amused, while the younger brother seemed almost disinterested. “These are my brothers, Bador and Garrik.” He motioned to each man in turn as he introduced him.
Gathering her courage, Jane stuck out her hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Jane Smith.” Really, it was no different than an awkward business situation and heaven knows she’d gotten through plenty of those.
At first they just stared at her hand as if they weren’t quite sure what to do with it. The moment stretched out until it began to get awkward. Jane started to withdraw her hand. She could feel the heat climbing her cheeks.
But before she could lower it all the way, Bador reached out and snagged her fingers in his. Raising them slowly, he bent his head and kissed the top of her hand. Then his lips brushed her knuckles as his tongue snaked out to stroke between her fingers.
Gasping, she tried to withdraw her hand, but although his grip was gentle, it was unbreakable. Zaren stared hard at his brother but said nothing. Jane could feel her entire body warming beneath the strangely erotic caress.
Bador slowly raised his head and smiled at her. It was a gentle smile, but it was also filled with heat and sensual promise. Jane felt a pulsing low in her belly. This couldn’t be happening to her. She’d just had wild sex in a field with this man’s brother and now she was feeling aroused by him. This wasn’t like her at all.
This time when she tugged her hand away, he let it go. Grateful, she pulled it back into her lap and just nodded at Garrik. He didn’t smile at her and, when he nodded at her, his eyes looked incredibly sad. “I’m pleased to meet you, Garrik.”
He took a step towards her and crouched down beside her. Although he was a grown man, he looked slightly younger than the other two and Jane had a feeling he was a few years younger than she was. Slipping his massive hand behind her head, he bent and placed a soft kiss on her lips. It was a simple kiss and lasted but a second, but the younger man sighed deeply as he released her and stood. “Jarmon would adore you.” With that cryptic statement, he turned and left the room.
“Garrik,” Zaren started after him, but Bador stopped him.
“Let him go. It is hard for him.”
Obviously this Jarmon was important to them. “Who is Jarmon?”
Both men turned back to her, staring as if they had forgotten she was there. “He is our brother. Garrik’s twin. And he was severely injured in a battle a month ago. He has not yet recovered.” Bador’s voice was ragged and he took a deep breath.
Jane could feel their pain and the underlying message that they didn’t really expect him to recover after this long. To have a brother so close to death when they were obviously all so close must be an incredibly painful experience. She wondered if Jarmon was the fourth warrior in the tapestry, the one who was in the shadows and faded in and out of the picture.
Her heart went out to them all, but how much worse must it be for Garrik, who was faced with the possibility of losing his twin? Well, she couldn’t even imagine it. Her own father’s death had been hard enough on her. “I’m sorry.” The words were totally inadequate, but they were all she had to offer them.
Bador nodded and Zaren turned back to feed the small flames flickering in the fireplace. Crouching in front of it, he stared into the fire as he added several larger pieces of wood.
Jane shivered again, suddenly very aware of her cold, clammy pajamas. Bador seemed to notice and frowned at her. “You’ve got to get out of those wet clothes.”
Zaren stood abruptly and headed for the door. “I’ll leave you in Bador’s care.” He didn’t even glance back as he disappeared from her view. The door closed heavily behind him, slamming with a finality that made her cringe. She felt abandoned and bereft without him.
“Everything will be all right, Jane.”
“Will it?” She honestly didn’t know anything anymore. Her entire
Gathering her courage, Jane stuck out her hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Jane Smith.” Really, it was no different than an awkward business situation and heaven knows she’d gotten through plenty of those.
At first they just stared at her hand as if they weren’t quite sure what to do with it. The moment stretched out until it began to get awkward. Jane started to withdraw her hand. She could feel the heat climbing her cheeks.
But before she could lower it all the way, Bador reached out and snagged her fingers in his. Raising them slowly, he bent his head and kissed the top of her hand. Then his lips brushed her knuckles as his tongue snaked out to stroke between her fingers.
Gasping, she tried to withdraw her hand, but although his grip was gentle, it was unbreakable. Zaren stared hard at his brother but said nothing. Jane could feel her entire body warming beneath the strangely erotic caress.
Bador slowly raised his head and smiled at her. It was a gentle smile, but it was also filled with heat and sensual promise. Jane felt a pulsing low in her belly. This couldn’t be happening to her. She’d just had wild sex in a field with this man’s brother and now she was feeling aroused by him. This wasn’t like her at all.
This time when she tugged her hand away, he let it go. Grateful, she pulled it back into her lap and just nodded at Garrik. He didn’t smile at her and, when he nodded at her, his eyes looked incredibly sad. “I’m pleased to meet you, Garrik.”
He took a step towards her and crouched down beside her. Although he was a grown man, he looked slightly younger than the other two and Jane had a feeling he was a few years younger than she was. Slipping his massive hand behind her head, he bent and placed a soft kiss on her lips. It was a simple kiss and lasted but a second, but the younger man sighed deeply as he released her and stood. “Jarmon would adore you.” With that cryptic statement, he turned and left the room.
“Garrik,” Zaren started after him, but Bador stopped him.
“Let him go. It is hard for him.”
Obviously this Jarmon was important to them. “Who is Jarmon?”
Both men turned back to her, staring as if they had forgotten she was there. “He is our brother. Garrik’s twin. And he was severely injured in a battle a month ago. He has not yet recovered.” Bador’s voice was ragged and he took a deep breath.
Jane could feel their pain and the underlying message that they didn’t really expect him to recover after this long. To have a brother so close to death when they were obviously all so close must be an incredibly painful experience. She wondered if Jarmon was the fourth warrior in the tapestry, the one who was in the shadows and faded in and out of the picture.
Her heart went out to them all, but how much worse must it be for Garrik, who was faced with the possibility of losing his twin? Well, she couldn’t even imagine it. Her own father’s death had been hard enough on her. “I’m sorry.” The words were totally inadequate, but they were all she had to offer them.
Bador nodded and Zaren turned back to feed the small flames flickering in the fireplace. Crouching in front of it, he stared into the fire as he added several larger pieces of wood.
Jane shivered again, suddenly very aware of her cold, clammy pajamas. Bador seemed to notice and frowned at her. “You’ve got to get out of those wet clothes.”
Zaren stood abruptly and headed for the door. “I’ll leave you in Bador’s care.” He didn’t even glance back as he disappeared from her view. The door closed heavily behind him, slamming with a finality that made her cringe. She felt abandoned and bereft without him.
“Everything will be all right, Jane.”
“Will it?” She honestly didn’t know anything anymore. Her entire
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