"You . . . murder?" he questioned.
"Yes, yes, I did. I gave him hemlock to make him impotent. It worked too wel ."
Falcon began to shake. It came to her that he was laughing, "Ja.s.sy, Ja.s.sy, do you mean to tel me that he didn"t abuse you?"
"No," she said, shaking her head, "so I had no real justification in kil ing him."
"Darling, Estel e claims she poisoned him with peach pits," he a.s.sured her.
"Oh my G.o.d, it feels wonderful to share the guilt," she said, a bubble of laughter rising through the tears- "I think we have done enough shouting and brawling on the ramparts for one night. I think we should finish our conversation in bed, don"t you?" he invited.
"Yes, please," she murmured, snuggling against him for warmth.
He carried her to their chamber where he laid her in their bed and removed her bedrobe. "You are the loveliest woman on earth," he vowed.
"When you look at me, I feel that is true."
"My G.o.d, I"ve near starved to death for you," he said, climbing into bed and pul ing her softness against the hard length of him. He kissed her a thousand times before he moved on to more intimate play. "Do you forgive me, darling?"
"I"ve never seen you so angry with me."
"You stir my pirate"s blood," he whispered, burying his face in her delicious silken hair.
"Mmm, I do it apurpose to provoke you," she teased.
He knew he was the luckiest man alive. She was lovely and hot-tempered, but had a beguiling way of turning sweet as honeyed mead.
"I was dreadful jealous," she said quietly, and he felt exultant at her admission.
Her fingers closed around his shaft and he groaned. "Oh, that feels wonderful, Hyacinth, don"t stop."
"Hyacinth?" she cried, pretending to pul out handfuls of his dark hair.
"I mean my little flower," he teased, shaking with laughter. He turned over and imprisoned her on top of him. She could feel his manhood seeking her center. Suddenly they were very serious. Face to face, he looked deeply into her eyes as he slowly impaled her inch by delicious inch onto his lance.
The feel and smel and taste of him excited her to a wildness she had not experienced in months. Though they tried to prolong their pleasure, they could not control themselves and took their release together. She col apsed onto him and he gently laid her beside him and whispered to her of the beauty of their castle at Por-tumna.
"The last night I was there the beauty of the place was haunting. The garden was fil ed with the last of the large summer roses. They seemed to float in the moonlight. Then a big white owl flew silently through the trees and I knew it was the perfect place for my enchantress." He smiled into the darkness as he realized Jasmine was asleep in his arms.
end.