“You’re right. We can’t,” he responded in serious tones. “An unhappy Briec is an unhappy universe.”

The giggling became decidedly worse, because she knew Briec was actually serious.

“You think it’s funny? My misery?”

“You needed to be a little miserable. To know how the rest of us feel most days.”

He shuddered. “The nightmare of being human.” Sitting up straight, he adjusted his body so that he faced her side, his powerful legs on either side of her body. Then, he began slowly removing the flowers threaded through her hair. She let him. It felt nice.

“So you’re a trained assassin.”

She bet other people at this moment weren’t having this odd a conversation. “Um, yes.”

“Are you good at it? When you actually try to kill your prey as opposed to taunting them into killing you?”

“Aye.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

“No. Not at all. Because I can kill people doesn’t mean I enjoy doing it.”

“I see.” He took his time, slowly removing each flower and letting them drop to the floor, making sure to constantly touch the skin on the back of her neck or her shoulders. Carefully, he moved her where he wanted her, so that he could remove all the flowers from her hair. It felt so good having him care for her. Eventually, dark blue flowers covered the floor around them and her body trembled at every sweep of his hand.

Briec leaned in close, his lips brushing her ear. “Stand up, sweet Talaith. Let me help you out of this dress.”

* * *

Briec stood, gently bringing Talaith with him. He kept all his movements deliberately slow. He didn’t want to push her too quickly. He didn’t want her to run again.

When he’d spotted her at the feast, his rage took over. He’d had all his words planned. Knew all the things he’d say to her so she’d understand exactly how much she’d hurt him. But then little Iseabail told them everything. The only one not moved had been Fearghus, but that didn’t surprise any of them. Fearghus’ only concern, as always, was for his mate. His Annwyl.

Now Briec understood, because he felt the same way about Talaith. His Talaith.

“Did you miss me, Talaith?” he asked as he untied the back of her dress.

“Ha! You wish.” But he could hear the shake in her voice.

“Not even a little? Not even at night, when you slept alone?”

“Who…who said I was alone? Perhaps I’ve had a myriad of lovers since I’ve been with you.”

He had a momentary stab of jealousy and then he remembered who he was dealing with. Talaith whose favorite phrase seemed to be “Get your bloody hands off me.”

“Really?”

“Aye. Many, many lovers. Good ones, too. All human.”

“Like who?”

She tensed. “Who?”

“Aye. Give me names. Or, at the very least, rank.”

He finished unlacing her dress, but didn’t pull it off yet. Instead, he ran his fingertips lightly across the exposed flesh of her back. Her trembling grew much worse, but so did the smell of her lust.

“I’m waiting.”

“Well, there were so many. I’m not sure I remember all their names.”

“My, you’ve been busy since last we met.”

Pushing her hair to the side to kiss her neck, Briec froze at the sight of a silver chain. He hadn’t noticed it before. He walked around until he faced her. She stared up at him, her cheeks flushed; her eyes wide.

“What? Does my disloyalty shock you?”

“Your disloyalty?” Briec took gentle hold of the silver chain and lifted it, pulling the pendant from under her bodice. She grabbed for it, but his hand closed over it first. “Disloyal, and yet you still wear this.”

Tugging the death grip her fingers had on him loose, he opened his hand and stared at the dragon pendant he’d given her the last night they were together.

“I…I wear that because it looks so nice with this dress.”

“Except it was hidden under your dress. You wear it close to your heart.”

She looked away from him. “It’s a bauble. It means nothing to me.”

“That’s a lie, Talaith.” He gently grasped her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. “We both know that’s a lie. You would have never kept this, much less wear it, if it meant nothing to you.”

Her panic now vied with her lust, but Briec knew why. She didn’t want him to know how much he meant to her. She still wanted to maintain distance and, in the end, control.

“Don’t be foolish. No one’s ever given me jewelry before. I couldn’t simply toss it away, now could I?”

Briec shook his head. “Talaith, exactly how good an assassin could you be when you are such an incredibly bad liar?”

“I’m not a bad liar. I mean, I’m not lying. I mean—”

“Sssh.” He held onto the necklace and used it to pull her closer. “For the love of all that’s holy, woman,” he whispered, “stop talking.”

Staring at his mouth, “But I still have so much more to say, you selfish bastard.”

He grinned, unable to help himself. Then he kissed her, keeping it simple at first. His lips touching hers. But she moaned and went up on her toes to get closer to him. That was more than he could handle.

He released the necklace so he could dig his hands into her hair—his gentle control gone. He licked her lips and she opened her mouth to him. Now he moaned as her tongue touched his, sweeping around it, stroking against it.