Page 154 of A Tower of Half-Truths
“Best make it an early night. Be mindful to avoid too much drink andstrenuousactivities.”
He threw Mavery an exaggerated wink. In reply, she narrowedher eyes and flicked her nose at him, which prompted one of his barking laughs. He slung his arm around Ellice’s shoulders, and the two of them proceeded upstairs.
Alain blinked. “Wait. Are they…?”
“Who knows,” Mavery said, raising her glass. “But hewouldbe the type to replace me with a younger model. Bastard…”
Their hands remained joined as they drank their terrible wine. There was no need for conversation when her thumb brushing his knuckles spoke volumes. The only downside of their silence was that there was nothing to distract him from his thoughts, which included scattered echoes from his dream.
She’ll never know you as I did.
Alain took another sip of wine as he tried to silence that one. Though, he had to admit, there was some truth to it. As much as he and Mavery had shared with each other over these past months, he was acutely aware of the things theyhadn’tyet shared.
He watched her over the rim of his glass. He didn’t believe in luck or fate, but for this clever, caring, all-aroundbrilliantwoman to enter his life, and for her to love him as he loved her… Well, that was almost enough to make him a believer.
“What is it?” she asked.
A heady warmth flowed through him, and it had nothing to do with the wine. He lowered his glass with a smile.
“You know, my arcana isn’t the only thing that’s been restored.”
Forty-Six
They’d hardly closed the door when they were on each other, kissing with all the finesse of inexperienced adolescents. The darkness, paired with the cheap wine, made their movements clumsy. They fumbled about, kicking off shoes, loosening belts, bumping into furniture as they managed to maintain their connection. As Alain’s tongue slipped against hers, Mavery reached behind her back, searching for the bedside lamp. A quick infusion of her arcana cast the room in soft golden light.
She sighed as Alain’s lips skirted across her jaw, down her throat, until the collar of her blouse prevented him from going any lower. He pulled at the top button, then paused. Mavery’s eyes fluttered open, meeting a look of desire mixed with hesitation.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “If you still need to rest, I understand. We can—”
“I want this—I wantyou—more than anything.” He bowed his head. “I’m only thinking of how it’s been a long time, and my last was…memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.”
She tilted up his chin. “Then why don’t you lead the way?”
He nodded. “So long as you’re also sure.”
She smiled. “Of course.”
He smiled back, then held up a finger. “There’s one last thing I need to attend to.”
“And what’s that?”
He turned to the nearby wall. A verse of Etherean, paired with a rush of magic that cooled her flushed skin, answered her question. The walls and ceiling became veiled with violet auras—a soundproofing ward. Though Alain voiced no discomfort, he winced as he turned to her again.
“There,” he said. “Complete privacy.”
She sighed. “I thought you agreed to not cast any spells tonight. I could’ve done that.”
“I know, but I wanted you to save your voice.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you expecting me to wake the entire inn again?”
He cupped her chin, then kissed her deeply. When he pulled back, his smoldering look made her shiver with excitement.
“No, my love.” He spoke with the low, rough voice he’d used the other night. “With what I have planned, you would wake the entirevillage.”
She grinned as fiery desire surged through her body, and then his lips were on hers again. He unbuttoned her blouse, slipped the fabric from her shoulders, down her arms. As she worked on his shirt, her mind briefly returned to the moments before she’d revived him. Her fingers were as frantic as they’d been that night, but now only desire guided her movements. She removed his shirt, then pulled down his trousers. Their discarded garments pooled at their feet, save for her brassière, which she tossed aside after unhooking it.
They took a moment to gaze at the parts of each other that had remained hidden before now. His body was slender, more bone than muscle. Her skin was not as taut, her breasts not as pert, as they’d once been. But when their eyes met again, the look behind his told her that he’d found not a single flaw. Likewise, his body was one she was eager to experience.
