Chapter 32
Vorik was not, he told himself, aroused by the woman in his lap, the warmth of her body, the appealing weight of her arms around him, the feel of her face buried against the side of his neck, her lingering tears dampening his skin.
She’d stopped crying, but after being tortured, horrible pain inflicted on her, she didn’t need him lusting after her.
As he held her, doing his best to make her feel safe, he gazed toward the roof of the cave and concentrated on not allowing his body to act inappropriately, especially since she wouldn’t miss it, not when she was sitting on him.
It didn’t help that his feelings for her intensified every time they met.
He’d been horrified to hear Syla’s screams, wanting to slay Lesva the instant he’d arrived, but he’d also been impressed that she’d withstood that, keeping her secrets despite the pain.
That must have irritated Lesva to distraction, but it only made Vorik more certain that Syla wasn’t soft, as Lesva had insultingly said.
He’d even arrived in time to sense… he wasn’t entirely sure what he’d sensed, but Syla had been using her power to fight off Lesva’s power.
That wasn’t a talent he’d expected from someone specialized in healing magic.
Somehow, Syla had not only endured all that Lesva had inflicted upon her, but she’d managed the wherewithal and stamina to fight back. She was incredible.
The thought made him wrap his arms more tightly about her, turning his face enough to nuzzle her ear and inhale her scent.
Neither of them had bathed, except in the sea, but it was intoxicating nonetheless.
She was intoxicating. He wanted so badly to do as he’d promised when they’d last parted. To have her.
But now wasn’t the time. Unfortunately, he didn’t think there would be a time later either. After he destroyed or helped destroy the shielder, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him.
Syla drew her face back from his neck—from his touch.
Again, Vorik tried to quell his horny thoughts, certain that she felt him and knew what he wanted. What his body wanted. His mind knew his body couldn’t act on its desires.
“This wouldn’t be wise,” Syla whispered, her gaze remaining on the side of his neck instead of toward his face. She licked her lips, as if, despite the words, she wanted to kiss him instead of pulling away. “Not when our missions… We are on different missions.”
Vorik didn’t insult her by bringing up the faction, not after Lesva had confirmed all of Syla’s suspicions about him. Now, she knew the details of General Jhiton’s orders and why Vorik had been helping her.
Compelled to honesty, he rubbed her back and snorted softly. “This is actually rather in line with mine.”
Syla shifted her gaze from his neck to his face.
He smiled sadly and stroked her cheek. “I suppose if you didn’t divulge any secrets for Lesva, you won’t confide them to me in the throes of passion.”
She didn’t pull away from his touch. If anything, she leaned into it, her eyelids lowering, as if she longed for it. For him.
“Kingdom secrets,” she said, “aren’t generally what I spout when I’m passionate and excited.”
“In the temple, you cried my name.”
“That shouldn’t be a secret to you.”
“No, I’ve been aware of my name almost my entire life.” Vorik smiled again. “I liked hearing you use it.”
She brushed her fingers along his jaw. “I would have liked it better if it had been the name of a lowly peon who’d genuinely defected from the stormer military.”
His desire flared at her simple touch, and his voice turned husky when he said, “In this moment, a part of me wishes that was what I was.”
He caught himself leaning closer, tempted by her touch, her inviting lips, but she wouldn’t want—
No, she leaned in as well, and she kissed him, her lips as warm and appealing as the rest of her body.
His arms tightened around her as he kissed her back.
His lips stroked hers, his tongue tasting her.
The memory of having his mouth between her other lips sent a flush of heat to his groin, and he sought to deepen their kiss as his hand strayed to the knot tying her robe shut.
But she leaned back, pulling her mouth from his, though she didn’t try to slide out of his lap. Her delicious weight remained against his hard length, and he longed to keep her close, but she couldn’t truly want this. Not after what she’d endured.
Magical torture, as he well knew, was painful. It didn’t have to leave permanent damage to the body, not the way a blade or other implements did, but it could damage the mind. It often traumatized a person.
Vorik sensed, however, that it was more what Syla had learned—or had verified—that was the problem.
“Did you accept your orders eagerly? Excited by the idea of…” Syla lifted her hand from his shoulder to wave at herself.
“No,” Vorik said.
Syla raised her eyebrows. With skepticism?
“I’ve enjoyed the company of women.” Vorik kept himself from saying many women, certain that wouldn’t impress her, and none of the others mattered now anyway.
