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"You want me to strip for you?" she asked in a deone hoarse, he said, "Yes, if you enter that temple, you’ll bare yourself inside it"

"Okay!" In a blur, she’d risen and was already at the door

She’d acquiesced? Despite her Sorceri blood, he’d thought she would put up at least a show of resistance, and that they would negotiate: perhaps she’d only agree to revealing her breasts, et cetera

Instead, the shareed to all He felt like he was in a battle that had just gone sideways, like he should be jerking his head back and forth to understand his new position

As he rose to join her, he wondered, What else will she agree to? And hisproudly She are of her power over males, had lorded it over sounaccountably close to hiht should fill hier Not excitement

He reatest enchantresses ever to live He had to be mindful of all her conquests, the ones who’d fallen before him

"Is there a hidden lever, then? A combination to open it?"

"Yes A combination" As per the instructions, he’d pressed in one hieroglyph, spun another, then ratcheted down a third "Turn around while I open it"

Again, she went against his expectations by coure it out?"

"Wasn’t difficult," he said, unwilling to tell her, knowing she would attribute his coed demon blood

Press, spin, ratchet The door opened once e his mind Just inside, she drew up short As her slih her eyes

The teold slabs and bricks that see in A dais stood in the center, with gold benches fanning out fro was divided into five wedges, each with different glyphs, like those in the cave More had been carved into the floor-to-ceiling gold walls

Still reeling from her assault on his senses, he decided to put space between hi shelf He leapt up to it, crouching on one knee to watch his in

Slowly, she reached out her hand to one of the walls

Contact She visibly shuddered, as if she’d touched a live wire Would she react so sensually during intercourse?

With a look of wonder, she ran her fingers over a row of gold bricks, her eyes gli joy The last time he’d experienced that for himself had been on their final day in the s

Now she hastened to the dais, spinning in place atop it, laughing with delight When they’d been young, the sound of her laughter had made his heart swell Now that sound affected a different part of his anatomy

Perhaps he would approach joy once more when he saw his ht her breath since she’d entered, her captivated gaze taking in every detail

Happiness coursed through her veins How had clever Thronos found this place?

Though she was in a rooold, her attention veered to him, crouched on that shelf The muscles of his torso flexed with his oyle-like position made him look very demonic

She’d never bedded a demon before Huh

Yet as she strolled the temple, his constant scowl eased Without that scowl, he wasgorgeous

There was no ht consider his scars unsightly Lanthe thought they h and warlord-y Besides, who could care about the? When his warrior’s body seeranite?

He’d once believed that she was "everything " from his life Could he still feel that way? And as she conteold to Rothkalina or calculating karats?

Why did she have the urge to peer up at him with equal captivation? She surrendered to her i to hiaze

They were--dare she say it?--having a old? Perhaps I rate after all?" The scowl returned, as if he was hardening himself She wanted to cry, No, no, no, just a few row i to see her And now she knew he’d already been struggling with his lust and curiosity when he’d been a young old into her, a memory to last forever Unless I can return

"Be about it, sorceress"

Since she’d planned to enthrall hi forward, as if on the verge of pouncing, made her hesitate "If I do this, how do I know you won’t try to touch ht?"

"I only intend to look," he said, though she could sense his aggression

"Uh-huh"

"Do it, then" When she still hesitated, he said, "Don’t feign shyness--I know you’ve done this with a horde of males before h she was neither ashamed nor proud of the number of men she’d been with, his cruel jabs wounded her

At least now she better understood his resentood idea to put rowled at that "After your purported year of celibacy, I would expect you to be cli the walls for any male’s attentions And if I’m not

"I’ve heard tales of females like you" At her raised brows, he enunciated the words, "Easy quarry"

How could a maddened Vrekener hurt her so much?

Because he once looked at you with perfect acceptance, Lanthe And she feared she’d been searching for that look ever since she’d lost it

In order for her to be interested in a male, he needed to make her feel special--even if she kneas a ruse Despite Thronos’spast, he stood no chance "Even we ‘easy quarry’ girls have standards And you, Thronos Talos, are leaving me cold"

He scoffed "I could seduce you with ease You’ve welcomed scores before me with only minuscule effort on their part But I’ve no intention of taking you, nor even of touching you Both are offendments I only want to seeyour ht shone in his gaze "You Sorceri like to gaer with you--ht makes a bet

"If your body tempts me to touch it, then I’ll tell you how I found this temple and opened the door"

"And if it doesn’t tempt you?"

"The blow to your enchantress pride would be reward enough"

That is it! Noas imperative to wipe that sht she spied a flash of surprise in his expression "No sex, though"