Heart Fate (41 page)

He had to be in her, now, now, now.

Slow down. The one thought rose to his mind. He didn't want to heed it, but even as he set his hands around her hips he knew she was young, not filled out yet, with delicate bones.

Her nails nipped his back. “Yes!” she cried, and he surged into her. The world vanished. There was only the rich dark of need, the sensual fragrance and warmth of Lahsin, her body wrapped around his. Her emotions flowing with his.

Delight.

Perfection.

Desire.

He lingered until she rocked her hips, and his followed. They moved together.

They shattered together.

She went limp beneath him, and he rolled to their sides, she opened sleepy, blurred eyes to him.
Now I know
, she sent.

A little frown crossed her face, then there was a slight whoosh, and a bedsponge was under them, linens settling around them. Tinne's throat closed. It took powerful Flair to teleport them to her bed like that. “Lahsin?” His low voice trembled.

But she'd dropped into sleep, holding him tight. His own arms were wrapped around her, and he didn't think he could leave without waking her. He wanted to hold her. He
didn't
want to think about what he'd—they'd—done. He felt too good. For the first time in a long time . . . he felt complete. He'd just close his eyes for a little while until she loosened her grip . . .

They awoke in the dark and loved again and again.

Just before dawn, Tinne drifted to the surface of consciousness, savoring the delightful, languorous aftermath of excellent sex. He'd heard that HeartMates could share dreaming sex, but had thought it would be less than satisfying.

He stretched, his foot and hand brushed another. His eyelashes swept open, and he struggled to recall where he was. Not his suite in T'Holly Residence. Not the Turquoise House? Jacknifing up, he saw the rumpled silk of Lahsin's hair in the dim light of predawn.

Fligger!

What should he do? Stay or go?

He wanted to escape.

What would be the best for her?

His breathing was too loud. His
heart
was too loud, rushing in his ears.

How could he have . . .

But it had been so natural, as natural as his hand now instinctively reaching out to brush Lahsin's hair away from her face so he could see her.

His trembling hand. He snatched it back to rub his temples. Tried to recall her words in the jumble of erotic memories. Endeavored to separate her feelings mixing in their bond during the lovemaking from his own. They were too tangled, he couldn't.

He glanced at her. She was still here, hadn't run away, 'ported to anywhere else, or locked him out.

Narrowing his eyes, he checked her Flair. No spellshields surrounded her. That was good, he supposed. He didn't see any bruises on her from him, thank the Lady and Lord.

He'd been urgent, but he hadn't been rough.

Not any of the three times they'd made love. Cave of the Dark Goddess. Sometime during the night he should have come to his senses. But he hadn't.

He tested the bond between them, narrow on both sides. But stronger than ever. He couldn't remember the loving in detail but knew neither of them had offered the HeartBond to the other.

Maybe this would be all right.

Since the sun hadn't risen, Yule was still being celebrated. The Green Knight wouldn't open until late that evening for general sparring. No work forced him to leave.

Every woman he'd ever known would have wanted him to stay until she woke. It had taken him only one furious argument as a youngster to learn that lesson.

But Lahsin wasn't any other woman. Would she be afraid that he was there? Embarrassed? Would her feelings be hurt? He couldn't bear to hurt her feelings.

Couldn't bear to see her hurt in any way. The room was cool. He pulled the covers over her bare golden shoulder and slid down beneath them to cradle her against him.

Thirty

It wasn't scary, and that almost alarmed her. The thought of liking T'Yew's touch was hideous.

Fog cleared from her brain before she raised her lashes. This wasn't T'Yew, old and harsh and triumphant.

This was Tinne, young and vibrant and virile. She could tell he was virile, because he was aroused. He wasn't harsh because he did nothing to seduce her or claim her. So she opened her eyes and saw the concern in his.

She smiled, and he sighed, smiled himself, and she noticed his lips as never before. Good lips, not too thin and not too full. Slowly bending toward her, he put his mouth on her temple and kissed her gently, tenderly. All his movements were deliberate, as if he didn't want to scare her. She heard him inhale and thought he was smelling her, or their, fragrance. Sniffing herself, she scented healthy sweat and the herbs from the sheets and the pretty floral smell of the candles.

A chuckle caught in her throat, but he must have heard it because he pulled back and his white blond brows lifted. His smile widened. “Blessings upon us, the sun's returned.”

The standard greeting for the morning after Yule, the winter solstice, when the longest night had passed and daylight would grow longer until the summer and the month of Holly itself. She liked that notion, liked all the little whimseys passing through her mind. Liked his arm around her even more.

Putting her hand against his chest, she pushed gently, and he let her go, his brows went down. His chest expanded as he drew in air. “Last night was very special, Lahsin.” His gray gaze deepened from the edge of silver to dark clouds.

Under his scrutiny she swallowed, stopped herself from pulling up the linens that were around her waist. Her breasts were bared to his view. She ignored her feelings of inadequacy and met his eyes. “Last night was wonderful.” She had a hasty flashback of them rolling over the bed, both moaning, and blushed. “I didn't know that sex could be like that.” She looked aside. “I thought I'd never like sex. Thank you.”

His brows went up and down. “Neither of us were thinking.”

She giggled.

“And I'd like not to think again,” he said. He touched her shoulder, traced her collarbone and down between her breasts. Keeping his eyes on her, his hand delved beneath the covers, traced her stomach, which clenched in anticipation.

If she thought . . . she shouldn't think. She should let her body rule. He stroked her between her legs . . . just . . . right. Her body dampened.

She reached for him, set her hand behind his neck, and brought his lips to hers. She thrust her tongue inside his mouth as his finger entered her and all thought wisped away.

His sex was hard, she felt it against her, thick and strong, and the thought of him inside her sent tingles from her breasts to her core. Her hips arched against the probing of his fingers, the maddening circle of his thumb on her most sensitive flesh.

