Page 57 of Lhora
“Nothing. They won’t challenge me.”
He stared at her for several long moments. “Why not? Who are you, Lhora?”
“I’m the woman who wants another night with you. The same way you want another night with me.” She locked eyes with him and didn’t blink. “Tell me I’m right.”
“I could tell you, but you won’t believe me.”
“Try me.”
He broke contact and glanced at the door. She could imagine what was going through his head at that moment. What he was thinking. Was there a guard outside? How far could he get before he got caught if he did try to make a break for it?
He look back at her, and the truth slid over her like a comforting blanket.
“You can’t find it in yourself to hurt me, even to make a run for it,” she told him.
Make that four for four.
“No. I can’t,” he admitted.
“Then you accept my counteroffer?”
“What will I get in return?”
“That depends on how the night goes.”
Inevitably, he nodded. “Does it include a bath and a clean change of clothes?”
“And much, much more.”
Duren chuckled. “I’d already assumed it would. All right. I’ll come with you…on one condition.”
“Which is?”
She never expected him to take her face between his hands and lean in to press a hard, warm kiss to her mouth that completely turned her emotions inside-out.
27
Discovery
He released her from the kiss as quickly as he’d initiated it and watched for her reaction. She gave him all of two heartbeats before reaching for him to plant her mouth over his again.
Duren pulled her tightly against him, dragging her across his lap as he reared backwards and brought her down on top of him. This was wrong. They knew it was wrong, but nothing had ever felt so right in their lives.
Lhora continued to kiss him, unmindful of his present state. She disregarded the smells and the dirt, and focused solely on the waves of emotion rolling off of him. On his desire that was as strong and palpable as hers. It almost hurt to have to disengage herself from his arms. “Come. We need to leave before the guards show up to see what’s taking me so long.”
They got to their feet and she led him out of the cell. Duren stopped at the foot of the stairs. “Don’t I need to be restrained or something?”
“Do you want me to?”
“How will they know I’m not forcing you to help me escape?”
She smiled. “I’ll let them know.”
They ascended the stairs side by side. The instant the guard on duty saw them together, he reached for his sword. Lhora signaled for him to stay his hand. “Stand down. We’re good.”
The man’s eyes bounced between her and the Coltrosstian. “You’re sure?”
“He’s unarmed,” she pointed out.
