He didn"t tell her they would have if they weren"t just a little intimidated by his sternness. "I hope I didn"t embarra.s.s you too much."
She shook her head shyly. "Now it"s real," she said. "Before it wasn"t, but now it is."
"Hm," he said. "Suddenly, I have the feeling my proposal should have been a bit more formala"not to mention romantic."
He expected her to smile, but instead she worried her lip. "Are you certain about marrying me, Adrian? Your folks seem understanding, but you"ll never be respectable. And there"s Max and Charles to think about. You"re wonderful with them, but two boys are a lot of work. Plus, you might not know this, but I"ve got a good bit of money. You"d have to come to terms with that. If you marry me, the law will say it"s yours."
Adrian was still smiling when she rattled to a halt. "There"s only one thing you have to ask yourself. Do you love me enough to share the rest of our lives?"
"Yes. More than anything."
"Good." He held her face for a serious perusal. "Because I want us to be together, you and me and Charles and Max. I want us to be a family. Maybe have a few of our own when we"re ready."
She closed her eyes at the gruffness of his tone, but she didn"t tell him to stop. She wanteda"noa"needed all the words. Needed them to wash her clean of the last vestiges of doubt.
"As for the money, I plan to ask your father to undo whatever he did to get me dismissed from the Security. I"m going to see if I can get reinstated on my own, now that the superintendent has had a chance to cool down." His lips whispered across her brow. "Whatever happens, I promise you"ll never be sorry you accepted me. Given our history, our life is bound to be eventful, but we love each other. We can make a success of this."
"I believe you," she said just as earnestly. "Oh, Adrian. This is all the romance I need." She tugged his hands down to her bosom. Her heart was pounding, and he smiled slowly, sleepily as he spread his fingertips across her soft flesh, drinking in the furious vibration of life and love.
When he laughed, she heard joy in the husky sound.
"Can"t back out now," he warned. "I know your secrets."
"As I know yours," she reminded.
Fortunately, his kiss ensured her silence.
Charles guessed what had happened the moment he entered the cloakroom; didn"t even need to see the ring she was slipping on. They locked gazes, and then she smiled, her eyes crinkling, her mouth curving softly. She glowed with a new inner cert.i.tude. He"d never seen her look this beautiful except once, when she glared down at him on a dirty Awar street, challenging him with her outthrust hand.
Take a chance, Charles. Take a chance.
Something sharp and hot stabbed the region of his heart, but he couldn"t hold out against her when she opened her arms. They embraced amid the smell of rock salt and damp wool, neither wanting to let go.
Charles thought of the position Herrington had offered him earlier this evening, to serve as cook on his next expedition to Sammerhorn. He"d been leery of working for a demon, but he knew now that he"d accept. No matter how much he admired Adrian and loved Roxie, it would be better for him if he weren"t around to witness their newly wedded bliss. He was almost a man now. He hadn"t wanted to face it, but sometimes it was hard to think of Roxie as a sister.
Happily, lots of things could happen in a summer. When he returned, he"d find a way to love more than her.
"He asked you then." He pulled back, made a separation between them. "I"m glad."
It was almost true.
Then Adrian was there with Max flopped in sleep over his shoulder. Max looked as if he belonged there, like Adrian"s son. Charles told himself he was grateful there"d be someone to care for Max when he was gone, but in truth, it seemed a betrayal of all he"d done for the boy.
He forced himself to face Roxie"s fianc. It wasn"t easy. Adrian was smiling softly, his eyes filled with a terrible understanding, as if he"d looked into Charles"s soul and seen all its dark corners.
"She told you?" he said, rubbing a slow circle on Max"s back.
Charles nodded, jaw tight to keep his emotions checked. He moved to shake the man"s hand, but Adrian pulled him into his unoccupied shoulder and kissed his hair with surprising affection. No grown man had ever held him this way. Other ways, but not that. Adrian was tall. Charles only reached his shoulder. Something tensed and strained inside him as he suffered the embrace, clenching his throat and making him tremble, making him feel young.
