intense gaze. “You’re more than you appear Warlord of Kaban.”
“I believe at this point you have leave to call me Argan, Shaina .”
Her lips twitched. “Argan it shall be.”
Her humor tempted him to step forward and touch her. Seeing no reason to resist, Argan came close enough to feel the rapid rise of her chest. Black streaks darted through the silver mist of her eyes as the lids lowered to half-mast. He cupped her jaw with a tenderness he had not known he possessed and tipped her face up further. The small cut on her bottom lip explained the swelling.
“Argan?”
“I would have another of your kisses,” he murmured before lowering his head and brushing his mouth over hers.
Argan waited and she did not disappoint. Her soft tongue swiped over his lips before she pressed her mouth to his. He groaned deep in his throat at the sensation from the small contact. Her hands fluttered over his shoulders before settling on his chest. His muscles tensed beneath her caressing fingers and Argan had to force himself to back away.
He cleared his throat. “You will tell me when you have need of me.”
“Yes.” She smiled and bowed at the waist as her form misted, leaving Argan alone in the room once more.
The emptiness of the room was more oppressive after the brightness of her presence.
“Hettel!” Argan cursed and flung his knife. The blade sliced through the material of the curtain covering the window before falling to the floor with a clatter.
Chapter 14
The next evening, Shaina still didn’t know what to make of the Warlord’s behavior. Her stomach wobbled inside and she pressed her palm to it in hopes of soothing the feeling. Pulling on a clean set of clothes, the ends of the Warlords braid brushed her fingers from where she’d placed it on her dresser.
Picking up the braid, Shaina raised it high admiring the length. A leather tie kept the end from untangling and a metal clasp shaped like a claw held the top. She’d loved him with the hair but a possessive part of her wanted to run through the halls of the cavern and wave the black rope in the air for all to see.
Searching her room, Shaina finally decided what she wanted to do. The wall to the right of her bed displayed the weapons she used most. Several hooks were empty.
“Shaina, I must speak with you.”
Finishing her task, Shaina took a deep breath before calling out. “Enter, Ivak.”
The curtain barring the door parted to admit the man.
“Greetings, Shaina.” He smiled broadly and approached her with wide open arms.
Shaina ducked the hug and glared. “Ivak, what brings you here?”
His arms fell to his side and he met her glare with one of his own. The added twist to his lips warned her to be cautious.
“You make things more difficult than they need to be, Shaina. We’ve all noticed the change in you and are concerned.”
“ We ,” Shaina snorted. “No one questioned my rule until now, Ivak. More like you’ve convinced them to be concerned.”
Ivak held his hands up in a placating gesture. His mouth pursed into a frown. “Shaina, calm yourself. This is one of the reasons I was elected to speak with you. Your temper of late has been short. You’re easily distracted.”
Shaina did a double take, barely keeping her lips from parting in surprise. “What?”
“At the circle, we noticed how quick you were to leave when we hadn’t resolved anything. Even now, no one knows where you go off to when you disappear.” Ivak crossed the room and placed his hand on her shoulder, his fingers sinking deep.
Shaina controlled her wince and jerked from his hold. “No one need worry about me. I’m fine .”
He sighed and waved his hand in her direction. When he tipped his head down and spoke, his tone reeked of condescension. “Look at you. Wary…cautious of touch. This isn’t like you.”
There was another knock on the wall outside her rooms. Ivak answered for her. “Come in.”
Shaina snapped. “These are my rooms,
“I believe at this point you have leave to call me Argan, Shaina .”
Her lips twitched. “Argan it shall be.”
Her humor tempted him to step forward and touch her. Seeing no reason to resist, Argan came close enough to feel the rapid rise of her chest. Black streaks darted through the silver mist of her eyes as the lids lowered to half-mast. He cupped her jaw with a tenderness he had not known he possessed and tipped her face up further. The small cut on her bottom lip explained the swelling.
“Argan?”
“I would have another of your kisses,” he murmured before lowering his head and brushing his mouth over hers.
Argan waited and she did not disappoint. Her soft tongue swiped over his lips before she pressed her mouth to his. He groaned deep in his throat at the sensation from the small contact. Her hands fluttered over his shoulders before settling on his chest. His muscles tensed beneath her caressing fingers and Argan had to force himself to back away.
He cleared his throat. “You will tell me when you have need of me.”
“Yes.” She smiled and bowed at the waist as her form misted, leaving Argan alone in the room once more.
The emptiness of the room was more oppressive after the brightness of her presence.
“Hettel!” Argan cursed and flung his knife. The blade sliced through the material of the curtain covering the window before falling to the floor with a clatter.
Chapter 14
The next evening, Shaina still didn’t know what to make of the Warlord’s behavior. Her stomach wobbled inside and she pressed her palm to it in hopes of soothing the feeling. Pulling on a clean set of clothes, the ends of the Warlords braid brushed her fingers from where she’d placed it on her dresser.
Picking up the braid, Shaina raised it high admiring the length. A leather tie kept the end from untangling and a metal clasp shaped like a claw held the top. She’d loved him with the hair but a possessive part of her wanted to run through the halls of the cavern and wave the black rope in the air for all to see.
Searching her room, Shaina finally decided what she wanted to do. The wall to the right of her bed displayed the weapons she used most. Several hooks were empty.
“Shaina, I must speak with you.”
Finishing her task, Shaina took a deep breath before calling out. “Enter, Ivak.”
The curtain barring the door parted to admit the man.
“Greetings, Shaina.” He smiled broadly and approached her with wide open arms.
Shaina ducked the hug and glared. “Ivak, what brings you here?”
His arms fell to his side and he met her glare with one of his own. The added twist to his lips warned her to be cautious.
“You make things more difficult than they need to be, Shaina. We’ve all noticed the change in you and are concerned.”
“ We ,” Shaina snorted. “No one questioned my rule until now, Ivak. More like you’ve convinced them to be concerned.”
Ivak held his hands up in a placating gesture. His mouth pursed into a frown. “Shaina, calm yourself. This is one of the reasons I was elected to speak with you. Your temper of late has been short. You’re easily distracted.”
Shaina did a double take, barely keeping her lips from parting in surprise. “What?”
“At the circle, we noticed how quick you were to leave when we hadn’t resolved anything. Even now, no one knows where you go off to when you disappear.” Ivak crossed the room and placed his hand on her shoulder, his fingers sinking deep.
Shaina controlled her wince and jerked from his hold. “No one need worry about me. I’m fine .”
He sighed and waved his hand in her direction. When he tipped his head down and spoke, his tone reeked of condescension. “Look at you. Wary…cautious of touch. This isn’t like you.”
There was another knock on the wall outside her rooms. Ivak answered for her. “Come in.”
Shaina snapped. “These are my rooms,
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