Fifteen
As it had been that morning, the palace corridors and salons lay quiet and empty, so Lady Cassandra had no witnesses to her disreputable state. She winced to imagine the scathing gossip she would have supplied for the court.
Especially after Gwendolyn opened their apartment doors and saw her mistress. "My lady!" she gasped. "Ye look… famous!"
"I've always known you were a hoyden at heart," teased Cass, "despite your flamboyant taste in dress."
Gwen glanced up at the general and lowered her voice. "Ah well, I don't care for them black dresses of yers, so one less is no loss. I heard ye went into the city to help with the fire and I have warm water waiting for ye and—"
"She will not require your assistance tonight," interrupted Dominic.
"But, sir, it will take a good scrubbing to remove… Oh." Gwen turned a beet red and fled to her room.
"She is more intelligent than her years, Dominic."
He started to undo the buttons on the back of her bodice. "I told you it was a bad idea to hire servants."
Cass led him into the bedroom by the simple expedience of his nimble fingers, because he would not cease in popping out her buttons. She closed the door behind them and locked it for good measure.
Her bodice fell to the floor, followed even faster by her skirt, which had been held up only by her girdle, which somehow her husband had managed to remove without her even noticing. Before he could start on the ties of her stays, Cass stepped over to the bath, which looked half-full. "We cannot submerse ourselves. We have so much soot that we will be sitting in black soup."
"We?"
Cass lifted her chin. "Despite your elven propensity for avoiding dirt, you're rather smudged yourself."
His eyes glittered and he started to remove his soiled garments. "Then, indeed, we shall wash each other."
"I'm sure you're too tired to—I can manage the task myself."
He peeled off his breeches and fastened those dark eyes on her, proudly displaying the fact that he wasn't too tired to make love to his wife. He looked like some Roman statue with that perfectly sculpted, pale skin glowing in the candlelight. Muscles ridged his flat stomach, rounded in his shoulders and arms. The bit of soot across his cheeks and brow only made him appear more rugged.
He crossed the distance between them with but a step and to her embarrassment she felt like swooning. Within moments he had joined her undergarments to those already on the floor and had his hot skin pressed against hers. Dominic held her for a moment, then began to pull pins from her hair until its heavy weight fell about her shoulders. He easily lifted her in his arms and stood her in the tub. The water barely reached her calves, but it was cold.
"Close your eyes and hold your breath," he warned, then dumped a bucket of heated water over her head.
Cass sputtered in surprise, but truth be told, it felt delicious. And when he began to soap her body, she could only close her eyes in sheer ecstasy. His big hands started with her hair, massaging her scalp until it tingled. Gentle fingers washed the grime from her face, lingering on her lips before slowly sliding down her neck. He paid extra attention to her breasts, which she felt sure hadn't acquired a speck of soot, but she couldn't complain when her nipples tingled from the attention. His hands lowered to her stomach, crept around her back, as if he sought to explore every inch of her with this new slippery sensation. When he caressed her bottom she moaned, heard his soft chuckle in response, but she kept her eyes closed, delighted with this new experience.
Dominic washed her legs with long strokes, forced them apart with a gentle nudge. And then he finally slipped his big hand between her legs, the pleasure of it making her knees tremble.
"My magic has been drained near dry," he murmured. "There will be no fireworks tonight. Just me."
"That's all I need, Dominic."
He chuckled again, joined her in the tub, his hot skin warming the chill that had started to creep over her, his fingers still petting her. Her pleasure caught her by surprise, a sudden contraction that ripped through her body in wave after wave of glorious feeling.
Dominic rinsed her with another bucket of water, and she opened her eyes.
"Your turn," she said, the huskiness of her voice making it sound odd to her own ears.
He said nothing in reply, just watched her with those black glittering eyes.
Cassandra could not dump the water over his head though; she couldn't reach that high. But he took it from her and managed the task himself, his head thrown back as the liquid sluiced down his skin. She retrieved the soap from a china saucer atop a small enameled tray and worked a lather in her hands before smoothing it through his hair. The wet length of it reached the middle of his bottom and now looked more silver than blond, a beautiful unearthly color. With the remaining soap Cass followed the same path he'd taken with her, paying extra attention to his lips, the nipples on his broad chest, the feel of his muscular buttocks beneath her palms. He had fine hair on his chest, down the length of his legs, with the rest of his skin nearly as smooth as hers.
