Master of Swords by Angela Knight

her throat. “It’s fine.”
    â€œGood.” For once, his expression was intent, serious. “First off, if a sorcerer’s got you down like this, your objective is to get him the hell off as fast as possible. Don’t bother struggling—just fry his ass. Pour as much magic into him as you can. That’s your best weapon.”
    His mouth looked deliciously kissable. Concentrate, Lark. “Magic. Best weapon. I know that. But that guy the other night—he’d stunned me with a blast. Next thing I knew, he had me pinned.”
    â€œLike this?” He caught her wrists and pressed them into the sawdust, then lowered his body over hers until their bellies touched.
    Lark swallowed. His fingers felt strong and warm without the cold metal of his gauntlets covering them. “Yeah. I couldn’t move my hands.”
    â€œYou know, the magic doesn’t have to come from your fingertips,” Kel said from his nest of sawdust. “Dragons breathe their spells. Hell, you could beam it from your eyes like Superman if you wanted. Body parts are just a focal point. The magic comes from inside.”
    Lark looked up at Gawain and promptly yielded to temptation. “You mean like this?” Puckering her lips as if blowing a kiss, she breathed a spell into his face.
    â€œWhoa!” His eyes widened at the blatantly sexual buzz she’d sent him. He blinked, and a flush climbed his cheeks as he hardened against her belly in a delightful rush. “Ummm. Probably best not to use that particular spell on the bad guys.”
    Lark gave him a deliberately heavy-lidded glance. “Tell you what—I’ll save it for you.”
    He cleared his throat. “You do that.”
    Â 
    Damn, but he liked her, Gawain thought. Yes, she was woefully inexperienced, but then, so were Geirolf ’s sorcerers, at least compared to him. As long as he kept an eye on her, she’d be okay.
    Merlin knew keeping an eye on her would be no hardship. That lush little body was driving him crazy. With every breath, heat pooled in his balls and spun into his rapidly lengthening erection.
    And she wanted him, too. He could smell the intoxicating scent of arousal rising from her half-clad skin.
    Unfortunately, there was a hint of fear mixed in with her need. Which was no surprise either, really. She was a full foot shorter than he, no taller than five-four or so, with a slender build that intensified the impression of fragility.
    Her features were equally delicate in her heart-shaped face. Her slim nose was just a touch long, and her mouth was full-lipped, sweetly sensual. Her hair fell around her shoulders in a cascade of dark silk that seemed to invite his fingers.
    He couldn’t help noticing there was nothing small about those full, pretty breasts. Most of what little height she had seemed to be leg. Add that long swan’s neck, and she looked like a vampire’s wet dream.
    And she kept staring at his mouth.
    Oh, hell. If he didn’t call this off, he was going to lose it and really scare her.
    â€œI think that’s enough for today.” Gawain released her slim shoulders and rolled away from her.
    Distance. He needed distance.
    Right now.
    Â 
    Lark watched as Gawain rose to his feet and turned away from her, his entire body stiff. And she knew exactly why.
    He wanted her.
    But after spending the past couple of hours in mock combat, Lark found the idea of his hunger a lot less intimidating than it had been. He’d proven he wouldn’t hurt her, no matter what the provocation.
    And she wanted him. Really wanted him, not just to work through her fear or to prove a point to both of them. She wanted to make love, something she hadn’t done in far too long. Even her encounters with Dominic had been purely about triggering her Gift.
    With Gawain, she knew she’d feel real passion. She’d feel alive for the first time in months, without the weight of guilt or grief or