I blink, startled by her directness, and even more startled by the predatory expression in her eyes.
“Yes?” I hazard, as Jeene leans across the table. She reminds me, in this moment, of a wolf sizing up her prey.
“Just know that, if you hurt her, I will hunt you down and make you wish your mother had never been born.”
Lellie hoots with laughter as Jeene settles smugly back into her chair.
I, on the other hand, am beginning to sweat—profusely—beneath my stolen armor.
When Cinda carries over our beers, placing them on the table with a flourish, I tear my gaze from Jeene to glance up at the beautiful lady in red.
“Here you go, Talis,” she murmurs, pushing a glass toward me.
I reach for it, and our fingers touch. Though my hands are bound in leather gloves, there’s a lightning shock when we make contact.
“A beer isn't much thanks for saving my life.” Cinda pats the top of my hand with lingering fingers. “But you have my...deepest gratitude.”
Jeene coughs, and I avoid glancing at her; she's clearly uncertain as to whether I’m good enough for her best friend. My eyes remain affixed to Cinda—Cinda who smiles at me as though my existence alone is something to be celebrated. Cinda, who’s leaning over the table, undoubtedly aware that her breasts are being presented to me like the goddess’s own fruit.
I pick up my beer and gulp it down, feeling my dratted cheeks betray me.
This blush could probably guide ships home on a stormy evening.
Chapter 8
CINDA
Oh, she’s blushing again! I nearly giggle with delight, but I rein in the impulse. I certainly don’t want Talis to think that I’m laughing at her. Instead, I cast a look at Jeene as I take the seat beside her.
My friend hides a smile behind her hand; she knows who I've set my sights on.
And what a sight she is!
I can’t believe my luck. I’ve been thinking about it, and, honestly, I’m all right with Talis being so young. She has a nobility about her, and this lovely earnestness that makes my heart thrill. There is nothing more attractive than heartfelt sincerity. And, you know...piercing blue eyes. And a gorgeous swagger. And a knightliness that makes my chest heave of its own accord.
And I may, or may not, be trying to use said chest to my advantage.
So this is the knight I’m going to tumble. She likes me, I can tell, and, oh, my goddess, do I like her. It’s as if fate has smiled down upon us.
I’m almost glad that Asla broke up with me this morning.
Actually, no.
I am thoroughly glad.
Because the knight seated before me, as young as she is, has more honor in her pinkie finger than that vain peacock who thought I’d grown too fat to share her bed.
The thought of her makes my blood boil!
But that's all past, and I won’t think of it anymore.
I take a sip of my beer, watching Talis over the rim of my glass. It’s strange, truly, how attracted I am to her.
I know when a woman is beautiful, and I know when a woman is my type.
This goes beyond all of that.
When I look at Talis, I feel...something new.
Which is hogwash, of course. Look at me, mentally expounding about things I don’t really believe in! Love. What a silly notion. Maybe, once, I believed that love was possible. I’ve had many good tumbles with many good women.
But love is too strong a word to apply to any of them.
And that’s not what I’m here for, anyway.
Even if I believed in it.
Which I don’t.
Obviously.
Ahem.
I take another sip of my beer before Jeene elbows me gently in the stomach. Then I blink, sitting up straighter in my chair. I think someone was talking to me... “I’m so sorry—what?” I ask, and Talis blushes more deeply, bless her.
“Do you come here often?” she asks—adorably—after clearing her throat.
The other knight, Lellie, chuckles a little, hiding a smile behind her beer glass as she glances at my breasts, which are being pushed up by the surface of the table.
I grin disarmingly and place my chin on my hands. “Did you really just ask me if I come here often?” I purr, my smile deepening. I feel as if my whole body is smiling. I chuckle a little, and then I let her gently off of the hook. “No, actually. As it happens, Jeene and I wanted to try something different tonight.”
“We had occasion to celebrate.” Her tone coy, Jeene glances sidelong at me.