Physical delight. Her body and mind recalled how wonderful sexual climax was, and she was eager to find it again.

She kicked off the linens and drew him down so she could feel his smooth, supple skin against hers. Let a yearning sound escape. Again she arched, twisting to caress his sex to show him that she wanted him. In her. Now!

He chuckled, then gasped. His hands slid over her hips, held her still, and he plunged inside her.

Pure bliss. She wrapped her legs around him, rocked with him, panting now, enjoying each slide of him in and out of her. Her hands clamped around his back, and the feel of his muscles bunching against her sensitized palms added another layer to the sheer pleasure inundating her.

He slowed, and she whimpered in frustration.

“Look . . . at . . . me,” he said.

Her eyelids flew open, she hadn't known she'd closed them, only felt the tension gripping her body, winding tight.

She could only see the sharp contours of his face, his eyes, that were huge pupils with a rim of the darkest storm clouds.

He stopped and though she writhed under him, she couldn't make him move the way she wanted him to, needed him to. “Tinne,” his name came strangled from her throat.

His grin was fierce, showing white teeth. “My name.”

“Tinne.”

“Yes, again.”

“Tinne!”

He withdrew to her very entrance, and his eyes went distant. He held himself, and her, on the brink of completion, their breaths coming to the same beat, their pulses matching. Pleasure built and built and built.

He thrust inside her, and before he was completely hilted, she screamed in release and shattered with delight so great she thought she'd die.

A while later she became aware that their breaths came ragged, and his weight on her was a muscled heaviness that should have scared her, but didn't.

The only comparison to T'Yew that she made was that there was no comparison. Tinne was her only lover.

His eyes were closed now, but he rolled, and she was atop him. The movement nudged his sex deeper within her, and another orgasm rippled through her. She moaned and saw his lips curve in smug satisfaction that made her smile, too. She didn't begrudge him any triumph. He'd done what she thought no man could ever do and taught her body to enjoy sex.

She collapsed against him, her nose in his chest hair, and inhaled his scent.

They lay there, together, and it was wonderful.

“Blessings upon us, the sun's returned,” the Residence said, voice bouncing around the room.

Lahsin jerked, rolled off Tinne, grabbed the covers, and pulled them up to her neck, as if the Residence could see her.

“It is past time for the Yule candle to be snuffed,” BalmHeal Residence said disapprovingly. “If you do not rise within a few minutes, the candle will not last until next year.”

Tinne's eyes met hers. Neither of them would be here next year.

She struggled with huge emotions—having a new lover, the shadow of the past and of future Passage, leaving here. She shook her head, not able to sort through them.

Tinne's calendarsphere pinged into existence. “Breakfast with the Family in quarter septhour!” He winced.

Lahsin studied him. “Does that expression mean you dread leaving or dread staying?”

He caught her fingers, brought them to his mouth for a kiss. “I could never dread staying.”

That sounded like something he'd said all too often to other women. The Holly charm was certainly strong and effective today. She drew her hand from his grip. “Don't tell me lies, Tinne. You never have in the past, please don't now.” To her horror, her throat had clogged with tears. Too emotional!

“Do you want me to stay or go?”

She was all mixed up. Didn't want to think at all. “Will there be problems if you don't show up for breakfast?”

Another frown. “Yes.”

Her breath left her in a sigh that even she couldn't figure out. “Then, go.” It was easy to smile, to touch his handsome face, brush away a strand of silver white hair from his eyes.

He got out of bed and looked around the room until he saw the door to the waterfall room. “I'll be right out.” He ran a hand through his hair and cast her a glance. “You think on what you want to do.” Then he smiled at her with tenderness. “Whatever you want, Lahsin, I'm agreeable.” He picked up his colorful clothes.

She stared at his fabulous body until he shut the door. Then she shifted, and her own body sent her signals from the sensual night, the slide of the sheets against her bare skin, the remembrance of shattering pleasure. She was still in a muddle when Tinne walked out. His hair was slightly damp, his clothes had changed colors from red and green to a shiny gold silkeen with silver trim. The color of the sun.

He chuckled. “You haven't moved.”

She shook her head.

“Let's try a few questions.” His face sobered. “Answer with the first thing that comes to mind.”

She nodded.

“Do you want to continue your training?”

“Yes!” No question.

“Do you want to learn fighting?”

“Yes.” This was a lot easier than thinking.

“Do you want me to come tonight for training?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to stay tonight for loving?”

She didn't know. Her grip around the linens tightened.

“I'll continue to train you, Lahsin, never think I won't.”

She licked her lips, his gaze fell to them, and a slight flush came to his cheeks. She knew that look, now. It brought a response from her body, a tightening inside, an anticipatory pleasure. She answered without thought, “Yes, stay for sex.”

A flicker of wariness showed in his eyes, then he nodded. “I'll do that.”

She smiled. “I'd like to drum tonight, too.”

His stance eased. She had begun to notice things like that. “Training, then soaking, then drumming.” His grin flashed and took her breath, when had he ever looked so carefree? “Sex anytime after the training.” He strode to the bed, took her hands, and kissed them. “Later, Lahsin, sweet.” Then he 'ported away.

Her mind was still considering soaking and sex.

 
 
Lahsin smiled for a whole week. Each day she did more for the
Residence and the estate, paying special attention to the landscape surrounding the Healing pool. The snow had melted, and no more had fallen.

She'd passed her beginning fighting test and was solidly in the second level, deserving of her robes. She was learning drumming, too, through watching and listening to Tinne. He'd refused to formally teach her, saying everyone must develop their own talent. Hers was commonplace beside his, but it gave her an outlet for her emotions. For her anger. That was rising from the depths of her more often now that she felt secure.