by S. K Munt
Could that be me in one hundred years time? She asked herself. Happily married to Lincoln and yet still checking out the heartthrob of my coronation era? Could some harmless flirting be enough to ward off these pangs?
Camus was smiling too, his offense forgotten. ‘I’m going to go check the locks,’ he said, headed for the front door. ‘Back soon.’
‘I’ll check the locks upstairs. Then I’m going to go shower,’ Sahori said, shouldering her weapon again and running her braid in front of her eyes with two fingers. ‘I have twigs in my hair. I don’t like that very much.’
‘Soaking in the tub for me-my feet are killing me,’ Lachlan complained again, shuffling after her.
The room cleared. Tristan glanced over at her, and his shoulders sagged. ‘You’re still here?’
Ivyanne ignored his not-so-subtle hint to scram. ‘I really am so sorry I got you hurt,’ she whispered, standing close to him and taking his hand. From that one touch she could tell that he was practically vibrating with anger and it added to her unease. Had she damaged his trust so irrevocably that he wouldn’t get past it this time?
‘You’ve said that…’ he responded in a monotone.
‘Do you need painkillers? We have some lying around-something strong for emergencies. It won’t last long with your metabolism, but it’ll help a little.’
‘I’ll do without, thank you,’ Tristan said stiffly. ‘In fact, if you really want to help me out...you can seriously just go up to your room, okay?’
Ivyanne inhaled sharply, stung. She’d seen Tristan mad at her before-but never had his anger been accompanied by the desire to be rid of her.
Tristan’s gaze flickered down to her then back to the opposite wall. He sighed deeply and shook his head. ‘I’m sorry your highness, but yes, I’m angry with you, and I’m not ready for those puppy eyes and that trembling lip to rob me of that right!’
‘Then be pissed. Lash out. Don’t look at me-that’s fine-but you won’t chase me away.’ Ivyanne buried her face in his arm. ‘I was so terrified that he’d kill you! I know I’ll calm down eventually, but for now, I don’t want to let you out of my sight!’
‘You really were worried, weren’t you?’
She looked up at him, a cold band squeezing around her heart. ‘Can you blame me?Tristan that is the third time you’ve faced off with Ardhi and have only just managed to hobble away after!’
‘Fourth actually, if you count the crash, and our fifth scuffle in total.’ Tristan gave her a pointed look. ‘Which should speak more of my durability than vulnerability.’
‘Is that right?’ Ivyanne asked, only half joking. ‘Because I’m starting to think you’re just accident prone!’
He rolled his eyes and looked away. ‘Yeah well...you have a tendency to underrate me don’t you? I survive what would kill lesser men and to you it’s a fluke. Or five consecutive flukes! I’ve known hundreds of women and fallen only for one-but to you that makes me unreliable when really, it should make you see how precious you are to me.’ His eyes came back, and fixed on her own, and the melancholy within them broke her. ‘You and I can have anyone we want-but the fact that you want me the most and I feel the same has you convinced that we’re fooling ourselves. The perfection of our chemistry is a blessing yet to treat it like a curse, and why? Because you don’t believe that fate wants you to be happy.’ He sighed and looked down at his hands on his knees. ‘I’m lost Ivyanne. Every shred of evidence you get that ought to give you faith in me takes a little more away. I feel like I’m literally chasing my own tail here.’
Ivyanne couldn’t speak, there was a lump in her throat the size of a stonefish and no amount of swallowing would budge it. She heard the ring of truth in his words and yet his eloquence, yet another tick in his column, threw her off once more.
And that was the crux of the problem; Tristan Loveridge was too perfect. Too desirable-too crazy in love with her for her to believe he was for real. She needed flaws to grip onto-just as her life was a broken fairytale, she assumed only a broken Prince Charming could endure it with her. That was Lincoln-she didn’t have to worry about Lincoln developing flaws overnight and shattering her perfect fantasies about their future together-she knew his faults and had accepted them and every day, he grew stronger.
Whereas Tristan had come pre-packaged and perfect for the job. Where did their passion have to go, but down? He was dominating every aspect of his life alone-she didn’t want to destroy that for him, by sucking him into her less than perfect world where every day, he got a little more bruised, a little more broken-and sparkled a little less thanks to her.
