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He groaned as her bosom made contact with his chest, wizard-black eyes on her mouth as he licked his lips. “I do want you. You know how much.”
“Then take,” she invited in a sensual murmur. “Have.”
His grip faltered, and she dove in, but he dodged the kiss, turning his head to the side and wrapping his arms around her. Clever of him, though not entirely effective as she now lay with her breasts crushed delightfully against his hard chest, his strong neck available for kissing and biting—which she proceeded to do. His magic coiled silver through hers, his groan of passion a rumble of distant thunder, his body heating as she poured fire to set him boiling. His arms tightened, holding her close.
“Gabriel, please, I liked having sex with you. All seven times.”
“I liked it, too,” he breathed.
“And I’m assuming you’d rather I didn’t have sex with anyone else?”
His embrace tightened into granite. “Out of the question.”
“No need to growl.” She wriggled, and he released her enough that she could frame his face in her hands. “I feel the same. A familiar can’t demand fidelity of their wizard, but I feel secure in requesting this?”
“You’re my wife,” he ground out, insult in his expression. “Fidelity goes without saying. I don’t care what the rest of your foul Convocation society believes.”
“So that leaves us having sex with each other, which is arguably one of the happier benefits of our alliance. I’m not willing to give that up because you’re intent on punishing yourself.”
“I’m not—” He broke off, blowing out a breath, leaning his forehead against hers. “Nic,” he said, his voice ragged. “Icannotdo that.”
“Youcan,” she insisted. “Do you want me to get on my knees and beg?”
“No.” He thrust her away from him, actually picking her up and depositing her in the other chair. Looming over her, he glowered, hands clenched into fists. “I don’t want to be likethem,” he nearly shouted at her.
He sounded upset enough to cool her ardor. “Like who?”
He pressed his lips together, shaking his head. Rejecting whatever image haunted him. “Wizards.”
“Gabriel,” she said, as patiently as she knew how—which, admittedly, wasn’t much. “Youarea wizard. You cannot deny who you are.”
“Maybe I can. I know more now.”
“You know more, but you’ve also taken on more.” She waved her hands at the party outside. “You’re lifting this house out of a swamp. You have all those people out there, with shining eyes fixed onyouto raise them up, too. You have orange trees to save!” She shot a finger in the air, going for a triumphant finish, if only to lighten his mood.
“We lived fine before,” he replied, a stubborn set to his mouth. “We don’t need orange trees. Not at this price.”
All right, then. Time for some tough love. “It’s too late to change your mind,” she pointed out remorselessly. “You are in this now. The Convocation won’t let you go back and disappear into your swamps. And I—we,” she corrected, laying a hand on her belly, “are in this with you.”
“Do you think I don’t realize that?” he demanded, sounding desperate, a wild look in his eyes.
“Nothing has changed, Gabriel,” she insisted. “You accepted this responsibility before. You came to get me because you had a plan. Get a familiar, restore House Phel.”
“That was before I met wizards like that Iblis one, Jan, even your father,” he shot back. “I keep seeing Jan in my head, yanking on Daniel’s collar, and howadoringlyDaniel gazed at the man brutalizing him. Seeing your mother, protesting, but unable to truly disagree. Even the Elal wizard at the border—she treated her familiar like he was nothing.” He drew himself up, black eyes shadowed with self-loathing. “If that’s what I’ll become, I want no part of it.”
She laughed. Laughed in his face, watching the surprise, hurt, and annoyance follow in rapid succession.Better.“Oh, please!” she finally got out. “You are so far from becoming any of them that the notion is simply ridiculous.”
“Maybe to you.”
“You have already had sex with me, and you haven’t become like that.”
His face set in rigid lines, he looked away from her. “I’m not so sure. Regardless, I have to set some boundaries for myself where you’re concerned. Can you understand that?”
“Of course. Discipline is a key skill for both familiars and wizards. Sex has nothing to do with it.”
“It does for me.” He paced away from her.
“Gabriel. Sex is a physical release, nothing more.”
