“My jailer.”
Talon sat back in his chair.Hecouldn’t blame her for hating her jailer.He would hate anyone whowas his, or hers.
“Well then.”He raised hiscup to her.“You are soon to have a month free of the me youhate.”
She raised her cup to his jaundicedtoast.“To freedom.”She took a sip, then set her cup down to takehis knight with her queen before grinning from ear toear.
“Boldly done.”Talonchuckled, then moved his black queen, positioning her to take thewhite queen in another move beforehesat back and sipped his wine,mesmerized by the play of changing expressions on her face as shetried to figure out what he was doing.
A knock at the door broke theirconcentration.
“Enter,” Talon said,irritated by the interruption.
Ravenna stepped in, dressed in a thin,gauzy nightshift that showed more than it hid as she saunteredacross the chamber and stood before the back light of the hearthfire, her dark eyes raking Lara from head to toe.
“Ravenna.”Talon barelylooked her way.“Is there something I can do for you?”
“You can send yourlidielsewhere for thenight.Perhaps to your second’s bed,” Ravenna said, her voice lowand suggestive.She ran her hands down the waist of her sheer shiftand swayed her hips.“You’ll have no need of her tonight,Talon.”
He heard the sharp intake of Lara’sbreath and saw the glint in her narrowed eyes.If looks could kill,Ravenna would have bled out then and there.
“Do you play Shah?”heasked Ravenna.
“Do I playwhat?”
“Shah.”He indicated thegame board.“Do you play?”
She pursed her red, stained lips.“No.”
“Mylididoes.And all I’ve need oftonight is a game of Shah.”
“But, Talon.”She thrust apuny hip out.“I’m offering you an entirely differentgame.”
“You may call me Captain.”He stood and escorted her to the door.“And you have nothing tooffer me that I care to play with or for.”He opened the door andgently eased her out into the hallway.“Give your father mycompliments on what a fine, virtuous daughter he has raised shouldhe awaken on your return to your guestchamber.”
He shut the door behind her, threw theinside bolt, and resumed his seat across from Lara, whose mouthtwitched up at the corners.
“She bought three vials oflove potion, all for you,” she told him.
“There’s not enough lovepotion in the world,” Talon vowed, and Lara gave up the fight andbroke into a grin.
“Patience said you’drather drink the Black’s piss than drink a potion fromRavenna.
Talon laughed, short and quick.“Patience is right.”Then he asked, “When did she saythis?”
“Today, when I asked herif Ravenna was your wildcat.”
Talon held Lara’s gaze a moment.“Youthought it Ravenna?You thought me smitten with her?”The insultcame with how she would ever think him infatuated with a spoiltbrat like the count’s daughter.
“Only because she was sosmitten with you and determined to get you,” she said, soothing hisruffled pride a little.“And Ravenna is very used to getting whatshe wants.”
“Not from me.”
A slow smile spread across Lara’sface.
“Did, ah, did Patience saywho she thought my wildcat was?”he asked her.
“No.”