Page 205 of Primal Bonds

He swallowed. “Jani?”

“I shouldn’t want you,” she said, almost to herself. “I was so fucking angry at you when I found out you’d been playing me all this time.”

“I’m sorry. So bloody sorry.”

“But these past couple of days, I had a lot of time to think.” She stared into the fire. “You did try to warn me. Told me I should leave Iceland, more than once. And you wouldn’t have been so sick if you hadn’t tried to interfere between me and the king.”

His fingers tightened around the gravel. “I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. And your friend Luc agreed. He wanted you out of there.”

That earned him a growl. “If Luc had his way, I’d be safe in his den, having his cubs.”

“You?” He made small, disbelieving sound. “He doesn’t know you very well, does he?”

“No. I mean, he does know me. But he can’t help himself. He’s a fada male—he wants to protect his mate—even if it drives me insane.”

“All men want to protect their mate. Just like women want to protect theirs.”

She looked at him, arrested. “See, that’s what Luc doesn’t get. That it goes both ways—for me, anyway.”

“So what now?”

“I don’t know.” She looked down at her hands, loose in her lap. “I came to Iceland to kill Corban. After that…” She shrugged and trailed off.

His chest constricted. He’d guessed right; this was a suicide mission.

“I care.” He tossed the gravel aside and dared to reach out. When she didn’t pull away, he traced a finger over the fine bones of her jaw.

She stilled. “You—what?”

“I care what happens to you. Very much.”

She drew a slow breath. “It would just be for tonight. After that, we have to split up—go our separate ways. The geas means I can’t trust you.”

“Okay. Sure.” He would’ve agreed to anything about then. Hell, if she’d asked him for the moon, he’d have grabbed a ladder and started climbing.

“There’s something you should know.” Her throat worked. “It’s…been a while.”

He held his breath, afraid to say anything. This woman wouldn’t be pressured. She’d have to come to it her own way—or not.

She rose to her feet, cat-supple, and washed the plates before setting them aside to dry. When she turned back, her irises were slivered with turquoise.

And then she flashed him a smile, the first true smile he’d seen from her.

His heart kicked. Her smile was broad and warm and even more beautiful than he’d pictured.

“The water is a perfect temperature,” she murmured.

He opened his mouth to reply. But the words died unsaid as she raised her arms, pulled off the T-shirt and black bra, and let them drop to the ground.

Chapter 23

Marjani drew a deep breath, naked from the waist up except for the fake quartz around her neck. Nervous, but wanting this, her skin buzzing and her heart racing.

Fane stared up at her, a sexy dark scruff covering his cheeks and jaw. Even after being sick for two days and to be honest, kind of smelly, the man was fucking hot.

She’d had two days to think things over. She hadn’t exactly forgiven him for spying on her, but she no longer blamed him. Within the limits of the geas, he’d done what he could. In fact, he’d tried to get her to leave—more than once—but she’d been laser-focused on getting to Corban.

She could even admit he’d been right to drag her out of the tower. If he hadn’t, she’d probably be in a cage right now.

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