A Kiss of Magic: A Kiss of Magic Book One

by Jacquelyn Frank

  “It’s all right,” she said as he leapt from the bed and hurried to strike a match to the kindling left in the fireplace. He saw her scramble beneath the covers all the same and he berated himself some more.

  “I was in such a hurry to gratify myself I didn’t think of your needs,” he said with inward contempt.

  “You were more than attentive to my needs,” she said huskily.

  He looked at her as the kindling caught and the fire began to build. She held her arms out to him. “Return to me and warm me,” she invited eagerly.

  She didn’t have to ask him twice.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dendri made love to her for the entire remainder of the afternoon. She came up for air shortly before dinner and found Bess unpacking their things into the drawers of the dresser both in her room and the adjoining one. Bess’s eyes twinkled as she looked Yasra over head to toe.

  “Well you look like Bicky after she has caught a hedge mouse.”

  Yasra blushed and entered the room. She went to the dressing table and sat down, picked up her brush, and proceeded to brush the tangles from her thoroughly mussed up hair. Dendri had a habit of running his hands through it frequently, of grabbing her by it to guide her head or simply to grip it in his passion

  “Oh no! Have you spilled wine on your blouse?” Bess cried when she saw the dark red stain on her shirtfront, Bess fussed with the laces of the blouse and quickly pulled it up over Yasra’s head so she could better inspect it in the lamplight.

  “It’s not wine it’s—“

  “Blood! Are you injured?” Bess gasped, quickly checking Yasra’s naked torso.

  “It’s not mine, it’s Dendri’s.”

  She quickly told Bess about what had happened. She also told her about how she was a weakness to Dendri, how much harm either of them would suffer if anything should happen to occur to them. Then she explained about Delongo and the fact that she had given Dendri permission to hunt him.

  All of the color had drained from Bess’s face.

  “Oh Yas. I’m so afraid for you! Aren’t you afraid?”

  “I would be lying if I say I wasn’t,” she said, changing out of her trousers and looking for a dress for dinner. She could have easily worn a fresh blouse, but she had such a desire to look and feel pretty for Dendri. And, she felt at her prettiest when she wore dresses. She found her blue muslin, the short sleeves tipped to the edges of her shoulders making them mostly bare, the neckline square, though nothing truly daring. She dusted powder over her chest and cleavage, noting that her nipples were tender from the rasping of his teeth and tongue. The knowledge made her flush and she took stock of the other slightly sore places on her body that had gotten that way thanks to Dendri’s handling and attentiveness.

  “I won’t be a coward,” she said firmly. “When I think of all those who are suffering at the hands of that madman and knowing there’s something I can do to stop it…it wouldn’t be right to hold Dendri back.”

  “I know you’re right. It’s just…oh, Yas! I’m so frightened for you!”

  “Dendri is at far more risk than I am on many levels. One being how vulnerable I make him and another being he is the one who is actually going to be facing Delongo.”

  “I suppose you’re right, but if anything ever happened to you…I’d be devastated. I’m already beside myself with worry.”

  “I’m worried too. But I’m more worried for Dendri’s safety than I am for my own.”

  “You’re coming to care for him,” Bess said with a sly smile.

  “What? No! I mean…” She colored. “Of course I care about him. About his safety. Why wouldn’t I? He’s about to do something foolhardy and dangerous.”

  “No I mean care about him. As a person. As a man. You can hardly help it. You are so ready to be loved,” Bess said with a wistful sigh.

  “Nothing that Dendri does toward me has the remotest thing to do with love. Dendri isn’t the sort of man who falls in love. So you can take that idea right out of your head.”

  “Do you mean that because of what that Olla said?” Bess dismissed it with a click of her tongue. “I wouldn’t listen to the words of a jealous harpy.”