She looked her fill of every magnificent part of him.
He hadn't said a word, indeed, had barely moved, so when she cradled his shaft in her hand his sudden groan startled her from her intense concentration. Dominic reached over and picked up the remaining bucket, dousing the both of them, and then she felt his hands beneath her back and legs. The room spun briefly, she felt the mattress of the bed beneath her, then his hard length inside of her before she had a chance to realize what happened.
Soon, she no longer cared.
Her husband pleasured her with long slow strokes, until the room spun again, and she didn't know which way was up. A slow warmth spread inside of her. When he arched his back and drove deeply with uncontrolled thrusts, that warmth flared to breathtaking satisfaction.
They lay still for a time, trembling with exhaustion.
Dominic finally rolled her to the middle of the bed, snuggled his face against her neck, and fell instantly asleep.
Her husband had been wrong. He'd said there wouldn't be fireworks tonight. But she'd seen the most marvelous display, all behind the lids of her eyes.
* * *
Lady Cassandra woke with a start, sensing something amiss. She disentangled herself from her husband's arms, threw on a robe of watered silk, and walked over to the window. The distant sounds of hammers met her ears; the sight of fresh wood beams stretching upward met her eyes. She needn't have worried about returning to the damaged area of London, for it appeared the worst was over if rebuilding had already started. Then she realized that the sun hung low in the sky.
"We slept all night and half the day through," she murmured. Cass went back to the side of the bed and studied her husband for a moment, making sure he still breathed. He must have drained himself beyond exhaustion, for she'd never seen him sleep so soundly or for so long.
She tiptoed to the door and closed it softly behind her. "Gwen?" she called.
The girl popped her head around the doorway of the dining room. "Oh, my lady. I didn't want to wake ye, but it's near dinnertime and ye missed breaking yer morning fast and the noon meal…"
Cass's stomach growled loudly enough to halt the girl's words.
"Fiddle," said May, following the other girl out of the dining room with a silver tray in her arms. "Ye can see she needed the rest and if ye stop blathering, she can eat."
Gwen gave the other girl a disgruntled look but nodded.
Lady Cassandra did appreciate May's quiet manner, but she valued Gwendolyn's penchant for gossip even more. Had Mor'ded discovered that she'd helped Breden's half-breed escape? "Dinner can wait just a moment, May. What's the news about the palace?"
Gwen's hazel eyes regained their usual sparkle. "La, nothing's happening in the palace… The Imperial Lord still hasn't come out of his room and half the court's following his example." She dug into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a crumpled pile of papers, handing one to Cass. "But in the city, the dodgers are scattered on the streets like snow."
Cass scanned the cheaply printed circular. A cartoon of a soldier, his pointed ears hugely exaggerated beneath his cockade hat, knelt before a tiny woman who held a dripping heart in her hands. Beneath the drawing read the caption, A discovery that hath shocked the cit.
Her stomach growled again. Angrily this time. What would happen if Mor'ded saw this? Would he laugh it off or wonder if she had indeed captured Dominic's heart?
Gwen handed her another one, this time a drawing of a small woman with a torn dress and bedraggled hair, leading several children from a burning building, and this one read, The champion's new wife.
And another one, with the soldier's hands over a severed limb, with the next drawing showing it reattached and healed. Cass wondered if Dominic's magic could truly do such a thing.
Each successive circular proved to be more outlandish than the last.
"These are highly exaggerated," muttered Cass.
"Ah, but don't ye see?" piped Gwen. "It just shows how much the people love ye and the champion."
They'd had no choice but to help the people. But it had brought more danger to Cass than she could have imagined.
"Cook heard about what ye did in the city," said May, holding out the tray as her own offering. "She made all the champion's favorites but didn't know yers, and said she hopes she guessed rightly."
From the delicious aromas coming from the covered dishes, Cass didn't doubt Cook's decisions.
"There's lots of chocolate," whispered Gwen with reverence.
That did it. Cassandra could no longer ignore the demands of her stomach. She curled the papers in her hand and took the tray from May, who allowed her mistress to carry it without protest, used to keeping out of Dominic's notice.
"If you see any more of these circulars," whispered Cass as Gwen opened the door to her bedroom, "please burn them."
The servant gave her a puzzled look, but apparently she'd grown used to her mistress's odd demands for she quickly nodded and hushed May to silence when the other girl's mouth opened.
