“Ravenna?”
“May I comein?”
Talon waved an arm toward where shealready stood inside his bedchamber.“What do you want?”
She untied the sash to herrobe and pushed it off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor.Clad in the same sheer, one-shouldered sleeping gown she’d worn herlast unannounced visit to his chamber, she sauntered over to thetable and poured herself a cup of wine, smiling seductively as sheran a fingertip along the rim.“Yourlidiis not here, nor will she beafter tomorrow.”
“What the king and Idecided about Lara has nothing to do with you.”
She dipped her finger in the wine andlicked it off her fingertip.“What I meant is, you are not playingyour game tonight.I thought you might like to playanother?”
“With you?”
She offered a pretty pout and sidledup to him.More curious than aroused, Talon let her take him by thehand and lead him toward the bed.Wrapping her hands around hisneck, she stood on her tiptoes and stretched up, her rouged lipspuckered.Talon gripped her forearms to remove her hold from hisneck.
“Ravenna,stop.”
“But Talon…” She leanedinto him, and he stepped back, taking her weight with him beforebumping the back of his legs up against the bed.
The door burst open, and Lara blew inwith Wolf.“Good news, Talon,” she said.“Patience had ab—”
“A boy?”Ravenna stillheld tight to Talon’s neck as Lara stilled.“How perfectlycommon.”
Lara whirled around and ran out thedoor, Wolf on her heels.
“Lara.”Talon pushed Ravenna off, cursing.“Wait.”He hurried outthe door after her.
Fists clenched at her sides, Larastopped at the top of the stairs as the loud chorus.of a bawdydrinking song rose from the hall below.
“Listen to me,” he said asshe took in the sight of him clad only in his breechcloth.“Shecame to me unasked, as she did before.Nothinghappened.”
Lara snorted.“It didn’t look likenothing.”
“I swear.I was justcurious what she would do.I wouldn’t have let it go anyfurther.”
“It makes no difference tome.”She shrugged but her eyes welled with tears.
“Then why are you about tocry?”He reached out to wipe the tear that slid down hercheek.
She slapped his hand away.“Don’t,” shehissed.“You don’t ever get to touch me again.Go back to Ravenna.She’ll give you whatever you want.”
“God’sblood, woman,” Talon thundered, and thesinging below stopped.“I don’t want Ravenna.I wantyou.”
“Then why play long enoughto see what she’d do?”she cried.
“Ravenna has nothing to dowith this, whateverthisis between us,” he snarled, and her eyesnarrowed.“You came to me once.You loved me once.”Her eyeswidened.“Why won’t you come to me again?You’re playing me just asmuch.”
“My resistance isdifferent.I…can’t.”
“Can’t?”He stepped up andtook her by the arm as she tried to turn away.“Or won’t?Tell me,Lara.Just tell me.”
“Won’t.”She wrenched herarm from his grip and gave a sob.“I won’t love you again only tolose you.I can’t.”
Talon shivered as if a ghost hadwalked through him.All the nights Lara had woken crying out hisname, her body shaking and her eyes wide with fear.Fear for him.For Sophie and Wolf and Patience.Yet her fears for Patiencemustn’t have come to fruition, else she wouldn’t have bounded intotheir chamber with such a lilt to her voice as she announced thatPatience had given birth to a boy.
Her gaze slipped behind him, and heturned to find Ravenna slinking into the chamber she shared withher father and brother for the night.
“Will you return to ourchamber now?”Talon said gently.