  “It’s not entirely because of that,” Yasra said in return as she stared at her reflection in the dressing table mirror. “When have you ever heard of Dendri Adiron being in love? All of the papers follow him. Follow every woman he is ever seen with. Those relationships are always fleeting. Changing from one week to the next. I am not going to fool myself into thinking I am going to be an exception.”

  “This is different. You are Gestalt. Gestalt couples stay together don’t they?”

  “They stay close it’s true, but there is nothing that says they fall madly in love with one another…that they have a continuing relationship outside of a professional or rather a majical one.”

  “But I thought all Gestalt couples fell in love,” Bess said with a whimsical sigh.

  “Oh Bess. You’re such a romantic,” Yasra said as she sat back down and, still staring at her reflection and the two flags of color staining her cheeks she began to braid her hair. “I have to approach this as an adult. As a sophisticated woman…like the ones he’s used to. He’s made me no promises and I don’t expect him to.”

  “Well you may do that if you wish, but I am going to hold out hope for a happily ever after. From what I know, Dendri could use a woman like you in his life, a woman worth loving. And you can use a man like him, one who will constantly push you to push yourself and better yourself.”

  “Well you can think what you like. I suppose you will anyway. But I think you ought to prepare yourself for disappointment.”

  Lord knew she was doing so, Yasra thought. She was doing everything in her power to not get too attached to Dendri…emotionally. She had already crossed the line physically.

  She went warm just thinking about their lovemaking. She had never felt anything like the things he could do to her. The pleasure he made her feel was outrageous and mind-blowing. She was determined to learn how to reciprocate the favor. Perhaps she could learn something of it before the physical side of their relationship drew to a close.

  She worried that once he called an end to their physical relationship it would be awkward to be around him. She would have little choice in the matter if she wished to use her Gestalt gift. She supposed she could go her own way and simply be a Necromay majii. Now that she knew what house she was from she could find a high level Necromay and apprentice under them.

  But it wouldn’t be that simple, she realized. She will be famous as half of the first Gestalt couple in a hundred years. Things would be expected of her. To deny herself the depths of her ability just because she wouldn’t have the maturity to handle an altered relationship? No. She couldn’t do that. She would have to find the maturity when the time came.

  Part of her wished she had not slept with him. If they had not crossed that line things would have been so much easier. But in the next heartbeat she discarded the desire. She wouldn’t trade away that afternoon for all the books ever printed. She had lit like a struck match from the very instant Dendri had touched her. To sacrifice the fire would have been unnatural and sad. Even the slightest thought about him made her burn wickedly inside. Her skin would come alive with memories of those long, warm fingers sliding over her skin and sliding into intimate and willing places on her body.

  Having pinned her hair up and judging herself to look decent enough for dinner, she took up Bess’s hand and led her out of the door.

  “Thank you for getting our things today. I would have helped if Dendri would have let me.”

  “It was best you didn’t come,” Bess said with a slight frown that creased her pretty forehead. “There was a crowd of people waiting outside of the tailor’s shop just waiting for you to return. They mistook me for you in spite of the fact that your photo has already been published.”

  “It has?” Yasra was stunned. “However did they get a photo of me?”
/>   “Your parents I imagine.”

  “But I haven’t sat for a photo for years. Anything they had would picture me very young.”

  “Which is perhaps why they thought I was you. And anyway pictures do not show hair or eye color. You can see if someone has light or dark hair, perhaps the same is true for eyes, but until they learn how to put color into a photograph, it isn’t likely to be a foolproof way of identifying someone. I’ve never sat for a photograph. I’ve never had cause or money to do so. They tried to take my photo today…tried to get me to sit for them. But the guards kept them at bay, thank goodness. Still they were shouting out the most ridiculous questions.”

  “Such as?”

  “What’s your favorite color? What do you like to eat? Do you have a favorite past time?” She bit her lip. “They wanted to know other things as well. Mostly they wanted to know: Will you continue to live with Dendri indefinitely? Are you and Dendri lovers?”