Whether he knew it or not-he’d be happier without her. And yet she was too infatuated with him to release him.
‘No response huh? Like in the past, your silence is proving me right.’ Tristan’s finger was under her chin, forcing her to look up into his muddy face. He smiled. ‘Naw come on Ivyanne, breathe. I’m fine. You’re the one who’s shaking!’
Ivyanne knew she was trembling-she just wasn’t sure if it was from fear, or something else. That smile was doing things to her, as it always did, only more so in the aftermath of his rage. She didn’t want to wait for him to get better-she wanted to kiss him better. She wanted to make up for all the ways she had wounded him in a way she knew would soothe him from head to toe-soothe them both. Clear her head, and allow her to focus on the bigger picture instead of the one tattooed onto his side, visible through his wet shirt.
‘Well it was a bit of an ordeal you know-even without the mini-tsunami.’ She sifted her fingers through his wet curls. ‘I just want to curl up in your arms and-’
‘I can only imagine how you felt, facing off with him like that. And we will talk about it later...’ Tristan sighed and slid off the counter. ‘But for now, I should go shower.’ He cocked an eyebrow at her. ‘Are you going to distance yourself from the security room? Or should I wear a bathing suit?’
‘I guess you’ve earned a bit of privacy,’ Ivyanne joked as she squeezed his hand, not letting go. She was so full of gratitude and adoration for him in that moment that she couldn’t bear the thought of parting ways, so she stalled instead. ‘But tell me...Will you be patrolling my hall tonight?’
‘Probably. Garridan will want the able-bodied ones on the ground floor. And on that note-make sure you lock your windows tight, okay? I dare say we’ll all be posted inside, for safety’s sake.’
‘Okay.’ Ivyanne said softly, secretly amused that Tristan was missing so many clumsily veiled hints. She traced a slight circle on the inside of his palm-her body once again two steps ahead of her mind and mouth. ‘I will. But you might want to come in and double-check that I’ve done it right.’ She leaned her head on his shoulder and looked up at him demurely. ‘After all, I think I’ve proven how complacent I can be with my own safety, haven’t I? Besides, I’m pretty shaken. Do you think Garridan would object to posting a guard in my room...just this once?’
At last, the penny seemed to drop. Tristan lifted his eyebrows and stared at her incredulously for a full moment before clearing his throat and saying: ‘Is that...was that an invitation into your room, your highness?’
Ivyanne smiled. ‘Shall I write down what I’ve been hinting at for the last five minutes Tristan? Or is that intellect of yours gonna kick in at last?’
He looked at her sideways. ‘I hit my head pretty hard you know...perhaps you need to spell out exactly what you’re offering here.’
‘I feel badly-for turning my back on you last night and almost getting you killed tonight. So I’d like to make it up to you. In my room. Alone.’ Ivyanne brought his hand to her lips and kissed it tentatively, smiling when his adam’s apple bobbed and his eyes darkened in response. ‘I haven’t got a precise offer worked out just yet-but I’ll be open to negotiations.’ She pressed her body into his. ‘But in the very least, I plan on kissing every ache I’ve caused.’
His eyes flared. ‘Every ache?’
She cupped the crotch of his jeans in one
hand gently and whispered against his lips: ‘Every single one.’
Tristan’s eyes closed and he breathed in deeply. ‘Oh sweet jesus…what if it’s not enough? What if I lose control?’
‘It’s a risk we’re both going to have to take. But,if you try to take it further then I’m prepared to, a quick kick in the shin ought to settle the matter.’
Tristan chuckled. ‘You have no idea how badly I want you, do you?’ He opened his eyes. ‘What physical pain I’d endure to feel myself inside you again?’
Ivyanne shivered deliciously. She knew she was playing with fire, but she was in the mood to feel it’s warmth on her skin. ‘Actually, I do. But if it’s truly my faith you want, this is your chance to win it.’
‘I will,’ he whispered. ‘I won’t touch you until you ask me to. And I won’t kiss you until you break that damn command officially.’
‘Then my door will be unlocked, Tristan. As soon as you’re finished with Garridan, walk through it, okay? I’ll be waiting.’
