on.
James opened his eyes slowly. “Maybe he could get you pregnant. He is younger than me.”
Olivia clasped his face, hating the hint of bitterness in his tone. “We need to get home. To our life. To Violet. I know she’s grown up, but she still needs us.” James was silent for longer than she expected.
“You want to stay?” she burst out in disbelief.
“Not want to. Or not exactly. But I’m not sure we have a choice. That king fellow isn’t going to let you go. He thinks you’re his mate in blood. His friend claims you two need to have frequent sex, like it’s an addiction.”
“People recover from addictions.”
“Yes,” he said. “But until we figure out how to get out of here, we might have to play along.”
“It wouldn’t just be play. These people make us feel things.”
“I know,” he said.
They looked at each other. She watched his pulse throb at the side of his neck, just like her own was doing. This, at last, frightened them.
“I love you,” he said huskily. “Nothing that’s happened can change that.”
“Even knowing I’ve been with another man?”
“Even that. I wish -” Her husband’s voice sank lower. “I wish I’d seen you with him. I wish I’d
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