  “They asked that?” She was appalled. In their society it was accepted that single people would discreetly take lovers. It was quite another thing to flaunt them and announce them to the world. The papers could speculate all they liked about Dendri’s love life, but to speak definitively of his sexual relationship with a woman was considered rude and uncouth.

  A couple could walk together down the street and people could speculate they were lovers, but the couple could not act publicly in a way that would remove all doubt. Such as kissing more passionately than just a chaste kiss or touching more blatantly than the mere holding of hands or even acting in more unashamedly sexual manners. There was a proper way to behave and then there was scandalous behavior.

  She had never understood the two-sided nature of the rules of etiquette. Making love was acceptable…only in private? Lovers were acceptable…as long as you pretended you didn’t have one? It made very little sense, but she had been raised with these strict rules all of her life and they were an ingrained part of her nature. It was no one’s business if she and Dendri were lovers. Certainly not something as public as a newspaper!

  “I didn’t answer any of the questions of course, but it was such a press of bodies and questions and rudeness. It was best you weren't there. There’s a crowd of them outside of Dendri’s gates as well.”

  “There is?” Yasra didn’t know why she was shocked. Dendri had warned her things like this might happen. But for them to be so bold? And why did Dendri allow it? If he was so concerned with her safety and well-being, why not chase them all away?

  “Yes. Some have brought chairs to sit in.”

  “Chairs! They are camped out so long?”

  “No one wants to miss the chance of having the first peek at you,” Bess told her.

  As they entered the foyer at the front door, which they had to cross through to get to the hallway on the other side of the house, Yasra spotted Dendri. He was speaking with two men. After a moment she realized she recognized them. From earlier. The two rogue hunters.

  Ky spotted her and immediately his face brightened as he left what had appeared to be a serious conversation to approach her. He scooped up her hand the instant he was within reach and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. His mouth was warm and pleasant, but did not stir her the way Dendri would have had he been the one to make the gesture.

  “Two lovely ladies,” he noted, reaching next for Bess’s hand. He kissed it warmly. “Won’t you introduce me to your pretty friend?” he asked Yasra as Bess went pink from his flamboyant attentions.

  “Ky, his is Bess. Bess this is Ky, one of the two rogue hunters I was telling you about.”

  Bess managed a warm smile for him even though her face turned immediately somber.

  “Will you be staying for dinner?” she asked.

  “I am so very tempted,” he said, his eyes hot with flirtation, “but, alas, I cannot. We have many things we need to prepare. Yasra,” he said fixing a serious gaze on her. “Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to go after this monster.”

  “You’re welcome. But I can’t help but be afraid for you and feel like I am allowing you to go on a fool’s mission.”

  “Do not worry. We have experience working together, and are like a well-oiled machine. We will plan a very precise strike and see this quickly put to an end.”

  “I hope it is as easy as you make it sound.” She picked up on something he had said. “You have experience working together? Dendri has hunted rogues with you before?”

  Ky hesitated. “Not exactly. Perhaps Dendri will tell you about it someday,” he said dismissively, clearly not willing to divulge any further information or explanation.

  “Ky. We need to go,” Jal spoke up from a little way behind him.

  Ky cocked a charming half smile at them, his handsome face easing around the expression as though it were very used to making way for smiles.

  “Ladies, if you will excuse me.” He bowed at them briefly then turned and walked to where Jal and Dendri were exchanging some soft final words. Yasra couldn’t help the anxiety seeing the three of them together made her feel. Two dark heads, one light, all very serious, dangerous men. Of that she had no doubt. In spite of Ky’s flirtatious and congenial nature, she could see the danger in him. All three were strong, physically fit men. All three were powerful majji, each in their own right.

  Jal and Ky took their leave and Dendri turned to look at them, a brooding expression on his face. He was clearly thinking of the battle to come.

  “Is all well?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said. He seemed to shake himself out of his momentary preoccupation. “Yes, of course it is.”