The door snicked shut behind Lady Cassandra, and she set the tray and circulars next to the bed.
Dominic sat up with a start, raking the hair away from his face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."
He wiped a hand over his stubbled jaw. "Good morning."
"Um, that would be evening."
One silver brow rose. "I must have drained myself more than I thought—"
"No, no, do not get up." Cass put the tray on the bed, crawled in beside it. If she hadn't been so hungry she wouldn't have been able to ignore all that smooth expanse of muscled skin. Thankfully, rumpled bedding covered his lower half. "The danger is over, judging by the rebuilding that's been going on, so I don't think we're needed in the city anymore. And Gwen reports that neither the court nor Mor'ded have left their rooms, so no one will note our absence."
"My duties…" he mumbled.
"Can be put off for a day." He still needed to rest, and besides, she wanted him near. Would he ignore his duties for her? "Cook said she made your favorites," she added, uncovering some of the dishes.
He sniffed, and both their stomachs growled together.
Cass laughed and stabbed a fork into beef covered in a thick gravy, held it up to his lips. He dutifully opened and chewed with blissful intensity, washed it down with a glass of wine from the tray.
"This is my favorite dish," he said.
She waved her hand at the shiny silver. "Apparently they all are."
Dominic picked up his own fork and eagerly uncovered one plate after another, sampling from each. "What's the occasion?"
Cass kept her face smooth. "I'll tell you after we eat."
And they both fed each other from different plates, snatching their own mouthfuls in between, until Cass leaned back in pure satisfaction and waited for Dominic to finish.
Watching him eat shouldn't have given her so much pleasure, but it did. He moved with such grace that each sweep of his hand, every bunch of his muscular arms, delighted her. And Lady Cassandra felt content for the first time in her life. She wished it could last, that they could share many more quiet meals together.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and slowly sipped his wine, his eyes studying her from head to toe. "Take off that robe."
"No." Cass gave him a smile to soften her reply. "You've grown entirely too used to giving commands, General Raikes."
"Please take off that robe."
She laughed, a long peal of notes that made his lips twitch. When a full smile curled his mouth, Cass had to stop herself from nearly tearing off the silk and instead gathered her robe more tightly about her shoulders. It should not be possible that he could be any more beautiful than he already was. But his smile changed his features and lit his eyes until he near glowed. She squashed down the butterflies in her stomach and wished she could make him smile all the time.
"I can be quick," he drawled.
Her breath caught at the sultry look in his eyes. The devil couldn't be more tempting than this man. "There's… there's something I have to show you first."
Cass sat up and started putting the covers back on the dishes. She retrieved the circulars from the table and handed them to her husband. While he looked them over, she went to the door and called the servants to clear the tray and clean up their bath from the night before.
She noticed that the water had indeed turned into a black soup.
Gwen and May performed their tasks quickly, keeping their heads bent and their eyes down. Lady Cassandra sighed. She really must get Dominic used to the presence of servants; they couldn't always be sneaking about.
And wondered when she would quit thinking that they somehow had a future together. If Dominic hadn't already half convinced her, the devastation Mor'ded had released on the city fully did so. She no longer thought she might be able to accomplish an assassination, no matter if she took the elven lord by surprise. No matter how strong her faith might be. But even though she would not attempt to accomplish her task, they still had a short time together. The papers in Dominic's hands proved they could no longer keep their true relationship a secret.
And Mor'ded would be the one to assassinate her.
Dominic did not speak until the servants left the room, and even then he kept his voice so low that she had to join him in the bed again, her face close to his own.
"Where did you get these?"
"Gwen says they are all over the streets of London."
"My ears are not that big." He tossed the papers aside, caught up a locket of her hair, and twisted it around his finger.
The gentle tugging made her scalp tingle. "You are not worried that Mor'ded will see them?"
"I have thought this through, and I believe you are now safe from my father."
"What do you mean?"
"The rumors, my dear." He released her hair and ran a finger down the middle of her chest to her belly, parting the fold of her robe in the process. He traced circles around her navel, making Cass shiver. "The court believes you carry my child."
"But I'm not…" Her voice trailed off as she suddenly remembered that she hadn't brewed her herbs after they'd made love last night.
Dominic shrugged, muscles rippling from shoulder to chest. "No matter. You soon will be. I'll make sure of that."
His voice dripped with arrogance. Cassandra backed away from him to the far edge of the bed. "I still don't see what difference that will make."