Tristan caught her hand, frowning. ‘Do you swear? You’re not going to call Link in the next hour and give yourself cold feet again, are you?’
In response, Ivyanne reached over to the iPod dock and held in the power button on her phone-silencing The Commitments. Lincoln would be devastated when he learned of her invitation and whatever transpired as a result-and he would learn of it, of that she was certain. But she was sick of putting everyone else’s feelings ahead of her own. She needed to be kissed and held-she needed to know if removing the embargo on Tristan’s body removed her fixation with him as well.
‘I’ll be upstairs, warming my feet,’ she said. ‘Just come up before I overheat, okay?’
Tristan’s face broke into a dazzling smile, a mix of relief and anticipation. ‘Nine?’
‘Can’t come fast enough.’
‘That makes two of us.’
Ivyanne smiled as she left the room and headed for the stairs.
*
‘Grace! Whoa!’ Lincoln straightened his arms, locking them in place-and her away from him. ‘Don’t! Remi’s counting on me and-’
‘I know... you promised her you’d find him, and we will.’ Shadows from the ferns danced across her in the moonlight, making her skin luminous and surreal. ‘But yesterday you promised me something and-’
Lincoln put his hands over her hot mouth. ‘No.’ He said through gritted teeth, struggling to resist putting his hands elsewhere. ‘I’m not going to kiss you.’
Grace swatted his hand away and held it, narrowing her eyes in accusation. ‘But you promised!’
‘Grace-no.’ He said firmly, staring her down. ‘You’re beautiful, smokin right now actually, and it’s a tempting offer-but the only reason I want to mess around is to get certain urges out of my system-and being a full blood Marked daughter, I can’t take it any further with you than I can with Ivyanne. Kissing is only going to make it worse.’
Grace raised an eyebrow. ‘You just admitted that you want to take me to bed again,’ she purred, running one hand down his chest. ‘That’s progress.’
‘Not for me, it isn’t.’ Lincoln said sourly. He took her shoulders in her hands, trying to ignore the plea in her eyes. ‘Anything I do with you is leading you on Grace.’ He glanced across the pool, which was glowing blue in the moonlight. ‘I think we need to knock this on the-’ his eyes widened when he spotted something floating on the edge of the pool, only a few feet from him. ‘Shit!’
Grace jumped. ‘What?’
‘Michael!’ Heart in his throat, Lincoln leapt into the water in pursuit of the body.
15.
Tristan didn’t know what to think when he limped up Ivyanne’s stairwell and saw no light shining out from under her door. He glowered down at his watch-it was nine on the dot-he’d spoken to her at seven. He’d showered and rushed through a quick re-con with Garridan and the others-comparing notes. Garridan had gone down with Camus and inspected the car-finding nothing but some fishing maps and old beer cans inside-nothing to identify the driver. There was a registration sticker in the corner, up to date, but they didn’t have access to those kind of records, so the best they could do was wait and see if a tow-truck, or Ardhi, came for the vehicle.
As for Ivyanne, they’d all agreed to put a lock on the outer door of the surveillance room as well-so the next time they had to contain her, she’d stay contained.
Tristan had to admit, even to himself, that his mind hadn’t really been on the meeting-but his watch. When they’d parted ways, and he’d informed them that he’d be camped in Ivyanne’s stairwell-no one commented. For the first time in his life, people were assuming that sex was the last thing on his mind.
And strangely, they were kind of right. Because when he reflected on their conversation earlier, it wasn’t her promises that made his heart race, so much as they way she’d promised them. Ivyanne Court had flirted with him-really flirted and it made him feel drunk with happiness. Of course there was a lot of innuendo between them but usually, everything she said had a hint of sass to it, or was backed up by a cutting remark of some sort.
This time though...she’d been glowing. Grinning. Batting those damn eyelashes and forcing his heart to keep pace with them. Desperate to please-and that’s what he was coming back for-her undivided attention.
Tristan nudged the door-which was ajar to begin with-open with his bare, bandaged foot. ‘Ivyanne?’ he asked quietly.