And when I look at Talis now, I can’t help but chuckle again. Because Talis is staring at Jeene with a decidedly firm set to her jaw. Is she jealous? Jeene certainly thinks she is, because she’s embracing this role, wrapping a languid arm around my shoulders. “Cinda here is on the market, as of today.” She casts a quick look to Talis, who raises her brows.
“Oh, really?” asks Lellie, lounging back.
“Yes. She was dating a knight but ended things with her.”
Shocked, I shake my head at Jeene, trying to tell her that I'm uncomfortable with this lie, but she continues mildly, “It’s a good thing, believe me.”
Lellie leans forward now, the candlelight winking brightly off of her chest plate. “A knight? Oh, that’s delicious. Who were you seeing, if you don’t mind my asking?”
I bite my lip helplessly. “I’d…I’d rather not say,” I begin, at the same moment that Jeene says “Asla,” and then takes another sip of her beer.
The knights across the table from us sit up straighter. Much, much straighter. Talis exchanges a glance with Lellie, looking genuinely shocked—and, in truth, a little worried—but Lellie nods and trails a finger over her glass.
“Ah,” Lellie says simply, all lilts of amusement gone from her voice. Apparently the revelation of Asla's name wasn't as “delicious” as she had hoped. She doesn’t look at Talis, but she tilts her head in the knight’s direction. “Isn’t that interesting, friend?” she asks quietly.
Talis says nothing. She, in fact, is starting to look slightly sick.
“Do you know her?” Jeene’s voice is bright, too bright, as if she hasn't noticed the altered mood of the table.
“All knights know one another. Some better than others.” And Lellie glances to Talis, who’s suddenly very interested in her glass of beer.
For a long, awkward moment, no one speaks.
But then Lellie pulls off her gloves, finger by finger, and places them on her thigh, exhaling softly. “Well, I’m sorry that your relationship ended,” she tells me, smiling in sympathy. “That’s never pleasant.”
“Oh, it was a good thing, like Jeene said. Asla and I weren’t suited to each other,” I hear myself say, almost as if from somewhere far away. I’m too focused on Talis. Her bright red hair has fallen in front of her eyes, and she’s using her thumbnail to trace patterns in the beer glass’s perspiration.
“What about you, Jeene? Seeing anyone?” asks Lellie, chin cradled in her hands as she boldly flutters her lashes.
Jeene laughs warmly at the flirtation; she shakes her head. “Nah. I’m too busy for that right now.” Jeene’s reflexes are cat-quick as she raises her brows and tilts her head to one side. “Say, you’ve finished your beer. What a shame!”
“It is a shame,” agrees Lellie, enunciating every word and glancing at Talis. “I think Jeene and I ought to get the next round.”
“Fine,” says Talis, her voice low, almost a mumble.
And, just like that, thanks to Jeene's blatant ruse, Talis and I are left alone.
I lean forward, trying to catch Talis’s downcast gaze. “Talis…” I trail off as she looks at me. Her blue eyes are now dark and brooding. I don’t understand what caused her spirits to sink. “Did you… Did you know Asla? Were you friends?” I feel my throat tighten as I say the word, but I force it out, anyway: “Lovers?”
“No.” The response is quick, sharp.
Hmm.
Not friends or lovers, then.
So, enemies? Rivals, maybe? I thought there were no enemies among the knights; they’re such a tight-knit group.
There's a history between them, but I can't guess at what it might be. All I know is that I want those gorgeous blue eyes to light up again. So I clear my throat and summon a fetching smile—one of my best, I hope. “Talis,” I purr, and, again, she lifts her gaze to meet mine.
There’s hurt in her eyes. A secret pain. A torment. But as our eyes lock, her expression gradually softens. It’s almost as if she’s purposefully pushing the gray thoughts from her mind. Her smile starts out uncertain but soon grows warm.
“Are you seeing anyone, Talis?”
She shakes her head, pushing her hair out of her eyes and offering me an almost bashful smile. “No.”
I take a sip of beer and glance at the bar—and then, despite myself, I’m chuckling.
