Jures and Candis smiling at them from just a few feet away and she just knew she was blushing furiously, but couldn’t help it. Roland seemed not to mind at all. He just smiled and pulled her tight against his side.
“Mind your own business, Hal. Couldn’t you see we were busy?”
Roland’s tone was stern, but his expression teased with good-natured humor.
“Any busier and we’d have found you pinning the poor girl to the wall.” Hal’s muttered observation made Roland’s arm tighten around her waist, and she worried for a moment the knight had gone too far, but after just a few seconds, Roland relaxed and shook his head.
“Don’t expect me to thank you for the interruption.”
“You might not, but I bet your lady would.” Hal winked at her and Lana couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped her throat. The man was a true rogue. “Being older and wiser—and married—sire, I’ve learned a thing or two about the fairer sex. One being they don’t always like being groped in a public hallway.”
Sir Jures chimed in, tugging Lady Candis against his chest as he rested his head atop her soft curls. “And females have nasty ways of retaliating for any misstep on the part of their hapless mates, sire. Take it from one who knows.”
Candis tried to reach around to pinch him, but Jures had her arms secured at her waist as she wriggled and giggled like a young girl. Lana was surprised by the change in the usually regal woman, being teased www.samhainpublishing.com 89
like a maid by her playful mates, and Lana knew there was deep and abiding love there, between all three partners to the odd union.
Roland laughed outright as Hal and Jures ducked in and kissed their woman, one on each cheek. Candis ceased to struggle and Jures let her go with another quick peck.
“I, for one, am rather hungry,” Candis announced. “Shall we go in to dinner, Lana, and leave these men to loiter in the hall?” A conspiratorial wink accompanied her playful words and Roland let Lana slip from his grasp as she took Candis’ hand. Daring greatly, Lana sent Roland a saucy wink over her shoulder as she and Lady Candis made their way, arm in arm, into the great hall.
The early dinner shared with the two knights and their mate was companionable and much less frightening than Lana had feared. Lady Candis made an effort to engage Lana in conversation and the knights seemed to truly respect her thoughts on the new weapons Salomar was using, once they put her at ease and broached the subject. Lana realized only after the meal was over that the knights were deeply worried about facing the weapons she and Tor had been learning to evade these past few seasons.
They agreed to meet in an hour, along with the weapons masters of the Lair to discuss the weapons in greater detail. Lana was glad for the chance to tell them what she knew. She feared Salomar would move before these knights and dragons were prepared. The sooner she told them everything she knew about the weapons, the more time they would have to train and equip themselves.
Roland put his arm around her as they walked together down the corridor after dinner. Most of the other knights in the Lair were just heading to the great hall, making little nodding bows to Roland as they 90
passed. Farther away from the great hall, they encountered fewer and fewer people until finally they were alone in a suite of rooms she had never seen before.
“Aren’t we staying with your friends tonight?”
“No, my dear. I asked Candis to arrange for us to have our own suite.
Tilden and Rue will show Tor where we are when he’s ready to come in.
He should be here for the meeting as well. Some of the elder dragons will attend too, but I thought it might be easier for us, after our strategy session is out of the way, to be on our own.”
So it would happen tonight. He would make love to her fully.
A thrill of anticipation laced with fear shot through her core, but she was ready. She
“Mind your own business, Hal. Couldn’t you see we were busy?”
Roland’s tone was stern, but his expression teased with good-natured humor.
“Any busier and we’d have found you pinning the poor girl to the wall.” Hal’s muttered observation made Roland’s arm tighten around her waist, and she worried for a moment the knight had gone too far, but after just a few seconds, Roland relaxed and shook his head.
“Don’t expect me to thank you for the interruption.”
“You might not, but I bet your lady would.” Hal winked at her and Lana couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped her throat. The man was a true rogue. “Being older and wiser—and married—sire, I’ve learned a thing or two about the fairer sex. One being they don’t always like being groped in a public hallway.”
Sir Jures chimed in, tugging Lady Candis against his chest as he rested his head atop her soft curls. “And females have nasty ways of retaliating for any misstep on the part of their hapless mates, sire. Take it from one who knows.”
Candis tried to reach around to pinch him, but Jures had her arms secured at her waist as she wriggled and giggled like a young girl. Lana was surprised by the change in the usually regal woman, being teased www.samhainpublishing.com 89
like a maid by her playful mates, and Lana knew there was deep and abiding love there, between all three partners to the odd union.
Roland laughed outright as Hal and Jures ducked in and kissed their woman, one on each cheek. Candis ceased to struggle and Jures let her go with another quick peck.
“I, for one, am rather hungry,” Candis announced. “Shall we go in to dinner, Lana, and leave these men to loiter in the hall?” A conspiratorial wink accompanied her playful words and Roland let Lana slip from his grasp as she took Candis’ hand. Daring greatly, Lana sent Roland a saucy wink over her shoulder as she and Lady Candis made their way, arm in arm, into the great hall.
The early dinner shared with the two knights and their mate was companionable and much less frightening than Lana had feared. Lady Candis made an effort to engage Lana in conversation and the knights seemed to truly respect her thoughts on the new weapons Salomar was using, once they put her at ease and broached the subject. Lana realized only after the meal was over that the knights were deeply worried about facing the weapons she and Tor had been learning to evade these past few seasons.
They agreed to meet in an hour, along with the weapons masters of the Lair to discuss the weapons in greater detail. Lana was glad for the chance to tell them what she knew. She feared Salomar would move before these knights and dragons were prepared. The sooner she told them everything she knew about the weapons, the more time they would have to train and equip themselves.
Roland put his arm around her as they walked together down the corridor after dinner. Most of the other knights in the Lair were just heading to the great hall, making little nodding bows to Roland as they 90
passed. Farther away from the great hall, they encountered fewer and fewer people until finally they were alone in a suite of rooms she had never seen before.
“Aren’t we staying with your friends tonight?”
“No, my dear. I asked Candis to arrange for us to have our own suite.
Tilden and Rue will show Tor where we are when he’s ready to come in.
He should be here for the meeting as well. Some of the elder dragons will attend too, but I thought it might be easier for us, after our strategy session is out of the way, to be on our own.”
So it would happen tonight. He would make love to her fully.
A thrill of anticipation laced with fear shot through her core, but she was ready. She
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