  “If anything were wrong…you’d tell me?” she asked him as he came up to her, slid his strong hands around her waist and pulled her in close to his body. Her hands came up to rest on the solid expanse of his chest.

  “I would tell you,” he assured her, bending his head and giving her a deep kiss right in front of Bess. Sure, Bess already knew all the details of her and Dendri’s relationship as lovers, but it was something else entirely for him to show her passionate affection in front of another.

  Blushing she dipped her head and tried to step away from him. He would have none of it, however, and merely pulled her in tighter and closer.

  “Bess, did you have any trouble today?” Dendri asked.

  Yasra knew immediately that Dendri’s guards would have reported anything of significance to Dendri already. What he was doing was checking to see if she was all right. His thoughtfulness toward Bess…a girl who was technically just a servant…continued to amaze and impress her. His kindness touched her.

  “Oh no. Not really,” Bess said easily. “The guards helped me pack and carry the trunks to the carriage.”

  “I meant did anyone trouble you,” he said with amusement lighting his fern green eyes.

  “Oh no. Not at all,” she assured him.

  “Good. I am glad to hear it. If anyone should trouble you, you would come to me about it yes?”

  Bess smiled at him. “If you insist.”

  “I do. You are both in my care and I will not have anything troubling either of you, be it big or small.”

  “Well you can’t control every little thing that might disturb us,” Yasra said with a small laugh.

  “Just you watch me try,” Dendri said.

  Right then Yasra could believe he was capable of doing whatever it took to see to their comfort. He was such a capable man, a man in control of his own universe. It must be exhausting, she thought, to have to be in control of everything at all times. And now he was trying to control her.

  She should feel smothered by that. In fact, on occasion she did feel that way. When he kept her from doing things on her own, for instance, but she knew that that was about her own protection and not about a maniacal need to have control over everything she did.

  “How are you feeling,” he asked her then, his voice soft and tender, the touch of his fingers against her cheek warm and sensitive. He brushed the pad of his thumb over h
er full bottom lip.

  “I’m fine,” she said breathily.

  “Then let us go in to dinner. Cook has promised me all my favorite foods tonight. That tends to happen whenever the servants are pleased with the way things are going in my life.”

  Yasra laughed. “And what is it they like?”

  “I think it’s you.”

  “Me?” she asked in surprise. “What could they possibly like or even know about me?”

  “I do not know. But, like children and animals, my staff has the ability to sense the true nature of a person almost immediately. And it seems they have decided you are good for me.”

  He put his hand on her waist and guided her toward the dining room. He held out his free arm to Bess, who took it with a smile. He led both women into the grand dining room. The table was set with the usual sparkling brilliance of fine china and cut crystal.

  “I have to say I agree with them,” Dendri added as he pulled her chair out for her and saw her neatly tucked up to the table. He did the same for Bess.

  “You are good for Yasra too,” Bess piped up. She smiled when Yasra glared at her.

  Dendri chuckled, the sound rich and low.

  “I can only hope that is true,” Dendri said. He reached out for her hand as he took his seat and in a gesture that put Ky to shame, he brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them warmly.

  It wasn't the simple contact of his mouth that affected her, although that was part of it. It was the smoldering look in his eyes that took her breath away and made her go liquid and hot inside. He looked at her as though he were stripping her naked right then and there…as though he were thinking of a z b host of lascivious things he would do to her once she actually was sans her clothing.

  I want to have you in my bed. Beneath me. Crying out my name. The sound filling my ears as I fill your body with mine, he whispered into her mind.

  She flushed, feeling suddenly uncomfortable in her clothes. Why did people have to wear so many damnable clothes? she thought.

  Her eyes tracked over him. He was impeccably dressed as always. Cravat and velvet jacket and a linen shirt with a high starched collar. Skin tight buff colored breeches and tall black boots. It was almost like a different man from the one she had seen naked and lazily passionate all afternoon.