She was lying on the bed, her hair splayed out on her pillow, shining silver and gold in the weak moonlight filtering through her window. Her breathing was deep and even, and her comforter was pulled up over her shoulder. She didn’t respond.
Tristan’s heart sank. All desire to shake her awake-to do anything to her, left him with one deep exhalation.
Of course she’s exhausted, he thought, cocking his head and smiling with the tenderness of a father looking in on a slumbering child. He couldn’t begrudge her sleep, not when he thought of the constant dark circles under her eyes. And even though he felt desolate knowing that she hadn’t been excited enough for their rendezvous to stay awake, he took comfort in the fact that at least she’d tried.
Tristan hobbled to her side and sat on the edge of her mattress, tentatively stroking her beautiful blanket of hair and gazing down at her peaceful expression.
‘Good night, my love,’ he whispered, leaning down to kiss her cheek. ‘Sweet dreams for once.’
‘I thought you weren’t going to touch me until I gave permission.’
Tristan blinked in the darkness, trying to make out her face. ‘You’re awake?!’
Ivyanne’s eyes opened, a smile stretching her lips. ‘You think I could actually fall asleep knowing there was a sexual deviant prowling around my stairwell?’
‘Ga!’ Tristan smacked her backside, or what he assumed was her backside under the protection of her comforter. ‘You are such a brat! I ought to-’
‘To what?’ Ivyanne sat up, and the comforter slipped off her shoulder ‘You dare threaten your queen?’ In the low light, her teeth were whiter, her skin dark, her eyes twinkling merrily.
‘I would-except I can’t think of a single threat that you wouldn’t enjoy.’ He was buoyant to know she had been just teasing him. He rested one hand on either side of her hips, bringing his face close to hers. ‘So... is there room on your bed for me? You know, given my awful injuries?’
Ivyanne wiggled back against the left hand side of the bed head, making room for him. ‘Hop on in hop-a-long.’
‘Thank you.’ Tristan grinned and slid onto the mattress beside her. It was warm from her body heat. He shifted, trying to arrange the pillows behind his neck so he could look at her. ‘Just give me a second to arrange myself...’
‘I’m so sorry.’ Ivyanne whispered, pulling him across more, her strength making light work of it. ‘Really. Can you even get comfortable?’
‘I think so…’ He turned onto his side, resting his injured ankle in front of the right one and propping hims
elf up on one elbow. ‘Okay this is good like this-plus, I can see you now.’ He glanced down at the blanket she had hugged around herself. ‘Although I would like to see a little more.’
‘No surprise there.’ Ivyanne joked, getting on her own side so they were facing each other. Even under the downy quilt, her curves stood out like a race track.
There was a moment’s silence as their bodies settled. The tension in the air was palpable. Ivyanne broke it with a giggle. ‘Okay why is this weird?’
‘Probably because this is the first time you’ve let me get this close to you without having to pin you in place.’
‘Ah!’ She laughed. ‘That must be it.’
‘Want me to piss you off?’ He asked.
‘I actually don’t think you could right now.’ She mused in a thoughtful tone.
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Really? Why’s that?’
Ivyanne reached out and fingered one of his curls. He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling like a petted cat. Like a king.
‘Because for the first time since we met-I’m not scared of encouraging you.’
Tristan pushed his head into her fingers and sighed again, deliriously pleased. ‘I knew it was a pretense. No way am I as irritating as you make me out to be!’
Ivyanne chuckled. ‘No. You’re sexy... Which is why I wish you weren’t so public about it with your pretenses!’
Tristan was touched, and yet her honesty was catching him off-guard. Okay so she’d messed up that night and had gotten him hurt-but it wasn’t her style to lay herself at someone’s feet. She spoke her mind, not her heart. So why the sudden change? Was she laying herself at his feet, hoping he’d step over her?
‘Are you saying all of this as a swan song?’ He asked, breathing in the scent of freshly washed and damp hair from her pillows. It was heavenly. ‘Are you going to seduce me with your words, make love to me-and then release me, hoping I stay released?’
‘Is there anything I could do to release you?’ She asked, neither confirming nor denying his fear. ‘To make you walk away?’
Tristan opened his mouth to say no, but then realized, that wasn’t honest. ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘You could choose Lincoln.’