"My father wants a new champion. Despite my resemblance to him, I have only the life span of an ordinary human." He rolled over onto his back, clasped his hands behind his head, silver blond hair spilling around him like some heavenly cloud. "Mor'ded will need a replacement. If he thinks you carry a child, he won't dare harm you."
Cass considered. "Not until I give birth, I suppose."
"And I will think of something else by then. Perhaps my powers will be strong enough—" He sat up in one fluid movement. "Come, let me help you get dressed."
"Why?"
"There's someone I think you should meet… while you're awake this time."
"What do you mean?"
And Dominic explained Ador's visit to the elven garden.
* * *
The smell of sulfur and musky beast grew stronger the higher they climbed. Cassandra hesitated at the top of the tower stairs. She'd seen the dragon only from a distance, and even then the sight had terrified her. "Are you sure he won't mind?"
"With Ador, I'm never sure about anything," replied Dominic. "But don't worry; he won't hurt you. Despite the rumors, he prefers the taste of livestock to people."
For obvious reasons, that didn't reassure her. But she followed her husband as he opened the door and strode out onto the tower roof. The flagstones beneath their feet had long gouges through them, which she assumed had been made from the dragon's claws. In some places the stones had cracked. Night had fallen but the fire that licked the walls of the palace made it appear to glow, and the stars seemed brighter here on this high perch, providing more than enough light for her to see the black form of the dragon.
Even curled into a ball, the beast's size overwhelmed her.
"He's asleep," she whispered. "Perhaps we shouldn't disturb him."
"He's always sleeping." Dominic held her hand and towed her closer. "Ador. I have brought my wife to meet you."
If her husband hadn't grasped her so tightly, she would have fled when the dragon opened his eyes. They appeared as large as the sun, and even brighter, with red glowing orbs split oddly enough into several sections, like a pinwheel. He blinked at her several times and then snorted.
Cassandra coughed.
"So we finally meet face-to-face," growled the dragon in a voice that reminded her of tumbling stones. "I can see how you managed to find the bastard's human heart."
"Er, thank you?"
The beast laughed, stone grating on stone. Cass winced at the brief sight of his open maw, the size of those sharp yellow teeth. She gathered her courage. "Dominic says that you've told him he would one day have the power to defeat Mor'ded. Can you not do anything to hasten the process?"
"If he's told you that much, then you also know I'm forbidden to interfere directly with the mad elven lord. I cannot change the bastard's fate any more than I can change yours. If either of you tempts it, you will have to face the consequences." He rose then, a mountain of shining black scales and sharp edges, spreading his wings to their full length, revealing the jagged beauty of them. The gesture reminded Cass of a strutting peacock and lessened her fear. But only a bit, for the dragon was huge.
But still. "You are beautiful," she said.
Dominic snorted, and Ador cast him a baleful eye.
"However," said the beast, "a bit of flattery and a pretty face can always sway me."
Dominic made a choking sound this time.
"I can reveal this much, bastard's wife. The scepter is the key."
"To what?"
"Ah, now that you will have to find out for yourself." And he beat those glorious wings, whipping back Cass's hair and making her eyes water. Dominic stepped in front of her, sheltered her body with his own as the dragon took flight, even his tall solid body swaying with the force of the maelstrom from Ador's leap into the sky.
She watched him for a time, enjoying the shelter of her husband's arms, until the dragon blended with the black of the night.
Then she mentally shook herself and sighed. "He's rather annoying, isn't he?"
Dominic grunted. "He reveals more questions than he does answers." He loosed her slightly to look into her eyes. "But I find your choice of words fascinating. How can you find a creature who can gobble you up in one bite annoying?"
"Faith, he's not the ravening beast kind. He loves a game as much as Mor'ded, although he seems to like to play differently."
"I had hoped that once Ador met you, he would tell me a way to save you. I should have known better."
The night's breeze curled around her shoulders, played with Dominic's hair, tangling his silver locks with her dull brown ones. His arms felt so warm in contrast. Cass leaned her head on his solid chest, listened to the strong steady beat of his heart. "I forgot to take my herbs last night," she said.
"What herbs?"
"The ones that I have taken every night since our marriage to prevent pregnancy."
He stiffened then sighed, resting his chin atop her head. "I suppose I can't blame you. Are there any more secrets you'd like to confess?"
