His eyes closed on an inhale. Molten lava flooded my belly when he opened them again. Those gray eyes may have looked cold, but the heat behind them could burn me to cinders. “I enjoy hearing my name on your lips.”
I sent a mental scream down to my legs to inform them it was in factnottime to spread.Eggs on rice, I’m in a public establishment.
A plate of meat and bread was placed on the table, freeing me from the spell of his gaze. When he made no move to dig in, I fiddled with the rim of my drink and nodded toward the food. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“Gods, you’re stunning.”
My heart fluttered. His eyes flashed and his grin pulled wider.
Oh gods, did he hear that?
I licked my lips; his gaze followed the movement. Unmistakable hunger darkened his eyes and my belly coiled in response. I thought back to his hand on my hip when we’d been standing in his hoard. How quickly I had bent to his will.
He edged closer and whispered quietly, “I’m getting through to you.”
“Maybe a little,” I admitted, taking a large gulp of my drink. It was meant to come out light. But the words sounded hoarse and desperate. The room felt too hot. The people were too loud, and I wanted nothing more than to be back in his bath with his face buried in between my legs.
Fuck, pushing him away was damn foolish.
“Careful, badger,” he warned. He leaned back in his seat and I realized that I had leaned forward, trying to get closer to him. “I’m not a patient man. Show me a crumb of interest and I won’t give a damn where we are.”
I sucked in a breath and looked around at the busy tavern. Flaming peppers, he was serious. In an effort to diffuse the charged desire in the air, I laughed and shook my head. “Sometimes I worry about you.”
“You should always worry about me. I’m your husband,” he said, digging his fork into the plate, taking his first bite.
“Occasionally isn’t enough?”
“No. I won’t rest until I’ve consumed your every thought.”
“You’re a greedy thing.”
“You have no idea,” he drawled.
This was turning into less of a date and more of a “How long can Cherry last before she runs out to dunk her head in a pail of water?”
Unless I didn’t run.
There was no rule that said I couldn’t touch him without being completely sure if this was for me. It’s not like anyone I knew was around to judge the decisions I made. I sure as hell didn’t spend all that time locked in a tower only to get out and not live a little.
“How about we go check out the other Golden Vine? I want to test out your theory.”
He didn’t bother to look up from his second dinner. “You mean you want to see a spitaur.”
I clasped my hands together. “So bad!”
Fresh air would be an added bonus. The air in this tavern had me choked up with a dragon’s scent and the desire to disregard public decency with reckless abandon.
“Finish your drink,” he said, then pulled two silvers out of his pocket and placed them on the table.
What it must be like to be too rich to have any concept of money.
I reached out and replaced it with the proper change.
Chapter 15
Cherry
The usurper Golden Vine was packed. A group of men cheered as they rolled dice on a nearby table. Every corner of the tavern was filled with drunk patrons having the time of their lives. Swing benches hung from the rafters on golden silk vines. A woman on the bench laughed hard at something her friend said, spilling mead down below.
