the fine Spanish guitar breathed a mournful sound.
“What are you doing?” he asked very quietly.
She yanked her hand back. “Nothing.”
He stalked over to her and shut the case, narrowing his eyes at her. “Come on.” He pivoted and walked silently out of the bedroom. She followed. Just as he reached for his jacket, draped over a chair, there came a light scratch at the door.
In two strides, he was by Serafina’s side. Effortlessly he maneuvered her against the wall behind the door and motioned for her to be silent. She nodded, her eyes wide, glistening in the dark like violet quartz.
Soundlessly approaching the door, he laid his hand on the knob. The scratching sounded again.
He unsheathed his dagger.
Heart pounding with dread, Serafina waited, fully tensed, but when Darius opened the door, she found a different kind of danger had come to pounce on her champion now.
“Darling!” said a worldly, tinkling voice.
Instantly Serafina’s eyes narrowed to angry slashes.
Darius murmured a cool, uncomfortable little laugh. “Jules. What a surprise.”
In the wedge of light slanting across the floor, she saw their shadows as Lady Julia Calazzi threw herself into Darius’s arms and began kissing him for all she was worth.
Serafina spied, peeking with one eye through the crack in the door. With one hand, the voluptuous brunette in the wine-red dress was tearing at the clothes Darius had just put on. With the other, Julia held the back of his head, driving him deeper into the ruthless kiss she was giving him.
Ugh, I can’t watch this. Serafina turned away in disgust. She folded her arms over her chest and glared into the dark room. It was bad enough to have to hear it.
“Oo, Santiago, I am starved for you,” the woman moaned between kisses. “Let me in.”
Serafina peered through the crack in the door again to observe Darius’s reaction.
Well, she thought, she had to give him credit. He tried. Of course, he had to know she was spying on him, so perhaps he was minding his manners. He was surprisingly polite as he pried Julia back, but the notorious seductress seemed to think he was only playing hard to get. Plucking at his clothes, she laughed at his protests.
“We can do it in the hall if you want, darling, but I’d prefer your bed. Then you can tie me up again,” she added in a wicked whisper.
Serafina’s brows shot up.
Darius cleared his throat violently. “Er, now’s not a good time,” he started gingerly.
“Why not, darling?”
“Just got in. I have to see the king.”
“Let him wait. I need you first. So badly. So very badly,” she panted, grasping his waist and pressing him with her body, but when Julia pushed Darius against the doorframe right on his bad shoulder, Serafina’s temper snapped.
Looks like it’s my turn to rescue him! she thought, ignoring the inner protest that Darius would be cross if she interfered. She didn’t care. La Divine Julia couldn’t have him tonight, and that was that.
“Did you miss me, darling? I missed you. You know I’m mad for you,” Julia panted, running her jeweled fingers through his hair.
“Husband out of town again?” he asked, beginning to sound irritated.
“He’s dead, darling, haven’t you heard? I am finally free of the old goat!”
“Ah. I see you are heartbroken. My condolences.”
Julia laughed. “You delicious scoundrel! How like you to condole me for the loss of a man you cuckolded! Rest assured, I’ll land on my feet. I always do. Now let me in! We’ll toast his good riddance.”
“Julia, really, I’m in the middle of something—”
She slipped her arms around him again, kissing his neck as he protested. “Oh, you’re so busy, I know, darling. Tell me all about it,” she murmured, laughing.
Serafina edged farther into the room while Darius blocked the woman at the doorway and smoothly ran through half a dozen excuses, flattery and all, to no avail. He never noticed as Serafina made her way silently toward
“What are you doing?” he asked very quietly.
She yanked her hand back. “Nothing.”
He stalked over to her and shut the case, narrowing his eyes at her. “Come on.” He pivoted and walked silently out of the bedroom. She followed. Just as he reached for his jacket, draped over a chair, there came a light scratch at the door.
In two strides, he was by Serafina’s side. Effortlessly he maneuvered her against the wall behind the door and motioned for her to be silent. She nodded, her eyes wide, glistening in the dark like violet quartz.
Soundlessly approaching the door, he laid his hand on the knob. The scratching sounded again.
He unsheathed his dagger.
Heart pounding with dread, Serafina waited, fully tensed, but when Darius opened the door, she found a different kind of danger had come to pounce on her champion now.
“Darling!” said a worldly, tinkling voice.
Instantly Serafina’s eyes narrowed to angry slashes.
Darius murmured a cool, uncomfortable little laugh. “Jules. What a surprise.”
In the wedge of light slanting across the floor, she saw their shadows as Lady Julia Calazzi threw herself into Darius’s arms and began kissing him for all she was worth.
Serafina spied, peeking with one eye through the crack in the door. With one hand, the voluptuous brunette in the wine-red dress was tearing at the clothes Darius had just put on. With the other, Julia held the back of his head, driving him deeper into the ruthless kiss she was giving him.
Ugh, I can’t watch this. Serafina turned away in disgust. She folded her arms over her chest and glared into the dark room. It was bad enough to have to hear it.
“Oo, Santiago, I am starved for you,” the woman moaned between kisses. “Let me in.”
Serafina peered through the crack in the door again to observe Darius’s reaction.
Well, she thought, she had to give him credit. He tried. Of course, he had to know she was spying on him, so perhaps he was minding his manners. He was surprisingly polite as he pried Julia back, but the notorious seductress seemed to think he was only playing hard to get. Plucking at his clothes, she laughed at his protests.
“We can do it in the hall if you want, darling, but I’d prefer your bed. Then you can tie me up again,” she added in a wicked whisper.
Serafina’s brows shot up.
Darius cleared his throat violently. “Er, now’s not a good time,” he started gingerly.
“Why not, darling?”
“Just got in. I have to see the king.”
“Let him wait. I need you first. So badly. So very badly,” she panted, grasping his waist and pressing him with her body, but when Julia pushed Darius against the doorframe right on his bad shoulder, Serafina’s temper snapped.
Looks like it’s my turn to rescue him! she thought, ignoring the inner protest that Darius would be cross if she interfered. She didn’t care. La Divine Julia couldn’t have him tonight, and that was that.
“Did you miss me, darling? I missed you. You know I’m mad for you,” Julia panted, running her jeweled fingers through his hair.
“Husband out of town again?” he asked, beginning to sound irritated.
“He’s dead, darling, haven’t you heard? I am finally free of the old goat!”
“Ah. I see you are heartbroken. My condolences.”
Julia laughed. “You delicious scoundrel! How like you to condole me for the loss of a man you cuckolded! Rest assured, I’ll land on my feet. I always do. Now let me in! We’ll toast his good riddance.”
“Julia, really, I’m in the middle of something—”
She slipped her arms around him again, kissing his neck as he protested. “Oh, you’re so busy, I know, darling. Tell me all about it,” she murmured, laughing.
Serafina edged farther into the room while Darius blocked the woman at the doorway and smoothly ran through half a dozen excuses, flattery and all, to no avail. He never noticed as Serafina made her way silently toward
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