"No. That is the last." The lonely sound of a ship's horn drifted up to the tower from the Thames below. "I hope we don't have a child, Dominic. I'd rather your father kill me than give one up to him."
"Hush. I will think of something."
"And if I don't conceive, he will find out soon enough, and then what will we do?"
He moved his arms up to her shoulders and set her from him, studying her face. "What happened to that faith of yours, Cassandra?"
"After what we saw in the city, how can you ask me such a thing?"
He brushed the backs of his knuckles across her cheek. "Because it is one of the things I admire the most about you. Your obstinate belief in this God of yours. Now that you have me half believing in him, I refuse to allow you to falter."
His words made hope spring in her heart. "Do you mean it?"
"Indeed. I prayed while I waited for you to return from freeing Breden's half-breed. I told him that if he kept you safe, I would place my trust in him."
Tears burned her eyes.
He bent his head and laid his cheek next to hers, his stubble gently scratching her face. "Besides, I know there are devils in this world. Why should I not believe in angels as well?"
* * *
It felt odd the next afternoon to encounter the court on her husband's arm. Although Mor'ded had still not left his rooms, the court had apparently decided they'd had enough. They'd gathered on the west lawn for tea, enjoying an unseasonably warm autumn day.
The absence of the Imperial Lord had a marked influence on the court. Those who held a trace of elven magic usually displayed only the talents inherited through Mor'ded's line, but as Cass neared the scalloped-edged pavilions, she could see that those who'd inherited gifts from other sovereignties now showed off their talents as well.
Illusions of winged monkeys flew about the roofs of the pavilions, swooping in occasionally to caper for a courtier. At least Cass thought they were illusions, for they looked a bit transparent about the edges. But the magic of Dreamhame paled next to that of Stonehame, for the singing crystals adorning several courtiers emitted a haunting melody reminiscent of the elven garden. The settings of the gems had surely been crafted in Bladehame, for the silver appeared to move like liquid about the throats and wrists of the wearers. Eternally blooming roses grew up the sides of the pavilions; odd trees with palms shaped like fans brushed cool air on the courtiers, surely from the talents of those with descendants tracing back to Verdanthame.
Lady Cassandra tried to mentally match gifts from the remaining sovereignties, but she felt Dominic stiffen beside her and she tugged on his arm, stopping him before they went any farther. He looked sublime, of course, in a coat of chocolate velvet trimmed with shiny gold buttons, the white lace at his sleeves and throat a perfect foil for the white lace dress that she wore. May had twined white silk roses in her brown hair, making it look dark and lustrous by contrast, and Gwen had chosen a stomacher embroidered with white roses that boasted lace bows beneath each blossom.
The lace at her arms fluttered delicately as she reached up to adjust his cravat. Which didn't really need adjusting. "I am determined to enjoy my first public appearance with my husband."
"We have often been together in public."
"Ah, but not as a true couple. Try not to let a few of the sillier nobles annoy you."
"A few?"
She laughed and felt him relax, his handsome face not quite as rigid. Cass lifted to her toes and kissed his jaw, and he moved quicker than lightning, capturing her mouth with his full lips for a few heart-stopping moments. When she managed to take a breath again, he looked entirely too pleased with himself.
She traced a finger over the tip of a pointed ear. "They aren't really that big."
He smiled, a dazzling display of white teeth and curved cheek. The sunshine made the silver sparkle in his hair, his skin glow a luminescent pearl, his eyes glitter with crystal fire. Cass suppressed a thrill of wicked desire, clasped his arm, and turned toward the pavilions.
The entire court stared at them in shocked silence. Even the crystals had ceased their songs.
Dominic patted her lace-gloved fingers and led her to an empty table, where Lady Cassandra sat with but a minor adjustment of her hoops and skirts. He pulled his chair about to face hers, sitting with one smooth flip of his coat skirt.
Instantly the cacophony started up again, crystals singing, monkeys flying, nobles chatting.
"You enjoyed that," muttered Cass.
"It felt highly satisfactory to finally be able to express the value I place on my wife. Their stupefied faces were but a… bonus."
A liveried footman brought them tea in porcelain so fine it appeared transparent in the sunlight. A tray of sweetmeats was set before them: pastries drizzled with honey, gingerbread shaped into oak leaves, tiny cakes frosted with bows and ribbons. Truffles, fruits, and jellies had been artfully arranged on another platter by complementing color. Cold asparagus stood up like a stack of bound hay in the center of pinkfleshed shrimp arranged in a spiral.
