“Take your time. He’s been resting comfortably and I have some potions to blend.” Bethane walked out leaving the open door as it was so that the late summer air could drift throughout the cottage. Nessie as usual trailed after her.
“I meant no insult to you or your grandmother,” Artair said.
Her fingers danced slowly up his arm this time. “We know that, for if you did you wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
He grabbed hold of her seductively wandering fingers. They were doing much too much damage to his senses, and if he didn’t stop her soon, he wouldn’t be able to think straight.
“Where would I be?”
“Where I really don’t want you to go yet,” she said softly.
“Where is that?”
“On your way home.”
“You like me.” He grinned and tapped her nose.
“That’s obvious, but you feel the same,” she said bluntly.
“I do, and have no problem admitting it.”
“So you will stay here for a while?” she asked excitedly.
“I was hoping you might return to my home with me and meet my family and tend to Honora, my brother Cavan’s wife who is with child. If you recall, I told you she wasn’t feeling well.”
She hesitated, and he thought he knew why. She had obligations here, and yet, Honora was in need of a healer.
“That’s not the only reason why I want you to return home with me,” he said, wanting to be truthful with her. “I feel we would do well together.”
That brought a bright smile to her face.
“I believe, given time, getting to know each other more, we would realize that we make a good match.”
Her eyes widened. “Match?”
“It takes a good match for a marriage to work.”
“Marriage?”
Why did he feel like he had just jumped into a river and found he couldn’t swim?
“What of love?”
How did he know she was going to ask that, and why hadn’t he realized it sooner? He attempted diplomacy. “Love develops along the way.”
“What if it doesn’t?”
She didn’t challenge; she actually sounded anxious.
“What then? Without love, a marriage is doomed.”
“I don’t believe we’d have that problem,” he assured her, for he felt confident they would indeed make a good match.
“We barely know each other,” Zia reminded him. “Passion sparks in both our eyes, and I daresay our bodies as well. But is it the passion of love or simply lust?”
This time he was blunt. “I won’t deny I feel lust when I’m with you.”
That brought a huge grin to her face.
“But I also enjoy your company. I want to spend time with you. I look forward to it, even if I must collect plants to do it.”
Zia laughed. “It is good to know it is not beneath a warrior to stoop to collecting plants.”
He grinned. “I’ll stoop anytime you want me to.”
She laughed again, though softly, and moved closer to him. “What you tell me is that you are willing to do what is necessary—”
“To make this work,” he finished.
“I don’t want to make it work. I want to fall in love.”
He threaded his fingers with hers. “In time love will come.”
She eased away from him. “Then we will give it time.”
“How much time?” he asked.
“As much time as it takes.” She bounced out of the chair. “I must tend to my chores now.”
Artair wasn’t going to let her escape that easily. He caught her before she could race out the door and wrapped his arms around her.
“I can be reasonably patient.”
“That is good, for you will need it.”
“Will I, now?” he asked, and with a wicked grin stole a wicked kiss.
He felt her arms go around him and her fingers trail up his back to grasp the top of his shoulders. He crushed her against him, her breasts pressing hard into his chest, her taut nipples poking even harder and making him grow hard.
The gentle sway of her hips against him nearly did him in, and he knew he had to end the salacious kiss or there might be no stopping either of them. He eased them apart, his body almost rebelling when he saw how plump and ripe her lips were from their kiss, and the way her nipples remained taut beneath her blouse.
At the moment, they were both full of lust.
He took her hand and led her outside into the sunlight. She blinked several times as if waking herself, looked around surprised, then smiled at him.
“You don’t trust yourself,” she teased.
“You are absolutely right.”
She chuckled. “That is good to know.”
“Damn, I gave away a secret,” he said playfully.