Page 81 of Bride of Fire
“Listen, Jen, I’m sorry for laughing before.” Feiyan sounded truly contrite. “’Tis only that I’ve always seen you as a brilliant warrior, not a lover. The thought of my fierce cousin seducing a man…well…”
Jenefer couldn’t help herself. She wanted to prove to Feiyan, once and for all, that she was deserving of a man’s affections. “But I did.”
Feiyan sat up on her elbows. “What?”
“I did seduce him.”
“The Highlander?” Feiyan almost strangled on the words. “But how? What…?”
Feiyan’s amazement was almost enough to lift Jenefer’s spirits.
“Too sleepy.” Jenefer yawned. “I’ll tell you in the morn.”
“The devil you will!” Feiyan replied, giving her shoulder a rousing shake. “I want the whole story. Now.”
“There’s nothing to tell. I just used my natural feminine wiles and…” She shrugged.
By Feiyan’s long silence, Jenefer could tell her cousin didn’t believe her.
“You actually swived him?”
“Aye.”
“I mean, you…you spread your legs for him.”
“Aye.”
“And you let him put his cod—”
“I know what swiving is, Feiyan.”
Feiyan let out a low whistle. Then she quietly cheered, “This is perfect! Now you’ll make him wed you. And then you can lay claim to Creagor.”
Jenefer sighed. It sounded so uncomplicated, the way she said it. That was how it had sounded to her as well. But that was before she’d fallen in love with Morgan. “Nay.”
“Nay?” Feiyan tossed back the covers and shot to her feet beside the bed. “What do you mean, nay?”
“I can’t do it.”
“What? Why? Didn’t you just surrender your maidenhood to him?”
“Aye.”
“It doesn’t grow back, you know.”
“I’m aware.”
“But I don’t understand. Why would you…”
“I just…I won’t do it.”
After a pensive moment, Feiyan gasped. “Because he’s a savage? Is that it?” Her manner abruptly changed to fierce protector. “Did he hurt you? I swear, Jen, if he so much as raised a hand to—”
“Nay. Nay. ’Twasn’t like that, only…”
“Only what?”
Jenefer could see she wasn’t going to get any sleep until she explained. “’Tis one thing to best a man in battle when both of you are fully armed and evenly matched. But to slay a man in his sleep…”