"I don't quite know where to start," said Cass.
Dominic removed his fine leather gloves and began to peel a shrimp, discarding the shell on the lawn and holding it up to her mouth. "It matches the color of your lips."
Lady Cassandra flushed and ate the offering, a sudden rush of happiness overwhelming her, although she knew this couldn't last. Mor'ded would emerge from his lair, bringing fear and the threat of peril in their midst again. But for now she tried to pretend that this would be her life forever, being fed treats from an attentive husband in front of a laughing court beneath a sunny sky.
"Excuse my intrusion," said Lady Verney, "but I must know how you fare, Cassandra. Any more headaches?"
Cass looked up at the tall woman squinting down at her, that thin face taut with genuine concern. It took her a moment to remember her false headache… and her supposed condition. "Oh no, Sophia. I am quite well."
Her friend gave a sigh of genuine relief. "When I heard you had accompanied your husband to see to the welfare of the citizens affected by the fire, I feared the stress might affect you adversely." She shot Dominic a scathing look, apparently determined to blame him for not taking better care of Cass. As if her husband did not deserve her. It made Cass smile.
But then Lady Verney's face softened, and she inquired of Dominic, "And you, General Raikes. Are you well?"
He glanced at her with but a flick of his midnight gaze, but Cass could see he'd been caught by surprise. "Of course."
"Well then, I shall leave the two of you alone. It is truly a delight to see a couple so obviously taken with one another." And with a bob of her feather-topped coiffure, she took her leave.
And Lord Blevin immediately took her place. "I daresay, you make a fine couple, wot? I admire the cut of your coat, sir, and the way your attire complements one another."
Dominic's jaw flexed and Cass quickly spoke. "Thank you, my lord. The, um, braids in your wig are quite becoming."
"I did this in honor of the general's battle braids, although I think a multitude of them a bit more eyecatching." He preened his powdered hair, speckles of silver and white dotting his coat. "General Raikes, we are about to start a round of lawn bowls. Would you care to join us?"
Dominic's brows near met his hairline, and he didn't answer for several moments. Blevin tossed Cass a worried look, to which she responded with a weak smile.
"I would be honored," Dominic finally rasped. "But we haven't finished our tea yet."
"Oh, quite right, then. I'll leave you to it. But don't disappoint us now, General!"
Lord and Lady Somers appeared determined to take Blevin's place next to their table as soon as he walked away, but they had been stopped by one of the monkeys, who found the lady's coiffure an interesting place to squat and hunt for bugs.
"What the hell was that all about?" whispered Dominic, nodding at Blevin's departing back.
"I have no idea," replied Cassandra. Although she'd expected some of the lords and ladies to treat her with more respect once Dominic showed his true regard for her, she hadn't anticipated this change in attitude toward him. They always treated the general with respect, of course, but their fear kept them at a distance. "Perhaps they approve of the healing you performed for the citizens."
"They don't give a damn about anyone without a title." He broke a pastry in half, and fed part to Cass while he chewed the other, washing it down with a dose of tea. "Lawn bowls," he muttered. "I play elven war games. Not… party games."
"It is a game of skill, and I'm sure you will enjoy yourself. I shall stand on the sidelines and cheer you on—"
"I daresay," interrupted Lady Somers, who had managed to rid herself of her rider. "What fun to see the magic from other sovereignties. Although I can't say as I care for the monkeys—what say you, Lady Cassandra?"
Dominic's astounded gaze flew from his wife to this newest interloper. Cass pretended not to notice. "Perhaps you can suggest to the magic user that they be changed to butterflies. Wouldn't that be grand for a garden party?"
"La, it would be an improvement. Although the lady in question would most likely give them feelers to tickle us with."
"She has a sense of humor, then?"
"Quite," interjected Lord Somers.
"I don't think you've been properly introduced to her yet," said his wife, giving her husband a quelling look. "I shall be happy to take you to meet her."
"We haven't quite finished our tea, but—"
"Oh, you might as well," growled Dominic. "I don't see as how we'll finish it one way or another."
Lady Cassandra rose to her feet, leaned over, and pecked Dominic on the cheek, who suddenly didn't seem as disgruntled after her affectionate gesture. She walked off with Lady Somers, leaving the two men alone, although they didn't stay at the table long. She spied them heading for the jack and bowls.
