TEFAN APPEARS TO be an amazingly lax guardian of your morals,” Zack said from the doorway of his adjoining suite. “He didn't even pretend to want to save you from my clutches.”
Kira took off her suit jacket and tossed it on the couch. “If he hadn't thought I was willing to sleep with you, he'd probably have put you in here with me and seen that the door was locked every night.”
Zack lifted a brow. “Surely you're exaggerating.”
“Perhaps a little,” she said wearily as she kicked off her high heels. “But you saw how Stefan fawned all over you when you were introduced. My clever cousin was correct. It seems that at last I've done something right in Stefan's eyes. Maybe I should have turned whore for the glory of Tamrovia and Stefan before this. It might have been easier than fighting his plans for an arranged marriage.”
The amusement left Zack's face. “I guarantee it wouldn't have been easy at all,” he said with dangerous softness. “And totally impossible now that you've agreed to belong to me.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “I was joking, for heaven's sake.”
“There are some subjects I don't find funny. You just happen to have hit on the one at the top of the list.” He was silent for a moment, his gaze on her face. “And I don't think you find the idea amusing either. What's wrong, Kira?”
She laughed shortly. “Why, nothing at all. What could possibly be wrong? Shouldn't I be thrilled to have spent the last hour with the threeof you treating me as if I were a prize poodle to be petted and taught new tricks? I'm a
person
, dammit!”
“I know that,” he said quietly. “I thought you realized I'd have to behave with you as I ordinarily would with a mistress.”
She felt a swift jab of pain. “You did it very well. You would, of course, considering your experience. How many women have you—” She broke off. “I'm sorry. So sorry. I don't have any right to ask you such a question. And I know you had to act as you did in the throne room.” She met his gaze fiercely. “But Stefan didn't and neither did Sandor. I felt… valueless.”
“I have an idea Karpathan was following Stefan's lead,” he said thoughtfully. “Giving an inch so he could take a mile at some other point along the road. I'm sorry I didn't cut the meeting short when I saw the way it was going, but I wanted to observe Karpathan with your brother.” He smiled faintly. “It was very enlightening.”
“Enlightening?”
“Karpathan is very clever. The strings arealmost invisible and Stefan is completely unaware he's dancing on them.”
“You think Stefan is being manipulated?”
Zack nodded. “I'd say Stefan hasn't made a move that wasn't in accordance with Karpathan's wishes since your cousin became his adviser.”
Kira shivered. “I thought so. Which is going to make it much more difficult to get Marna out of Tamrovia, isn't it?”
“Possibly.” Then, as he saw her troubled frown, he added gently, “But we'll do it anyway. I promised you, Kira.”
She could feel power and reassurance flow out to her and her expression gradually cleared. “I know you did, and I'm definitely going to hold you to it,” she said lightly. “Do you have any ideas as to how we're going to manage it?”
“A few,” he said absently. His gaze traveled past her to the photograph on the wall across the room. “Is that one of yours?”
She turned to the black-and-white blowup he was indicating. “Yes,” she said carelessly. She gestured to the opposite wall where there were a half dozen framed black-and-white photographs.“They're all mine. Photography is one of my hobbies.”
“Yes, I know.” He crossed the room and stood before the photograph that had caught his attention. “This is magnificent. You can almost feel the rage and frustration the man is feeling.”
“Stefan thought so too,” Kira said with a touch of grimness. “The original photograph appeared in the
Belajo Sentinel
. That's Marc
Kira took off her suit jacket and tossed it on the couch. “If he hadn't thought I was willing to sleep with you, he'd probably have put you in here with me and seen that the door was locked every night.”
Zack lifted a brow. “Surely you're exaggerating.”
“Perhaps a little,” she said wearily as she kicked off her high heels. “But you saw how Stefan fawned all over you when you were introduced. My clever cousin was correct. It seems that at last I've done something right in Stefan's eyes. Maybe I should have turned whore for the glory of Tamrovia and Stefan before this. It might have been easier than fighting his plans for an arranged marriage.”
The amusement left Zack's face. “I guarantee it wouldn't have been easy at all,” he said with dangerous softness. “And totally impossible now that you've agreed to belong to me.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “I was joking, for heaven's sake.”
“There are some subjects I don't find funny. You just happen to have hit on the one at the top of the list.” He was silent for a moment, his gaze on her face. “And I don't think you find the idea amusing either. What's wrong, Kira?”
She laughed shortly. “Why, nothing at all. What could possibly be wrong? Shouldn't I be thrilled to have spent the last hour with the threeof you treating me as if I were a prize poodle to be petted and taught new tricks? I'm a
person
, dammit!”
“I know that,” he said quietly. “I thought you realized I'd have to behave with you as I ordinarily would with a mistress.”
She felt a swift jab of pain. “You did it very well. You would, of course, considering your experience. How many women have you—” She broke off. “I'm sorry. So sorry. I don't have any right to ask you such a question. And I know you had to act as you did in the throne room.” She met his gaze fiercely. “But Stefan didn't and neither did Sandor. I felt… valueless.”
“I have an idea Karpathan was following Stefan's lead,” he said thoughtfully. “Giving an inch so he could take a mile at some other point along the road. I'm sorry I didn't cut the meeting short when I saw the way it was going, but I wanted to observe Karpathan with your brother.” He smiled faintly. “It was very enlightening.”
“Enlightening?”
“Karpathan is very clever. The strings arealmost invisible and Stefan is completely unaware he's dancing on them.”
“You think Stefan is being manipulated?”
Zack nodded. “I'd say Stefan hasn't made a move that wasn't in accordance with Karpathan's wishes since your cousin became his adviser.”
Kira shivered. “I thought so. Which is going to make it much more difficult to get Marna out of Tamrovia, isn't it?”
“Possibly.” Then, as he saw her troubled frown, he added gently, “But we'll do it anyway. I promised you, Kira.”
She could feel power and reassurance flow out to her and her expression gradually cleared. “I know you did, and I'm definitely going to hold you to it,” she said lightly. “Do you have any ideas as to how we're going to manage it?”
“A few,” he said absently. His gaze traveled past her to the photograph on the wall across the room. “Is that one of yours?”
She turned to the black-and-white blowup he was indicating. “Yes,” she said carelessly. She gestured to the opposite wall where there were a half dozen framed black-and-white photographs.“They're all mine. Photography is one of my hobbies.”
“Yes, I know.” He crossed the room and stood before the photograph that had caught his attention. “This is magnificent. You can almost feel the rage and frustration the man is feeling.”
“Stefan thought so too,” Kira said with a touch of grimness. “The original photograph appeared in the
Belajo Sentinel
. That's Marc
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