"Don"t worry," Adrian whispered fiercely. "I want to give you more, not take anything away. You"re as dear to me as Max."
Charles pushed away from him, the confusion of strong emotion making him dizzy. He hardly beard the women flutter into the coatroom, too eager to wait for Adrian and Roxie to emerge. They filled the s.p.a.ce between him and the couple, laughing and wishing them well.
He braced a hand on the coat-padded wall, too weak to leave, though he felt a tear rolling down his cheek.
"Lord!" said a disgusted female voice, breaking his solitude. "Don"t let them see you dripping like a faucet. Silly cows are liable to call the whole thing off. I"m counting on my mother being distracted for the next six months. Whatever he did to get me dismissed from the Securit. I"m going to see if I can get reinstated on my own, now that the superintendent has had a chance to cool down." His lips whispered across her brow. "Whatever happens, I promise you"ll never be sorry you accepted me. Given our history, our life is bound to be eventful, but we love each other. We can make a success of this."
"I believe you," she said just as earnestly. "Oh, Adrian. This is all the romance I need." She tugged his hands down to her bosom. Her heart was pounding, and he smiled slowly, sleepily as he spread his fingertips across her soft flesh, drinking in the furious vibration of life and love.
When he laughed, she heard joy in the husky sound.
"Can"t back out now," he warned. "I know your secrets."
"As I know yours," she reminded.
Fortunately, his kiss ensured her silence.
Charles guessed what had happened the moment he entered the cloakroom; didn"t even need to see the ring she was slipping on. They locked gazes, and then she smiled, her eyes crinkling, her mouth curving softly. She glowed with a new inner cert.i.tude. He"d never seen her look this I beautiful except once, when she glared down at him on a dirty Awar street, challenging him with her outthrust hand.
Take a chance, Charles. Take a chance.
Something sharp and hot stabbed the region of his heart, but he couldn"t hold out against her when she opened her arms. They embraced amid the smell of rock salt and damp wool, neither wanting to let go.
Charles thought of the position Herrington had offered him earlier this evening, to serve as cook on his next expedition to Sammerhorn. He"d been leery of working for a demon, but he knew now that he"d accept. No matter how much he admired Adrian and loved Roxie, it would be better for him if he weren"t around to witness their newly wedded bliss. He was almost a man now. He hadn"t wanted to face it, but sometimes it was hard to think of Roxie as a sister.
Happily, lots of things could happen in a summer. When he returned, he"d find a way to love more than her.
"He asked you then." He pulled back, made a separation between them. "I"m glad."
It was almost true.
Then Adrian was there with Max flopped in sleep over his shoulder. Max looked as if he belonged there, like Adrian"s son. Charles told himself he was grateful there"d be someone to care for Max when he was gone, but in truth, it seemed a betrayal of all he"d done for the boy.
He forced himself to face Roxie"s fianc. It wasn"t easy. Adrian was smiling softly, his eyes filled with a terrible understanding, as if he"d looked into Charles"s soul and seen all its dark corners.
"She told you?" he said, rubbing a slow circle on Max"s back.
Charles nodded, jaw tight to keep his emotions checked. He moved to shake the man"s hand, but Adrian pulled him into his unoccupied shoulder and kissed his hair with surprising affection. No grown man had ever held him this way. Other ways, but not that. Adrian was tall. Charles only reached his shoulder. Something tensed and strained inside him as he suffered the embrace, clenching his throat and making him tremble, making him feel young.
"Don"t worry," Adrian whispered fiercely. "I want to give you more, not take anything away. You"re as dear to me as Max."
Charles pushed away from him, the confusion of strong emotion making him dizzy. He hardly heard the women flutter into the coatroom, too eager to wait for Adrian and Roxie to emerge. They filled the s.p.a.ce between him and the couple, laughing and wishing them well.
He braced a hand on the coat-padded wall, too weak to leave, though he felt a tear rolling down his cheek.
"Lord!" said a disgusted female voice, breaking his solitude. "Don"t let them see you dripping like a faucet. Silly cows are liable to call the whole thing off. I"m counting on my mother being distracted for the next six months."