“What is it?” asks Talis, before looking toward the bar, too. “Oh, Lellie,” she mutters, throwing her eyes heavenward.
Our friends are nowhere in sight. Jeene and Lellie have disappeared as if in a puff of smoke—or, more likely, they simply left the tavern.
Purposefully leaving the two of us alone.
Talis leans back against the wall, laughing quietly. It’s a warm, throaty laugh, and I love the sound. But what I love even more is how Talis regards me across the table.
There’s desire in her eyes, bright and burning, as she places a hand over the armor on her stomach.
“It seems we’re left with only each other for company.” Her words are coy, but she looks uncertain, as if she’s not used to this sort of thing. Then she leans over the table with purpose, though, and I feel my heart flutter against my ribs.
Because, like a spark touched to a candle’s wick, there’s light in her eyes once more, and she transforms from inexperienced youngster to someone who knows exactly what she wants.
And all she has to do is give me a simple look in order to get it.
“Like I said before, I’m very grateful to you,” I breathe, licking my lips. “For saving my life.” It's the truth, and it's an invitation.
I watch her face carefully, trailing my gaze over her lips and the strong curve of her jaw, marveling at the unerring power in her stormy eyes. “I really can’t tell you how grateful,” I go on, tilting my head to one side.
And here’s my final hand. My goodness, I hope I don’t overplay it.
“But maybe I could show you,” I finish, exhaling softly.
Okay, yes. I definitely overplayed it. But who cares! I don’t, because Talis puts her own head to the side, and the smile that comes across her face is lush with innuendo.
“The Happy Lioness rents out rooms,” the knight says bluntly, her husky voice doing indecent things to certain regions of my body. “I could inquire about that... Since you were so kind to get our drinks.”
Without a pause, I nod eagerly, and Talis slides off of the bench to ask the barkeep about a room. My blood is racing, and I’m only slightly tipsy, but I do want to be at my best when we tumble together, because it’s really happening, the lady of my dreams—who just saved me from the back of a runaway donkey—is about to be my partner in a tumble that—is this a bit premature? Surely not!—will be legendary.
I’m already writing the ballad in my head about the impending, epic tumble when Talis returns, placing her hands against the tabletop and warming me with the sly smile on her face.
“Right this way…milady.”
Talis offers me her hand, and I place my own in her palm.
She’s still wearing gloves, and I must say that the sensation of leather against flushed and naked skin is incredibly sexy. The leather is warm, supple, and suddenly I feel as if I’m rising, ascending to the skies, a goddess with her fair lover beside her... Okay, that's a bit much, but I really am ascending, because we’re climbing the staircase that leads to the rooms for rent.
Talis places her other hand at the small of my back, arguably to guide me along the steps, but when her fingers close around my curves, I find myself giggling like a schoolgirl.
And then Talis’s hand drifts along the side of my dress and cups a buttock.
“You cheeky girl,” I laugh.
I glance at her over my shoulder, and my breath hitches in my throat; it’s a wonder that I’m not kissing her here and now, in view of everyone below.
Well...to hell with it.
Life is short.
I turn to face her, cradling her cheeks, and with Talis’s hand still clutching my ass, I dart close and kiss her.
She’s surprised, but not for long. Her body melts against mine, like chocolate warmed in a pan. Then Talis laughs, a low, throaty chuckle that reaches to the depths of me, bringing fire to my body.
“Let us to bed,” Talis murmurs at my ear, and I feel my heart surging beneath my breast. Goodness, I hope that organ is in tiptop working order, because I'm going to need it for the night to come...
To say that we enter the room Talis rented for us isn’t quite accurate—because she nearly breaks down the door as she pushes me against it, kissing me hard. The wood gives behind my back, and then I’m falling, falling into the room...
“Are you all right?” Talis asks, breathless, catching me around the waist.
“Oh, right as rain. Now—where we were?”
And then I’m slamming the door shut after Talis comes in, and I’m pushing her against the door, standing on my tiptoes, working my fingers at her armor. There is a frustratingly large number of bits and bobs and leather straps...
