“You screwed her for a sword?” I asked, my fingernails digging into my palms with the effort to keep from shaking him. I knew my anger was unreasonable, but I was powerless to stop it.
“Why are you so angry?” he asked, looking thoughtful all of a sudden. “Are you jealous?” “Of course I’m not jealous! What do I have to be jealous of? I mean, it’s not like the man I just told I loved beyond all reason informed me he’s been out bonking anyone who has mage toys, is it? It’s not like he just admitted infidelity, oh no! It’s not like you’re standing right there with your penis all bulgy and poking me”—I gestured at the fly of his pants, which was looking rather strained after our steamy kiss—“and telling me that it’s been visiting other women, not because you are seeking another lover, but so you can have a fancy mage sword! It’s not like that at all, is it, Baltic?” He looked delighted, the bastard. “You are jealous!” “You are the most obnoxious, reprehensible, despicable man I’ve ever met.” “I am a dragon, not a man.”
“Gah!” I yelled, and slapped both hands on his chest.
He covered them with his own, doing that lovely rusty chuckle that made my knees go all weak despite the fact that I wanted to knock his block off. “Chérie, I remember many times you threatened to emasculate or decapitate me when you believed I was looking at other females, but I had thought the centuries we spent together had eased your suspicions.” “Just tell me this,” I said, grabbing a fistful of his shirt. “How many times did you betray me?” Anger followed surprise in his eyes. “What cause have I ever given you to believe I would do such a thing?” A horrible silence followed, one that was filled with my brain suddenly pointing out that time actually existed before I met Baltic. “Er… you knew her before you met me?” He sighed, unclenching my fingers from his shirt. “Yes.” “But you never told me she’d given you a mage sword.” “I had no cause to use it,” he said, shrugging. “I did not have the skills at that time to wield it. It was only after I was reborn that I was able to do so.” “So you didn’t sleep with her after you met me,” I said, wanting to make absolutely certain of that point.
“I took no females after I met you.” He started to smile, but suddenly looked away.
I pounced on that. “Oh, really?”
He made a vague gesture, a flicker of embarrassment in his eyes. “There was a barmaid in Bordeaux, but I did not rut with her. I tried, but I could not.” “What a goddamned shame,” I growled, wanting to punch him all over again.
“She was not my mate. I thought I would ease my lust on her, but I could not. I knew then that I must have you and no one else.” He took my clenched fists in his hands, stroking his thumb across the top. “That is when I sent to Constantine to let him know I was claiming you.” The fury inside me melted away into a dull throb. “It’s very hard to be angry at someone when he’s just told you he can’t have sex with another woman because he wants you instead.” “You have no need to be angry. I have not given myself to another, as you have.” His voice was etched with acid.
“I can’t help it if I lost my memory and got married. And wait a minute, are you saying that you haven’t had sex in”—I did some quick calculations—“over three hundred years?” “I have not had a female since I met you, no.” I blinked, unable to keep from asking, “Have you had a male?” He looked outraged. “No! I do not lust after males, as Pavel does. I have been mated, and to a dragon, that bond exists for all time.” “Pavel your guard? He was gay?” I asked.
“That is the mortal term for it, yes. He enjoys both males and females equally.” I picked up on the present tense of that sentence. “Whoa! He’s still alive?” “Yes. He has been in London, but I expect him back shortly. Are you going to accept me as your mate, or not?” “Er… yes. I’m sorry, I was just distracted by the thought of… never mind.” He gave me the oddest look. “You were distracted by the thought of Pavel with another male? Do you lust after him?” “No, of course not! I don’t even know the guy. It’s just that, sometimes… well, you know, sometimes guys with other guys… it’s just kind of… er… hot.” I thought his eyeballs might pop right out of his head.
“Hot? You are aroused by males making love to each other?” “No! Not normally! Just once in a very rare while. It’s kind of… titillating.” “I see.” He didn’t look like he saw at all, what with his lips pursed and his arms crossed over his chest.
“You don’t ever think that once in a blue moon, it can be sexy?” I asked.
“No.” He thought for a moment. “Two females together, yes. That is always arousing. Especially if they are oiled. But males? No.” “Well, see, I don’t get the two girls together thing. It just doesn’t ring my chimes at all. Does Pavel bring his dates here often?” He stared at me for a minute. I cleared my throat. “Sorry. None of my business. What were we talking about?” “You were saying the words of fealty.” He paused. “You really are aroused by the thought of two males?” “Only very rarely! Sheesh! I’m sorry I mentioned it! Let’s move on.” He nodded, then asked suspiciously, “You do not wish for me to engage in sexual acts with another man—” “No! God almighty, Baltic! That’s the last time I’m ever going to share a sexual fantasy with you!” “It’s a fantasy of yours, seeing two men together?” he asked.
I walked over to the wall and banged my head against it a couple of times.
“I do not understand you,” he said, a thread of puzzlement in his voice. “You have changed since you were resurrected. My Ysolde would never have wanted to see—” “Enough!” I yelled, storming over to him and punching him in the chest. Hard. “Move past it or I’m walking out of here right now!” His lips thinned, but he said nothing.
“Thank you. Now, I suppose I should start over, shouldn’t I?” I stopped, pursing my lips as I looked at him. “You’re still thinking about it, aren’t you?” “No.” Five seconds passed. “Is it the thought of the men engaged in the sexual act itself, or some other facet—” “Argh!” I yelled, and ran out of the room, out of the hall, and out of the house.
Chapter Ten
Eventually I made the oath, outside under the stars, with the light breeze wafting around us.
“Are you sure you do not wish to mate?” Baltic asked politely as soon as he confirmed the oath, swearing to honor and protect me above all others. “I know how you like to be outside. We could do it out here, if you like.” I chuckled to myself. “Thank you, but until I have a chance to talk to my husband, sex will be out.” A sly look came into his eyes as he slowly pulled me over to his body. “There was another time when you refused to let me bed you, and yet we still managed to bring exquisite pleasure to each other.” “Yes,” I said, unable to keep my mouth from moving toward his. My lips brushed his with a wanton display of need. “I very much enjoyed that dream.” “It was not a dream, chérie,” he murmured against my mouth, his hips moving with persuasive sweeps against mine. “It happened. It can happen again.” “Except this time, I’m not a naïve seventeen-year-old who doesn’t know what she’s doing,” I said, moaning softly when his mouth moved over to my neck, his lips burning my flesh, but it was a good burn, a heat that set my entire body alight.