This was the woman he longed to be with tonight.
“And the general, knowing that, decided on this scheme. Lesva was right, however, in one thing. You may not believe it after all this, but I do strive to be honorable with my enemies, to face them openly and fairly, without artifice.”
“I… believe it.”
“But I don’t… I can’t disobey orders. General Jhiton is not only my commanding officer, but he’s my older brother and the man who raised me after our father died.
I probably wouldn’t have survived without his guidance and protection.
There are no shields to protect my people, and our lives aren’t easy. ”
“I gathered from your delight at blackberries growing wild by the lighthouse.”
“They were so good.” Vorik closed his eyes, distracted by the memory.
Wouldn’t a few of those be delightful right now?
If they had a bowl full, they could feed them to each other, she dropping one into his mouth, and he one into hers.
He would watch as she chewed slowly, then slipped her tongue out of her mouth to lick the berry juice from her lips.
“That dessert you made with them was wonderful.”
“I’ll make you ten more if you leave our shielder alone.”
He laughed softly, though he felt bleak, wishing…
Oh, he didn’t know what he wished. That they weren’t at odds with each other.
If she’d been a simple gardener woman, he might have talked her into returning to his home with him, in abandoning her quest. But she was the only surviving heir to the Garden Kingdom throne.
She wouldn’t set aside her duty for him, just as he couldn’t set aside his duty for her.
“Twenty?” she offered with a sad smile.
“If only I could say yes. What a bounty that would be. And I trust you wouldn’t even poison them.”
“You probably shouldn’t trust me, you know.”
“I know.” Vorik offered his dashing smile, though he didn’t know how much she could see in the poor lighting without her spectacles. They lay to the side, carefully placed by the stone wall.
“You’re amazing, Vorik,” Syla whispered, her eyes locked on his face. “I wish you were really my ally. I could use an ally right now. Badly.”
Yes, she could. After all she’d endured, she deserved someone standing at her side, driving off her enemies. Vorik regretted that he couldn’t be that for her.
What he needed to do was shift her aside and jog up the slope of the volcano to find the aunt and the bodyguard—and the shielder. He had to fulfill his mission. He had to destroy that artifact.
Instead, he nestled Syla closer, reveling in the feel of her soft bottom against his hard body. He longed to kiss her again, to do more than kiss her.
Once more, she touched his jaw, her fingernails rasping against the two days’ beard growth there. The light touch sent a fresh flush of heat and arousal through him. Too bad she’d pulled back from his kiss, that she didn’t want to have sex with someone who couldn’t be an ally.
Or did she? She leaned in and ran her tongue along his lower lip.
He froze, his cock hardening, his entire body growing taut with the desire to pull her robe off and deliver on the promise he’d given her before leaping out the tower window. Was she… Did she want…?
Maybe the shielder could wait. Rain had started, and it spattered them when the wind gusted toward the cave mouth. The weather was dreadful. Surely, even if Fel and Tibby had found the artifact, they would wait until morning to try to move it.
“I’ve never been with someone like you,” Syla whispered, then sucked on his lip as one of her hands found his chest, fingers curling, her nails grazing his bare skin, her thumb brushing across his nipple.
He growled at the jolt of hot pleasure that rushed through him and reached for the knot on her robe again.
Her touch was too much. Enemies or not, he needed her.
He would have her, and she would scream his name and enjoy every steamy second of their joining.
Then… then he would complete his mission.
But her hand moved to catch his. He growled again. Why was she teasing him if she didn’t want him?
She shifted off his lap, and he almost surged after her, wanting to grab her and pin her to the wall, to push her robe up and thrust—
No. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He was honorable, damn it. Whether this mission was or not. He wouldn’t take a woman who didn’t want—
“Come with me,” Syla whispered.
Vorik opened his eyes. What?
She stood next to him and tilted her head toward the back of the cave where two candles glowed invitingly and the ground was dry.
When he met her gaze, her eyes burned with desire.
She nodded, then turned, picking her way toward the back of the cave.
Her hips swayed, and when she bent to maneuver around a rock, her butt pressing against the material of her robe, he almost groaned at the intensity of his need.
She looked over her shoulder with her eyes still full of her desire. Her desire and an invitation.
Vorik rose to his feet, realizing her own passion was as great as his. She knew this was a bad idea, but she wanted him so much that she didn’t care.
He strode toward her. Yes, the shielder could wait until morning. He wanted this. He wanted her.