"I have always wanted to visit Dreamhame," she told Lady Somers. "I've heard that Imperial Lord Roden can cast illusions so real they can be tasted and smelled."
"I long to visit Stonehame… Have you seen Viscountess Rothermere's necklace? Oh, my dear, you must. How fortuitous, there she sits."
And so it went the entire day. Suddenly the ladies of the court found every excuse to speak with Lady Cassandra. To compliment her hair and dress and inquire as to her health. She received more advice on child rearing than she felt obliged to know, but she discovered to her surprise that she enjoyed the companionship of the other ladies. Fie, she felt as if she blossomed among the attention and glanced down at her wedding ring. She had never seen the gold petals quite so open before. Except when her husband made love to her…
He played lawn bowls exceptionally well, of course. With his elven strength and skill she'd expected him to become bored with the game, but several of the other men had magical powers to assist them and that appeared to provide him with enough of a challenge. Cass stood with several ladies of the court—Sophia firmly entrenched by her side—and admired the way his coat stretched over his shoulders when he tossed his ball. The way his breeches outlined his firm bottom when he bent over.
She near swooned when he discarded his coat and waistcoat, loosening the ties of his white linen shirt to grant him easier movement.
Sophia patted her hand in complete accord.
The sun had long set before Dominic sought her out, drawing her away from the group of ladies, Cass following more reluctantly than she would have ever dreamed.
He slung his arm about her shoulder as they headed for the palace, the flame licking the walls turning the night golden.
"You enjoyed the game, didn't you?" she asked.
He grunted.
"Oh, come now. I saw your lip twitch more than once."
When he spoke, she heard the laughter in his voice. "I thought I'd forgotten how to play…"
Within a trice he'd swept her beneath an archway of golden fire, the walls beneath the old stone warm on her back as he pressed her against it, his arms gently imprisoning her on both sides. Shadows played across the planes of his face; golden fire flickered in his hair. He kissed her then, long and slow, until her knees felt wobbly as jelly.
He pulled away and she thought she might lose herself in the dark depths of his eyes.
"First the citizens and now the court. You have made everyone care for me."
Cass widened her eyes. "On the contrary, you earned the love of the people when you offered to heal them."
"You made me do it."
He protested too much for her not to see beyond the indifferent expression on his beautiful face. "And as far as the court goes, you made them accept me. I had nothing to do with the men urging you to join in the game, but… Lady Verney mentioned something."
"Yes?"
"She said that she wished she'd known how Mor'ded made you suffer. That your true character would have been easier to understand."
"Ah, I see. You made me do that too." He smoothed back the hair from her face, dropped his hand to stroke the skin of her throat, sending tingles of pleasure clear down to Cass's toes. "But I can't say I regret it. I regret nothing from the moment I've met you, Cassandra. Not even falling in love with you."
Her heart skipped at his words. "So you have figured out what love is?"
"Indeed. I love you, my dear. Even if it leads to—"
Cass covered his lips with her fingers. "Do not say it. Let's not think of tomorrow. For today has been the most wonderful, most perfect day of my life."
"Has it?" He took a step back, spread his arms, yellow fire springing to life in his fingers. "Give me but another hour, my love." He waved his arms in one fluid movement and a wall of yellow fire ringed them in, creating a cocoon of privacy beneath the golden arch of the bridge, cutting off the coolness of the night air and surrounding her with gentle warmth.
Dominic leaned forward, placing his hands against the brick wall at her back, trapping her within the warmer heat of his arms. Gold light danced in his pale hair, playing along his strong jaw, his high cheekbones. He glowed like an angel yet his voice tempted like the very devil. "You will now tell me that you love me too. Then I will make love to you. Right here. Right now."
Cass blinked. They stood in a bubble of fire, with brick at her back and gravel beneath her feet. "I don't think this is quite the place—"
"Ah, but I cannot wait a moment longer." He lowered his mouth to hers with a fierce possessiveness that stole her breath, her very thoughts. Her desire flared and held her trapped more surely than his arms.
His lips traced a path to her neck, making her lean her head back, her coiffure cushioning her head against the brick. Cass reached up and anchored herself by clasping his arms, taut with muscle as he braced himself over her.
"Tell me," he growled, his words shivering the skin at her neck.
"I love you."
He swept his mouth lower, over the swell of her breasts above her bodice. "Again."
