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Sadly true.“I’ll see you at dinner?”
“Hopefully beforehand,” he murmured, gaze still warm.He’d begun a habit of lounging on the bathing chamber chaise to watch her bathe and change for dinner, which pleased her no end.As their increasingly busy days took them in different directions, that time had become a quiet moment to catch up with each other.“I may have need of you in the arcanium tonight as well, familiar,” he added, black eyes hooded.
That did it.She flushed hot with new and returning desire, so much so that she couldn’t continue to meet his gaze and keep herself together—and restrain herself from kneeling at his feet right then and there.Not something they needed an audience for.“Of course, wizard,” she murmured in reply, savoring the answering leap of desire from him.
He lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers, his lips cool, the covert flick of his tongue hot.“I’ll check in with Asa, see how his patients are,” she said, instead of the several other ardent phrases crowding her lips.
“Thank you,” he said—and she understood it was the same for him.
With a sigh, he released her, turning resolutely toward Jadren.
“May I stay, Lord Phel?”Han asked.“It might be helpful for me to know what went wrong.”
Gabriel considered him, then rested a hand on the younger man’s shoulder.“I could use your insight, yes.”
Iliana and Alise flanked Nic as she left the workshop, though neither of them said anything until the door had closed, and locked, behind them.Then both spoke at once, gushingly.
“Nic,” Iliana nearly squealed, “he is so dreamy!”
“He issoin love with you!”Alise exclaimed at the same time.
They leaned around Nic, exchanging grins, complete with waggling brows.Nic actually felt herself blushing.“Not so loud,” she hissed at them.
“That is,” Alise continued cheerfully, not the least bit more quietly, “you told me that you were in love with him, and that it might be the Fascination, but you didnotmention that Lord Phel is head over heels in love with you and that he looks at you like you’re a big creamy dessert he’d like to lap up in a thousand tiny licks.”
“Alise,” Nic moaned, tempted to clap her hands over her ears in mortification.It did not help that Gabrielhadlicked her all over, in exactly that meticulous fashion, as if he savored every taste.
“You are so lucky, Nic,” Iliana said fervently.“I don’t mean to embarrass you.I just want you to know that, well—it isn’t luck.Having all of this, with a wizard like that…” She sighed wistfully.“It’s exactly what you deserve.I’m not at all surprised that you, of all people, landed on your feet.You and Lord Phel are a modern-day Lyndella and Sylus.It’ssoromantic.”
“Except their story ended tragically,” Nic pointed out, feeling very like Gabriel in that moment with his sour take on that epic tale.
Iliana shrugged that off.“I’d do Sylus anyway, even knowing that.Don’t tell Han.So, tell me,” she said, switching topics rapidly, “is the ‘meet me in the arcanium’ line code for—”
A door opened, Quinn Byssan popping her head out.“I thought I—Iliana!I heard you were here.”She hugged the redhead, both of them making happy noises of reunion.
“And…” Quinn remembered herself and inclined her head.“Wizard Alise.Forgive me for not greeting you properly.”
Beside Nic, Alise stiffened unhappily.“You don’t have to be formal with me, Quinn.It’s good to see you again.”
“Thank you… Alise.”Quinn looked uncomfortable.
“I seem to recall a time when you were visiting House Elal, and you called me a snot-nosed thief,” Alise remarked, pretending to think.
It was Quinn’s turn to blush in mortification.“I am so sorry for that.I—”
“You could’ve called me worse, and it would’ve been true.”Alise grinned.“But, for the record, it was Nander who stole your grooming imp and replaced it with an earth elemental, not me.”
Quinn’s embarrassment turned to outrage.“That little shit!Do you know how—” She stopped herself, realizing that “little shit” was also a wizard now.
Alise burst out laughing.“Nanderisa little shit, unfortunately.Maybe he’ll mature someday, but…” She and Nic exchanged glances, processing that the little shit might become Lord Elal.Nander wasn’t an idiot, but he did have a mean streak.Having the power of running a house on top of being a wizard wasn’t likely to do his character any favors.
Quinn ventured a smile, holding out a hand.“Fresh start?”
Alise bypassed the hand and hugged her.“Sister minions of House Phel,” she declared.“We were just grilling Nic about her sex life, want to join us?”
“Oooh, yes!”Quinn exclaimed, even as Nic declared they were doing no such thing.
“I’ve got a gorgeous suite on the top floor,” Alise said.“How about we impose on Lady Phel to order up some lunch, and we can all catch up.”She looped her arm through Quinn’s, steering them toward the stairs to the third floor and ignoring Nic’s protests.“I understand you did the windows?They’re lovely.”
