‘That and your sexy legs.’
Something flared in his eyes. He cursed to himself. ‘This is ridiculous.’
‘I know,’ I agreed. ‘I don’t even really like you that much.’
Byron grinned suddenly, his expression lightening. ‘Ditto. You’re far too much like hard work.’
‘Yeah, I’m worth it though.’
‘I’m starting to think that maybe you are.’
I licked my lips. ‘We should probably just have sex and be done with it. Get all this,’ I waved a hand in the air, ‘tension out of our systems.’
He took a step closer. ‘What colour would your eyes turn, I wonder, when I made you scream in ecstasy?’
‘You’re very sure of yourself.’
His grin widened. ‘I have good reason to be.’
‘Jerk.’
‘Witch.’
We stood there, smiling at each other like idiots. ‘It’s probably easier if we just stay away from each other.’
‘Yeah,’ he sighed. ‘Probably.’
My body relaxed. ‘In another life perhaps, Byron.’
He turned away, his kilt swinging sexily as he walked off.
‘Uh Integrity!’ Bob screeched in my ear. ‘What is wrong with you? That man is sex on legs and he’s panting after you like you’re on heat!’
‘His father tried to kill me.’
‘I thought you’d be the last person to apportion blame to children for what their parents have done.’
Bob was making good sense. ‘True,’ I replied. ‘But he’s got Tipsania.’
‘Isn’t she shagging a sweet Wild Man?’
‘I can’t tell Byron that. And I’m starting to think that the pair of them are being forced into a relationship, whether they like it or not.’
‘All the more reason to encourage him to break it off.’
Byron’s figure was being swallowed up in the crowds leaving the grandstand. I gazed after him, my eyes savouring every last moment. Just before he disappeared, his head turned and he sought me out. I lifted my hand to wave. Then he was gone.
‘I can’t,’ I said to Bob, ignoring the remaining competitors who were nearby. By their expressions, they seemed to think that I was holding an in-depth conversation with myself. ‘He’s the one in a relationship. He’s the one who needs to make a move.’
I thought of Aifric. Even if Byron were completely innocent of his father’s actions, I couldn’t imagine him being pleased if I told him the truth, no matter how good the sex was. Thanks, Byron, I did indeed scream in ecstasy – oh and by the way, your father is trying to kill me. Nope. Not gonna work. And at some point he’d work out I’d stolen part of his Gift.
‘Pff! You Sidhe are ridiculous,’ Bob muttered.
‘Yeah.’ I couldn’t disagree.
I walked off, choosing not to follow everyone else but to look at the field. The dead, blackened heather crunched beneath my feet. No matter what Angus had said, it was still an awesome display of power, suggesting that the Carnegies had absolute control over both life and death. And that life was a fleeting thing, not to be cherished too dearly or it would be snatched away.
‘Integrity!’
