Page 7 (1/2)

"This," he muttered as he kissed her with all the frustration that had plagued hiid beneath his hands, and Santiago felt a cold shard of fear pierce his heart He couldn’t be wrong Beneath all her ice, this female burned with an awareness that was as fierce as his

Then, as his kiss gentled with a gut-aching need to taste her response, he felt a revealing quiver It was faint, but un in invitation

Sí

Relief coo The scent of jasmine teased at his nose, the cool silk of her lips as potent as the finest aphrodisiac

But before he could wrap her slender body in his arh hiainst his chest

Grudgingly Santiago lifted his head to study her pale face with a brooding gaze "Don’t expect an apology," he muttered

The dark eyes flashed with an indefinable eain calm pools of ebony "You are"

"What?"

"Uncivilized"

His hands trailed up her ar in the soft caress of cashers He was a tactile va touched It had been far too long since he’d indulged his senses

All his senses

"Why?" he demanded, not even randomly offended by her accusation "Because I haven’t been neutered like those so-called Immortal Ones?"

"My clansmen aren’t neutered," she denied, a faint accent threaded through her low, enticing voice Like many ancient va, but often slipped into a more formal speech pattern when she was distracted "In fact, they happen to be extrehtful, articulate"

"Eunuchs"

Her lips thinned "I o, but I’er allowed to maul women whenever they feel the impulse"

His soft chuckle filled the roo," he assured her He wasn’t stupid This female had the power to crush him into little squishy bits if she was truly offended by his behavior "This is only a se"

He placed a kiss on the tip of her proud, aquiline nose "And loving every ainst his chest with enough force to assure Santiago she wasn’t teasing

Reluctantly he dropped his hands and took a step back "Not nearly, but it will have to wait for a more appropriate ti untouched Only the faint treold ined her reaction to his kiss

"You actually have the word ‘appropriate’ in your vocabulary?"

Aggravated by her calo planted his fists on his hips "What are you doing here?"

Unfazed by the abrupt question, she aze squarely "I could ask the sa child," he said without hts I can clailance up and down the stately length of her body "In fact, by law anything or anyone attached to that property ishim with a cool disbelief "So you’re just here to inspect your latest acquisition?"

"If I leave it eht decide to poach on my territory?"

"I see Then I’ll leave you to your"--a bland s speed, grasping her arm as she attempted to move past him

"Not so quick, cara"

The heavy pressure of her power filled the cra in the sudden breeze

"You should release rip, but his fingers reain "You haven’t answered my questions"

"Nor do I intend to"

He studied her pale, exquisite features "Such a perfect ice queen," heto the lush fullness of her lips Those weren’t the lips of an ice princess They spoke to hihts and decadent pleasure "Did the Oracles send you?"

It was only because he was touching her that he felt her stiffen at his question

"Only a fool discusses Commission business"

No shit Unfortunately, Styx had tossed hiht into the lion’s den He needed to knohy the Oracles were interested in Gaius And what they were trying to hide fro for Gaius, aren’t you?"

"Why would I?" Frost coated her words "I was told that Gaius died during the battle against the Dark Lord"

His short laugh held an edge of bitterness "Yeah, a lot of us were told that"