“I need you,” I pant to her, wrapping my arms about her neck and pressing my front against hers. “But…I can’t get in.”
She laughs again, and then she peels off her leather gloves, cupping my cheeks with her soft, hot palms. And when she leans down, brushing her mouth against mine, every feeling place in my body thrills—and demands quite a bit more.
“Yes, yes, hurry,” I groan, as Talis’s fingers work under the leather straps by her shoulders, connecting her metal chest piece to her shoulder pieces. But she stops short, her fingers closing over the small buckle.
“But I want you first.” She searches my face, her fingers falling away from the strap and encircling my waist. “Please.”
The please is less than a whisper: it’s a breath, as if it came from some place buried so deep inside of her that it’s never been touched before. I look up at her, surprised. The moment is fleeting, but I saw something in her, something genuine, true. How earnest and hopeful she is...
I tilt my head to one side, offering her my neck. “Be my guest.”
And Talis’s eyes are consumed with fire. She places her mouth to my throat, filling her hands with my breasts, as she pushes me back toward the bed. I fall onto it with a laugh. Wrapping my arms about her broad shoulders, I draw the knight down on top of me.
Talis trails kisses along the swell of my breasts, her fingers blazing trails upon my legs, drawing up my skirts...
I close my eyes in bliss and gratitude.
Thank the Goddess and any other gods listening…
But, unfortunately, they are not listening.
Because, at that very moment, there is a knock at the door.
Chapter 9
TALIS
I'm ready for this. For her.
I'm ravenous for her.
What I am not prepared for, however, is an interruption.
It comes in the form of a loud, sharp rapping at the door, and in the midst of a moment that was all softness and heat, the knock is a cold, harsh dragging back to reality.
I grit my teeth before glancing over my shoulder. We failed to bolt the door behind us, damn it.
“Not now!” I shout. “Please allow us some privacy!”
My words are, perhaps, a little louder than necessary, but I really wished to get my point across.
And now I turn back to the business at hand.
Cinda.
Oh, how beautiful she is, with her head lyi
ng back and her green eyes hooded, watching me; the hair in her braids has fallen into lovely disarray. Her mouth is open, panting, and her perfect body lies beneath my hands—
The knock comes again, more insistent.
I growl and close my eyes, breathing out steadily through my nose. “We’re in the middle of something very important—” I begin, but then a small, embarrassed cough sounds from behind the door.
“Milady knight? I’m sorry to disturb you, but—I need a moment of your time. Please?”
And then, after a beat: “Right now? Please?”
I groan, and make a decision quickly. The sooner I attend to the door, the sooner I can return to Cinda.
“This won’t take but a moment, lovely,” I tell Cinda, and I brush my mouth against her neck before pushing off from the bed, rising, and adjusting my chest plate so that it lies against my front snugly.
I cross the room and crack open the door.
“Yes?” I ask, and whatever I was about to say—probably something about poor manners—dies upon my lips. My irritation fades, replaced by simple confusion.
The woman standing in the hallway is hardly a woman, is really just a girl. She doesn’t even look old enough to be in the tavern, and her youth is made more obvious by the fact that her face is blanched, as white as a sheet. She keeps rubbing her hands together as if she’s cold.
“Milady knight, something’s happened. And you’re a knight. And we—we need your help. Down below. In the tavern.” She takes a deep breath, tries to calm herself. “Someone’s robbing the tavern. Please help us? You’re the only knight here. This is my family's tavern. Please, please help us.”
Her eyes are as wide as the moon, and, pinned to the spot beneath their anxious gaze, I feel myself starved for air—and trying hard not to show my own distress.
This girl doesn't know that I'm not a knight. I look the part, after all, so naturally people would look to me to perform the tasks reserved for the knights—such as protecting the people of Arktos.
“What do you mean, someone's robbing the tavern?” I ask stupidly, desperate for time, and to get as many details as possible before forging ahead into something I'm unprepared to face.
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