Page 28 of Borgaz

“My ankle is fine. I promise I’ll be careful and if you don’t believe me, you can just keep me from moving. I liked that.”

Her voice had turned husky and the aching need was back, pulsing through him so strongly he thought his heart might burst. He moved closer, unable to resist.

“That’s not what I meant. I cannot offer you what you need. What you deserve.”

Her eyes darkened as she studied him.

“You gave me what I needed earlier.”

“And that is all you need?”

He saw the flicker of hesitation before she raised her chin defiantly.

“Yes. I already told you that I don’t want to be dependent on anyone. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves, does it?”

The temptation to agree almost overwhelmed him, but he didn’t think it was that simple. For either of them. He would love nothing more than to believe he could remove that pretty gown and lay her back on the table, to feast on her until they were both sated, and be able to walk away before he showed her just how badly he was damaged. And despite her claim, he didn’t believe she would be happy with that either.

“I… I think we should have dinner,” he said, cowardly avoiding an answer. “Then you should rest.”

She frowned, but to his surprise she didn’t argue with him, only refusing to let him take her back to the couch while he cooked. Instead she watched as he placed thick slabs of cheese between the bread she’d baked, then grilled them in butter. She moaned appreciatively as she took a bite, then devoured it greedily.

“A feast fit for a king.”

“My mother used to make these for me when I was a child.”

“What was she like?”

A smile curved his lips as he remembered. “Sweet, gentle, pretty.”

“Not argumentative or opinionated?”

Was she teasing him or looking for reassurance?

“No, but my father was also very mild-mannered. As I might have been if they hadn’t died and I had remained on the farm.”

“You?” Her eyes swept over him with an appreciative warmth that heated his blood before she shook her head. “I’m not sure you were ever meant to be a mild-mannered farmer.”

“Such a male would have been a better fit for you,” he pointed out, but she was already shaking her head.

“If that’s what I wanted, I could have stayed with Ferdie. Or married John Garcia when he asked me.”

He growled, suddenly annoyed.

“I do not wish to hear of the other males who wanted you.”

“But I didn’t want them. Maybe I was waiting for a big, bossy male with horns and a tail and a very wicked tongue.”

His cock surged at her words and he bit back a groan. He wanted so much to believe that her words were the truth, but…

“I do not believe this is wise.”

“Maybe not. But I want to enjoy our time together, however long it lasts.”

She gave him a teasing smile, but it was the vulnerability in her eyes that he couldn’t resist. He lifted her onto his lap and kissed her.

Her hands were trapped between them as he plundered her mouth, and she made soft, eager noises as he deepened the kiss, relishing her sweetness. He was so lost in the kiss that it took him several seconds to realize that her hand had found its way under his shirt, her small fingers stroking his abdomen.

He caught her hand, breaking off the kiss as he moved it away.

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