It was the funny-looking girl they called Beth, the one who acted like a boy in a dress. She was shoving a handkerchief in his face as if it were his sacred duty to use it.
"b.u.g.g.e.r off," he said as soon as he"d blown his nose sufficiently to speak.
"Hah!" she said and punched his shoulder hard enough to hurt.
Charles surprised himself by laughing back. When he did, he knew he"d survive.
Epilogue.
Since I have stated on numerous occasions that I abhor gossip, you may rely on what I tell you now. Yes, the unlamented Prince of Narikerr did meet his end in a woman"s arms. Yes, Adrian Philips rose to lead Security"s Department of International Affairs. Roxanne McAllister bore four children by hima"despite many bitter people"s claim that she would have none. It is also true that she was the first human artist to show her work in the Northland. I have it on good authority that every piece she brought past the border sold, though naturally none of the Yama would later admit to buying them.
More to the point, if my esteemed readers followed the responsible news outlets as they should, they would know Lond Herrington was awarded both the Distinguished Victoria Cross and the Yamish Order of Valor. The services that earned him these honors remain open to debate. Diplomacy is a tricky matter, and trickier still when royals are involved. One never knows when one will accidentally end up on the winning side of a family feud.
a"The True and Irreverent History of Awar "How about June?" Roxie asked dreamily, smoothing her hand down his sweat-slicked chest. Adrian was still breathing hard, and she loved the sound.
"I was thinking more along the lines of next weekend," he replied, then jumped as her fingers swept past his navel. With the flat of her hand, she stretched his sated organ gently toward its head. He should have been exhausted, but he stirred.
"I couldn"t get a dress that soon," she said reasonably, going up on one elbow to examine his progress. She repeated the stroke, incrementally increasing the pressure as her palm dragged toward his tip. A strange caress, it was nonetheless arousing.
Amused by his own susceptibility, he looked up at the absorbed expression on her face, still flushed from their last lovemaking. Her hair hung in streamers of red-gold satin across her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her nipples peeping through the waves. He rolled closer to kiss one peak, coaxing it with lips and tongue until it took on the sharpness of a beginning rather than an end. He trailed his fingers down her arm, pleased when she shivered.
"I take it you want a real wedding," he said. "A fancy dress and a veil? A wide gold band and a seaside chapel?"
"We-ell," she admitted and blushed delightfully. The heat of it suffused her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Only if you wouldn"t mind."
"The only thing I"d mind"a"he snaked his arms around her backa""is waiting until June. I give you a month and permission to ask my interfering sisters for all the help they"re no doubt chomping on the bit to give."
She laughed, then sighed as he tangled their legs together. Her insides fluttered with arousal, quickly dampening the thigh he"d wedged considerately against her mound.
"Greedy creature," he said and jerked his hips closer.
She ignored the mock scolding. "We could ask your sister Alice to sing. And perhaps Linia Rahasanchez would agree to do the dance of the thousand veils, though that might make your mother nervous." She laughed. "I can hear her now: "Oh, Isaac, please tell me she"s got something under that last scarf!""
Her hand smoothed down the furrow of his spine, calling a lovely noise from the back of his throat. Clearly wanting the upper hand, he rolled her beneath him. His erection flattened between their bellies, hot and long once more. When he spoke, his voice was rough. "It would be an interesting crowd. My family. Your father. Your sailor friends. A few reporters from the rags."
"Better make that a few dozen. My father schooled me on the necessity of sending an invitation to the Queen."
"The Queen!" He started up in alarm.
"I can"t help it," she said, her heart dancing with laughter. "My father is a very important demon."
Adrian settled back warily. As he did, his shaft slid between her lips, gathering up praise and calling forth more. "Most likely she wouldn"t come."
"Most likely," Roxanne agreed, "though we could elope."
For a moment he looked tempted, then squared his jaw. "That won"t be necessary. It makes me proud that you want a proper wedding. We"ve done everything else backward. We may as well do one thing right."
Roxie"s smile was pure feminine mischief.
"Oh, no," she said, her strong hands easing him home. "That will never be the only thing we"ve done right."