"I… I…" Somehow she'd lost the ability to speak. She couldn't seem to take a proper breath within the confines of her stays. It made her head spin and her skin tingle with awareness.
He pulled away from her then, his eyes deeper than night, softer than velvet. His full lips pressed together while his sculpted jaw hardened with intensity. "Tell me, Cass. And I'll make love to you. For I'm never sure if it will be the last time and I can't seem to get my fill of you."
Her hands curled over his broad shoulders, the velvet fabric of his coat soft against her palms, the silky texture of his pale hair a tickle atop her skin. His hands clasped her waist and he swept her up against him then, his mouth but a movement from her own. She quickly wrapped her arms tightly about his neck, her toes barely touching the gravel at her feet. She didn't know how he might manage it, but she wanted him with a desperation that made her no longer care for anything but the dance of his lovemaking.
Cassandra gathered enough air into her lungs to give him what he demanded. "I love you, Dominic. I have loved no other as much as I love you."
His lips curved into a full smile, and he covered her mouth with his, demanding she open with the force of his tongue, tasting the depths of her when she complied. She felt the wall again at her back, but one of his arms cushioned her while the other gathered the lace of her skirts up to her waist. The strength that had once frightened her only made her heart thrill with rapid beats while he uncovered her legs, still holding her aloft.
"Wrap them around me."
Thank heavens the bulk of her hoops lay at her sides, for she could do naught but what he asked. Her stockings slid halfway down her calves and she felt the velvet of his coat, the firm solidity of his waist. And then his fingers, ah, they found her inner thighs and stroked her with promise.
She gasped and he broke the kiss, only to move his mouth downward, across her breasts again. Cass couldn't bear the teasing any longer. She released her hold about him, not surprised that he held her full weight without any assistance from her and with barely any effort due to the low cut of her gown, pulled her breasts out of the top of her bodice.
Dominic eagerly latched on to a nipple and she gripped his shoulders again, this time not to hold on but to enable her to arch her body upward, offering herself to his mouth with a moan of sheer delight.
His fingers had found her inner core and his touch quickly silenced her, for it took all her concentration just to continue to breathe.
Dominic held her against the wall for what could have been an eternity or mere moments, his mouth and fingers dancing over her body with intimate torture, until Cassandra shattered into a thousand pieces, her tremors of pleasure fierce and furious.
He raised his head and looked up into her face as he slowly withdrew his hand, slick with her wetness. She could only continue to gasp for breath as he reached for the buttons of his breeches.
The intensity of his gaze transfixed her, until Cass thought she could see to his very soul. But the desperation on his face frightened her. Would they never be together again? Would this be the last time they would dance as one?
He slowly leaned his lower body to hers, just as slowly eased the hard length of him inside her. Lady Cassandra shivered.
One arm continued to support her back, while the other grasped her bottom beneath the layers of her lace skirt. He pushed her against him, raising her up and down his tall body. Up and down his hot shaft. Cass wrapped her legs tighter about him, clasped her arms more firmly about his neck, until only Dominic supported her full weight.
He moved her gently against him at first, but she could feel his struggle for control in the rigidity of his muscles. She kissed his jaw, nipped at his ear, the thought that this might be their last time together filling her with a desperate urgency of her own.
Dominic responded by increasing the tempo of their dance, until that deep longing for release built to near madness inside her. His fire magic flared to new life, no longer a shimmer of golden curtain around them. Flames twisted and throbbed, climbing over their heads, swirling about Dominic's boots, occasionally bursting in sparks of glittering yellow that fell on his shoulders, on Cassandra's brown hair.
When Dominic flung back his head and groaned with his own release, a deep pleasure throbbed within her womb, spread throughout her body in the same pattern as the golden fire that surrounded them.
He held her within his arms for a very long time.
Then he finally leaned his head down and whispered in her ear, "In case this is the last time I'm able tell you, my lady, I love you."
Tears burned in her eyes as they separated from each other, Cass adjusting her mangled hoops and smoothing down the lace of her skirts. She could not speak. Her coiffure had surprisingly stayed intact, so that by the time he dispersed their cocoon of fire Cassandra felt sure she looked quite like her normal self.
Dominic escorted her from beneath the archway of the bridge, and they casually strolled across the palace grounds as if they hadn't just spent the last hour making wild passionate love to each other.
"And now," said her husband with an arrogant tilt to his head, "you can say it has been the best day of your life."