torchlight meeting in the woods north of the city a little over a year ago. Stefan was perfectly furious. He confiscated my camera and lectured me for two days.” She regarded the photograph somberly. “He also exiled the editor of the newspaper and installed one of his stooges in his place. Then Stefan tried to arrest Naldona, but he was warned and fled the city before the soldiers arrived.”
“Don't look now, but I think your madcap facade is slipping drastically,” Zack said softly. “Do I detect a note of patriotism?”
She shook her head. “I tried to do something when I realized how bad Stefan was for Tamrovia, but he made quite sure I was helpless. I was a doll to be manipulated. That was why I chose to spend my school years in America and my vacations in Sedikhan. I don't
“But you do care.”
She smiled a little sadly. “Then I'll have to get over it, won't I? Because if I manage to get Marna out of Tamrovia this time, I don't think I'll be able to come back. Karpathan will make quite sure that Stefan refuses to let me return.” She straightened her shoulders with a touch of bravado and lifted her chin. “It looks as if I'll have to consider a career. Do you think I could make a living as a photographer?”
“Yes, if that's what you want. I think you can be anything you want to be,” Zack said gently. “These photographs are brilliant. Did you take them with the Nikon?”
“Yes, I used a long-range-” She stared at him. “How did you know I had a Nikon?”
“I must have read it somewhere.” His eyes were still on the photograph.
She frowned. “I didn't think any of the reporters knew about my work. It's not something I talk about.”
“How else could I have known?”
She shrugged wearily. “I guess you couldn't. Lord, there's no way to keep anything private these days, is there?”
“Was it the Nikon your brother took away from you?”
“Yes, it nearly broke my heart. I loved that camera. Marna gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday and it was absolutely wonderful. It must have cost her a small fortune. I felt guilty accepting it from her, but I couldn't resist.” She made a face. “Stefan wasn't about to let me have anything that might stimulate my independence and take my mind off what he considered my duty.”
“You made good use of the camera while you had it. These photographs are exceptional. I'll buy you another one as soon as we return to the States.”
“No,” she said emphatically. “I'll buy it myself and this time I won't let anyone take it away from me.”
There was a little flicker of pride in his dark eyes. “No, I don't think you will.” He turned away from the photograph. “We'll discuss it once we're out of Tamrovia. I believe we'd better accomplish that as soon as possible, considering Karpathan is here.”
She became very still. “When?”
“I think tomorrow night during the reception will be as good a time as any. From what he said, Stefan appears to be inviting practically the entire business and social world of Tamrovia to the festivities. It should be relatively easy to smuggle Marna out of the palace during the party.”
“Tomorrow?” Kira felt a frisson of nervousness, but she suppressed it immediately. He was right, the sooner the better. “Easy? There are two guards in front of her door at all times.”
“Guards can be bribed and palace guards aren't nearly as uncorruptible as your brother would like to think.”
“A bribe takes time,” Kira said skeptically. “The last time we broke her out of prison it took three weeks for Clancy and me to find a susceptible guard and persuade him it would be safe to take a bribe. You're only allowing yourself a little over twenty-four hours.”
“I'll manage.” He didn't look at her as he shrugged out of his suede jacket and tossed it next to her suit jacket on the couch. “Trust me.”
“You seem to be saying that quite a bit lately,” she said with a sigh. “I don't have a great deal of choice, do I?”
“You won't be sorry.” He smiled. “Now I think you had better put on your shoes again and take me to see Marna. It would be a good idea to let her know what's in the wind so she can be prepared.”
“I thought we'd go later and have dinner with her.”
He shook his head. Karpathan and Stefan will assume we'll want to have dinner alone. We're lovers, remember?”
How could she forget? All he had to do was look at her and she remembered how his mouth had felt on her…“All right,” she said quickly as she walked to where she'd kicked off her high-heeled shoes beside the couch. “I'd forgotten.” She slipped them on and gave her hair a cursory pat. “I'm ready.”
“Not quite.” He walked toward her. “We've been alone in this suite for almost an hour, and we're supposed to be unable to keep our hands off each other. You look much too proper.”
She didn't feel at all proper. Her heart was beating so fast she expected it to leap out of her breast at any moment. “Really?”
He nodded slowly. “Really. Since we're going to be on public display, we should opt for authenticity.” He took her in his arms. She hadn't thought her heart could race any faster, but she was wrong. “I told you I didn't like to do anything unless I could concentrate my entire attention on it,” he said. His fingers tangled in her hair and he gently tugged her head back. “Open your mouth, love.”
His tongue moved very delicately at first, slowly exploring the smoothness of her teeth and the dark cavity of her inner cheek, toying teasingly with her tongue. Then, with a sound that was a half-growl deep in his throat, the delicacy was gone. His tongue was spear-hard and his hands were hot and restless, running up and down her spine as if he couldn't touch enough of her.
A low, keening cry trembled in her throat as she arched into his body, her mouth opening wider to take more of him. His tongue was moving rhythmically, hotly, and his hands slid down to cup her buttocks and lift her into the hollow of his hips. Arousal. Stark, hungry, shocking. She gasped and pressed herself closer with a little incoherent murmur.
Then, suddenly, Zack was stepping back, his chest moving heavily with the harshness of his breathing. He looked down at her flushed cheeks and bruised lips. “That's better,” he said thickly. “But not quite good enough.”
“No?” she asked dazedly.
His hands were quickly unbuttoning the pearl buttons of her silk blouse and drawing the material away from her breasts. He unfastened the front opening of her bra. “Stand still, love. It will only be a moment.”
Then his mouth was enveloping her nipple and suckling gently. His hand framed the swollen mound, pumping rhythmically as his teeth pulled and his tongue soothed.
Stand still, he had told her. She couldn't have moved if she had tried. She couldn't do anything but look down at his dark head bent over her breast and watch as his lips and tongue moved on her flesh and drove her to the edge of insanity. Her breasts were lifting and falling as if she were running and she had to open her mouth wide to get air to her oxygen-starved lungs. Every pulling tug, every teasing brush of his tongue seemed to be connected to a burning wire which led to the apex of her thighs.
Then his head was lifting, his eyes, dark and wild and brilliant, staring into her own. “I think that should do it.” His voice was hoarse and strained. “If I look like you do, there won't be any doubt about what we've been doing.” His hands were trembling slightly as he fastened her bra and then buttoned her blouse. “Come on. Let's get out of here or we'll never get to see Marna today.” His hand was beneath her elbow, propelling her toward the door.
Her knees felt like warm butter and she wasn't sure they'd support her. “Your methods are a little drastic. Was all that really necessary?”
He opened the door. “No, the kiss alone probably would have been sufficient to create the effect we needed for our audience.” His eyes dropped compulsively to her full breasts pushing against the silk blouse. They were still swollen and taut and became even more so under his burning appraisal. “The rest was for me. I wanted to see you. I was hungry again. I think I'll always be hungry now. When we were in the throne room, all I could think of was how much I needed to have you on my lap as you were this morning, half-naked and wanting me, making those soft little sounds that-” He broke off, took a deep breath, and then let it out very slowly. “Later.” Then he closed the door behind them and nudged her gently forward into the highly polished oak hallway. “I think it would be a good
