more than that.
He stood to remove his curiass and crossed the short distance to where she lay pretending to be asleep. He slipped beneath the heavy woollen blanket and snaked his arm out to wrap around her waist, pulling her soft body flush against his. At the first touch of his hand she stiffened and she remained tense as he held her to him.
Thanos released a long, weary sigh. He was exhausted and had no desire to fight with her, but he could no longer ignore her surly disposition.
“Would you care to tell me what is wrong?”
Her breathing was measured, but not even, so he knew she was not asleep even though she remained silent. He sighed again, the gesture more exaggerated this time.
“I know you are awake.”
Several moments passed until he became certain she would continue to ignore him when finally she said in a small voice, “What makes you think something is wrong?”
“You’ve been silent from the moment we left Sellasie. Did something happen while we were there?”
There was a pregnant pause, and Thanos held his breath, waiting .
“Actually, something did happen while we were there and I am surprised you do not remember.”
He wrinkled his forehead as he searched his memories, recounting the brief trip to the city. He hadn’t spoken to anyone except the Thespian girl at the market. He drew up short when he recalled his hurried exchange with the merchant. She could not possibly be upset over that?
A small smile tugged at the edges of his mouth at the notion that Lamia was angry because he’d shared a joke with a girl who was young enough to be his daughter.
Lamia? Jealous? His smile hitched higher.
“If you’re referring to the time when I bought food from the girl in the market, then yes, I remember.” He pressed his open palm firmly against her abdomen and drew her deeper into his embrace when she stiffened and tried to pull away. “I remember because she was the only person I spoke to while there, so I am assuming she must be the source of your anger.”
“ She is not the source of my anger. And I am not angry. Just—just—”
She stumbled over her words and he knew she was either having trouble voicing her feelings or she didn’t yet realise what it was she was feeling, so he finished for her.
“Jealous?”
She shook her head, launching into a litany of protests.
“I am not jealous. That is ridiculous. You flirted with the girl right before me and it was simply rude—”
She stopped in mid-tirade when, without warning, he rolled her over onto her back and covered her with his frame. Holding himself still above her, he settled his weight on one side of his body and used his free hand to cup her cheek, dragging her gaze to his face.
“I did not flirt with that girl. I admit that I joked with her but I was simply being polite. If you saw it as flirting then I apologise. It was not my intention to upset you.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, her expression full of scepticism.
“I did not flirt with that girl,” he repeated, his voice firmer. He hadn’t flirted with the girl. The young merchant had been pretty enough, but he was a man of single-minded focus. He’d focused all of his attention on one woman and that woman was Lamia, and only her.
“I believe you,” she whispered after a long silence.
He quirked his lips into a grin. “I’m flattered to discover that you are jealous—”
“I am not jealous.”
“Yes, you are,” he remarked quietly before dipping his head to capture her sputtering mouth with his lips. He slowly ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips, gently teasing her, before plunging inside.
The kiss was unexpected so she gasped softly when he slipped his tongue between her lips to taste her. He knew the moment her surprise gave way to her own desires, because she arched into him and lifted one hand to tangle in his hair, causing her breasts to jut out and press against his bare chest.
He groaned at the feel of her hardened
He stood to remove his curiass and crossed the short distance to where she lay pretending to be asleep. He slipped beneath the heavy woollen blanket and snaked his arm out to wrap around her waist, pulling her soft body flush against his. At the first touch of his hand she stiffened and she remained tense as he held her to him.
Thanos released a long, weary sigh. He was exhausted and had no desire to fight with her, but he could no longer ignore her surly disposition.
“Would you care to tell me what is wrong?”
Her breathing was measured, but not even, so he knew she was not asleep even though she remained silent. He sighed again, the gesture more exaggerated this time.
“I know you are awake.”
Several moments passed until he became certain she would continue to ignore him when finally she said in a small voice, “What makes you think something is wrong?”
“You’ve been silent from the moment we left Sellasie. Did something happen while we were there?”
There was a pregnant pause, and Thanos held his breath, waiting .
“Actually, something did happen while we were there and I am surprised you do not remember.”
He wrinkled his forehead as he searched his memories, recounting the brief trip to the city. He hadn’t spoken to anyone except the Thespian girl at the market. He drew up short when he recalled his hurried exchange with the merchant. She could not possibly be upset over that?
A small smile tugged at the edges of his mouth at the notion that Lamia was angry because he’d shared a joke with a girl who was young enough to be his daughter.
Lamia? Jealous? His smile hitched higher.
“If you’re referring to the time when I bought food from the girl in the market, then yes, I remember.” He pressed his open palm firmly against her abdomen and drew her deeper into his embrace when she stiffened and tried to pull away. “I remember because she was the only person I spoke to while there, so I am assuming she must be the source of your anger.”
“ She is not the source of my anger. And I am not angry. Just—just—”
She stumbled over her words and he knew she was either having trouble voicing her feelings or she didn’t yet realise what it was she was feeling, so he finished for her.
“Jealous?”
She shook her head, launching into a litany of protests.
“I am not jealous. That is ridiculous. You flirted with the girl right before me and it was simply rude—”
She stopped in mid-tirade when, without warning, he rolled her over onto her back and covered her with his frame. Holding himself still above her, he settled his weight on one side of his body and used his free hand to cup her cheek, dragging her gaze to his face.
“I did not flirt with that girl. I admit that I joked with her but I was simply being polite. If you saw it as flirting then I apologise. It was not my intention to upset you.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, her expression full of scepticism.
“I did not flirt with that girl,” he repeated, his voice firmer. He hadn’t flirted with the girl. The young merchant had been pretty enough, but he was a man of single-minded focus. He’d focused all of his attention on one woman and that woman was Lamia, and only her.
“I believe you,” she whispered after a long silence.
He quirked his lips into a grin. “I’m flattered to discover that you are jealous—”
“I am not jealous.”
“Yes, you are,” he remarked quietly before dipping his head to capture her sputtering mouth with his lips. He slowly ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips, gently teasing her, before plunging inside.
The kiss was unexpected so she gasped softly when he slipped his tongue between her lips to taste her. He knew the moment her surprise gave way to her own desires, because she arched into him and lifted one hand to tangle in his hair, causing her breasts to jut out and press against his bare chest.
He groaned at the feel of her hardened
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