rippled through her.
“Tell me you belong to me,” he said in a low voice.
“Let me go.”
“You’ll tell me someday.”
She felt a frantic need to escape. “I’m not comfortable. Let me stand up.”
He lifted his head, and a reckless smile lit his face. “But we’re not finished.”
She stared at him in bewilderment. He could not want her after that wild climax of feeling.
She was being moved, shifted to his lap, with her legs over one arm of the chair. He was still within her, and he bent her back over his arm, his lips caressing her nipple. “Isn’t this pleasant?”
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting. I’d be a fool not to take advantage of such a vulnerable position when you’re being so cruel as to want to leave me. Who knows when I’ll be granted such a privilege again?”
She felt him hardening within her.
“Close your legs and let me feel your tightness.” His lips brushed her ear. “I told you only a little of my dream. There’s still much more to come.”
This had been a mistake, she thought in despair. She had believed she was strong enough to take what she wanted without yielding more of herself. She should have known better. He had seized control, and at this moment she felt more owned than ever in her life.
“Hold me,” he whispered as his fingers searched and found.
As the pleasure started, she instinctively tightened around him, giving him what he demanded.
A terrible mistake.
Is it safe to slide on?” Alex ran to the edge of the lake and looked out over the glittering ice. He stuck out a booted toe and probed at the icy surface. “This is a fine place. May I stay with you, Marianna?”
“No, the ice is still too thin, she said, answering the former question. She pulled him back from the danger. “And I would love for you to stay with me. Why don’t you ask Jordan?”
“Jordan, may I?”
Jordan broke off his conversation with Gregor and shook his head. “We need you to help Gregor protect Cambaron while we’re gone.”
Alex frowned. “Then I want Marianna to come back with me.”
“But Marianna needs to rest. That’s why she’s here,” Jordan said gently. “She became very tired working on that lovely flower dome. You don’t want her to become ill, do you?”
Alex said quickly, “Marianna’s never ill.” His worried gaze went to Marianna’s face. “But she does look… pale.”
“I feel perfectly fine,” Marianna said firmly, with a barbed glance at Jordan. She would not have him making Alex anxious. “And I’ll be back with you at Cambaron before you know it.”
Alex asked Jordan, “Why can’t she rest at Cambaron?”
Jordan smiled. “Does she ever rest at Cambaron? We’d have to seal off the tower room.”
Alex chuckled. “And the stable storeroom and the ballroom and-”
“What if I promised not to work?” Marianna said to Jordan, challenging him. “Then there would be no reason for me not to go back to Cambaron today.”
Jordan gave Alex another glance. “Could we trust her?”
Alex shook his head.
Jordan smiled blandly at Marianna. “How well he knows you. I suppose we’ll just have to keep you here until you’re more rested.” He turned back to Alex. “But there’s no reason for you not to visit more often. Gregor can bring you back in a few days. We’ll get you a pair of skates, and if the ice is hard enough, we’ll have a few lessons.”
“I can learn to skate?” Alex’s eyes lit with excitement. “Marianna too?”
“I’m sure she would be a fine skater,” he said silkily. “But we’d have to watch her carefully. She’s always had an affinity for thin ice.”
She wanted to reach out and strike him. She whirled away. “Let’s go for a walk along the shore, Alex.” She added pointedly to Jordan, “You don’t have to come with us. I’m sure you and Gregor have many things to discuss.”
To her surprise he nodded. “We’ll watch you from here. Don’t slip and fall. The snow is hard-packed, but there’s thin ice beneath it.” He smiled at Alex. “There will be a cup of hot chocolate waiting for you after your walk, and then maybe we’ll have a game of chess. Would you like that?”
“Oh yes.”
Marianna took Alex’s hand and set out. The snow crunched beneath her boots, and the sun shimmered brilliantly on the white surface. Gradually the vigorous activity caused her anger and frustration to ebb. She would not let her anger with Jordan spoil this time with Alex. “I’ve missed you. Have you been well?”
He nodded. “Gregor took me on a splendid trip on the
“But you’re back at Cambaron now?”
He nodded again. “But I haven’t been able to ride much. The ground has been too icy.” He was silent a moment and then whispered, “You’re not really ill, are you? Not like Mama? You’re not going to-”
“No!” She stopped and fell to her knees before him. She gathered him in her arms and rocked him tenderly. He had not mentioned Mama for a long time and never mentioned the night she died. She had not realized how vivid the memory still was to him. “I’m just a little tired. I’ll be back with you just as soon as I can.”
“Not if it’s going to make you more ill,” he said quickly.
Blast Jordan. “It won’t make me ill.” She framed his cheeks in her gloved hands. “And perhaps when I come back, we’ll go on our own journey, just the two of us. Would you like that?”
His eyes lit eagerly. “Where would we go?”
“We’ll have to decide that later.” She kissed him on the forehead. “But for now let it be a secret between us.”
“Could I take my horse?”
She stood up. “We’ll discuss that when the time comes.” She took his hand and continued to walk. “How is Dorothy?”
“Fine,” he said absently. He looked out to the lake. “Perhaps we could wait until after I come here again to go on our trip.” He added hastily, “Not that I’m sure we wouldn’t have a splendid time, but we wouldn’t want to hurt Jordan’s feelings when he’s planned everything so nicely.”
“No, we wouldn’t want to hurt Jordan’s feelings.” She tried to keep the irony from her voice. Jordan, the seducer, the magician who could spin a web so glittering, you wanted to stay caught in it forever. Even Alex was helpless before him.
“Marianna!”
They turned to see Gregor waving his arm at them.
“Chocolate!” Alex turned and ran back toward the lodge.
“Be careful,” she shouted after him.
He laughed and kept on running, sliding over the snow.
She smiled and shook her head at her own foolishness. When was a seven-year-old boy ever cautious? Particularly Alex, who lived every minute as if there would never be another?
Alex had already disappeared into the lodge when she arrived at the stable yard, but Gregor stood waiting on the step.
“I am sorry,” he said quietly. “I could not stop him.”
She felt the heat touch her cheeks and deliberately pretended to misunderstand him. “No one can stop Alex when there’s a cup of chocolate waiting.”
“I thought Jordan would bring you back within a few days.” His gaze raked her face. “Has he hurt you?”
Had he hurt her? Not physically, but she was beginning to feel that the pain would never stop unless she could find a way to leave him. “You must know he’s not a violent man.”
“He does not need to strike a blow to bring pain.” He shook his head. “If you would give him the Jedalar, I would have reason to try to interfere.”
