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Authors: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
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so that she could take his hand in hers. "I know I am very much in your debt, Sanat Ji Mani."
"No, Avasa Dani," he countered. "It is I who am in your debt."
She regarded him skeptically. "Why do you say that?"
His dark eyes met hers. "You know why," he told her, his voice low, melodic.
"No," she said, shaking her head so that her earrings rang softly against one another. "If you used me as men use women, that might be different, for you would be doing a wrong, but what is between us is not of that nature."
He held her hand more protectively. "Does it satisfy you? that which is between us?"
"Oh, yes, " she said with suppressed passion. "How can you ask?" She felt her face flush, for she had not yet been permitted to rouse him as he had her.
"I know you are fulfilled at the time, but later, you may have doubts, or regrets." He did not like to speak these words aloud, but they expressed the apprehension he had been sensing in the nine weeks since her husband had come and gone from her life.
"Not I," she said emphatically, then added with less certainty, "What of you? Do you have doubts?"
"No," he said, and knew it was not quite the truth, for they had lain together four times, and she would soon be in danger of becoming one of his blood when she died; one more encounter and he would have to explain this before they embraced each other again, or expose her to a risk she might not want to accept.
"But you are troubled," she said, aware that he was not wholly at ease.
"Yes," he said.
"Because your servants may spy on us and report to my relatives that I am not maintaining my chastity?" She touched his cheek with her slender fingers. "You need not worry on that account. I have spoken to my half-sisters and have said you are affectionate— and being a foreigner, your ways are unlike ours— but you do nothing that would give my husband a moment's qualms. They need not fear I will bring an incorrect child into the world on your account, and unless I do, what is said of me by servants is nothing more than envious rumor. No one will find us together in your house. Everyone knows that servants gossip, and that they often exaggerate. My relatives will not bring you before the Sultan's deputies for debauching a married woman."
"Have your half-sisters granted you so much?" He found it difficult to believe, although he did not want to contradict her.
She smiled, a roguish glint in her eyes. "Let us say they will believe me until I am with child, and then they will be happy to denounce me and seize my husband's goods for the sake of the family honor." Her smiled broadened. "Since that will never happen, they will have to continue to believe what I have told them."
He uttered a single chuckle. "You are a very clever woman, Avasa Dani."
Her suddenly demure manner was belied by her laughter. "I would not be here otherwise, and my life would be the poorer for it," she reminded him, and leaned over so that she could kiss him. Their lips met softly as a whisper, but ardor flared in them both; she slid from the chair, pulling three cushions with her, to kneel in front of him, their bodies pressed together, their arms circled around each other, each supported by the other. A sound between laughter and a sob rose in her throat and she loosened her silken garments in order togive him access to her body, then reached for his hand and slid it under the shining fabric. "Do not deny me," she murmured before resuming their kiss once more.
For an answer, he slipped his other hand underneath her clothing and began to caress her shoulders, her back, her flanks, her breasts. He felt her desire mounting with every nuance of touch he offered her. His fingers sought out the curve of her side, where she was especially sensitive, and awakened greater voluptuousness in her with his coaxing touch that heightened her yearning for more
"No, Avasa Dani," he countered. "It is I who am in your debt."
She regarded him skeptically. "Why do you say that?"
His dark eyes met hers. "You know why," he told her, his voice low, melodic.
"No," she said, shaking her head so that her earrings rang softly against one another. "If you used me as men use women, that might be different, for you would be doing a wrong, but what is between us is not of that nature."
He held her hand more protectively. "Does it satisfy you? that which is between us?"
"Oh, yes, " she said with suppressed passion. "How can you ask?" She felt her face flush, for she had not yet been permitted to rouse him as he had her.
"I know you are fulfilled at the time, but later, you may have doubts, or regrets." He did not like to speak these words aloud, but they expressed the apprehension he had been sensing in the nine weeks since her husband had come and gone from her life.
"Not I," she said emphatically, then added with less certainty, "What of you? Do you have doubts?"
"No," he said, and knew it was not quite the truth, for they had lain together four times, and she would soon be in danger of becoming one of his blood when she died; one more encounter and he would have to explain this before they embraced each other again, or expose her to a risk she might not want to accept.
"But you are troubled," she said, aware that he was not wholly at ease.
"Yes," he said.
"Because your servants may spy on us and report to my relatives that I am not maintaining my chastity?" She touched his cheek with her slender fingers. "You need not worry on that account. I have spoken to my half-sisters and have said you are affectionate— and being a foreigner, your ways are unlike ours— but you do nothing that would give my husband a moment's qualms. They need not fear I will bring an incorrect child into the world on your account, and unless I do, what is said of me by servants is nothing more than envious rumor. No one will find us together in your house. Everyone knows that servants gossip, and that they often exaggerate. My relatives will not bring you before the Sultan's deputies for debauching a married woman."
"Have your half-sisters granted you so much?" He found it difficult to believe, although he did not want to contradict her.
She smiled, a roguish glint in her eyes. "Let us say they will believe me until I am with child, and then they will be happy to denounce me and seize my husband's goods for the sake of the family honor." Her smiled broadened. "Since that will never happen, they will have to continue to believe what I have told them."
He uttered a single chuckle. "You are a very clever woman, Avasa Dani."
Her suddenly demure manner was belied by her laughter. "I would not be here otherwise, and my life would be the poorer for it," she reminded him, and leaned over so that she could kiss him. Their lips met softly as a whisper, but ardor flared in them both; she slid from the chair, pulling three cushions with her, to kneel in front of him, their bodies pressed together, their arms circled around each other, each supported by the other. A sound between laughter and a sob rose in her throat and she loosened her silken garments in order togive him access to her body, then reached for his hand and slid it under the shining fabric. "Do not deny me," she murmured before resuming their kiss once more.
For an answer, he slipped his other hand underneath her clothing and began to caress her shoulders, her back, her flanks, her breasts. He felt her desire mounting with every nuance of touch he offered her. His fingers sought out the curve of her side, where she was especially sensitive, and awakened greater voluptuousness in her with his coaxing touch that heightened her yearning for more
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