An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Skin Magic ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Skin Magic Copyright © 2009 Kim Knox Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower Cover art by Syneca Electronic book Publication May 2009 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
SKIN MAGIC
Kim Knox
Kim Knox
Chapter One The solidus grew warm against Larissa’s damp palm and she let out a slow breath. The quick knock against the wood stung her knuckles, and in the dark corridor, faint muffled moans had her nerves tight. She glanced back, the golden flicker of street lamps defining the arch onto the marble colonnade. The man standing there gave her a brief, parting nod, before he pulled up the hood of his heavy cloak to obscure his features and disappeared into the night. Larissa closed her eyes and willed her heart to slow. She’d come to one of the more reputable establishments in the Izmirii area of the city, where the workers weren’t slaves to a ruthless master. The brothel was rumored to hide a Sardisian, and his high price reflected his…specialties. Or so she’d been assured. With a slow creak of iron hinges, the door swung inwards. Soft lamplight splashed gold across the floor and over the man standing waiting for her. A gaze darker than shadow held her and her chest tightened. Damn it, she hadn’t been expecting someone like him. Her nervous gaze flicked over his lithe torso, catching on the curls and twists of an intricate tattoo chasing down his abdomen. His breeches hung low on his hips and Larissa closed her eyes before she stared too hard. She could do this. She had to do this. She lifted her hand, her palm opening. The golden solidus gleamed. “For…for you.” He took it, holding it up to the light before he bit it. Hard. His lips quirked and he stood back. “Welcome…” “Larissa.” First name only. She had to protect herself. She swallowed, trying not to feel the sweat that had her linen shift clinging to her spine. Strength of will forced her
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slippered feet forward and he closed the door behind her. The latch clicked and a key turned in the lock. “How long will this take?” “Your first time?” His thumb traced along her jaw and she shivered at his touch, at the soft timbre of his voice. He pushed back the heavy hood of her cloak and his lips brushed the shell of her ear. “For a golden solidus, lady, you have me for as long as you want me.” Larissa had to remember to breathe. She hadn’t expected the Sardisian to be so…tempting. Nor to touch her. “That’s not what I meant.” She stepped back from his touch, even as she craved it. By all that was unholy, what was she doing? The sign on the colonnade said the narrow walkway housed a brothel, but rumor had it that this Sardisian worked spirit magic. And she was standing there for that, not the pleasures of his flesh. She was a senator’s daughter, had honored her parents, had respected their decision to bind her to one of the city’s bankers to protect her fortune—but now they were dead. Larissa sucked in a steadying breath. She had no choice but to be in the brothel. The city was about to run with blood as a new emperor wiped away the old regime. The banker, Avaro Balsai, had curried favor with both sides. Larissa knew, as his wife, she’d be safe from the new emperor’s wrath, but not even that could bind her to him now that her parents were gone. She had to escape. And the Sardisian was her way out. “I didn’t come for this, for…” She waved her hand at the lithe strength of his chest and tried not to follow the tantalizing curls of his tattoo down his abdomen. Her gaze lifted to his. “You’re a Sardisian.” “By blood, not by birth, lady. I’ve never set foot in Sardis.” He turned away and unlocked a small chest sitting on a table beside the wide bed. The clink of coins followed. He didn’t look up and his shoulders seemed tight, tense. “My specialty may not be what you think it is.” Larissa unclipped the heavy brooch securing her cloak and shrugged it off her shoulders. She dropped her heavy satchel over the bedpost, in plain sight. It held all she 5
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owned, all she could run with. Nerves had her folding the heavy folds of embroidered cloak together, running her cold fingers over the creases. Her gaze darted around the small room. Fabrics dyed in rich reds masked the rough plaster of the walls and rugs covered the stone-flagged floor. Did he live in the little room? It wasn’t simply his…workplace. Beyond the wide bed, with its pillows and clean linen sheets, a small hearth held the smoldering embers of a fire. Her gaze narrowed. On the mantle above stood a line of half-melted candles, small votives and offerings to his Sardisian spirits. He practiced. She had come to the right man. “I’m not here for…for sex. I’m here to ask something of your spirits.” She paused and her hands tightened in the cloth. “I can offer you more money.” Soft laughter escaped him. “And you think money would fill their need.” He turned, and the lamplight carved his face with shadows. Moving close again, his hand cupped her jaw, his thumb teasing over her bottom lip. “You’ve bought my body for your pleasure, Larissa. In that way, I will be whatever you need. I’ll offer you nothing more.” He kissed her, his lips light, warm against hers, tasting of spice and a trace of mint. A soft hum escaped him and his tongue tip teased her upper lip. The sound threaded through her flesh and her heart pounded. No, she wasn’t here for his pleasures, but… He deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing against hers and she didn’t, couldn’t resist the melting of her tongue, lips against his. His mouth eased away to explore her jaw until his teeth teased her earlobe and she gasped. Warm breath ran a shiver deep into her aching flesh. “You’re untouched.” The smile in his voice burned fire under her cheeks and her honor had her mouth moving without thought. “I’m a patrician’s daughter!” She crushed her eyes shut against stupidly revealing that fact about herself. Larissa pulled herself free of him and wiped her hand over face. “There are men in the imperial court who could satisfy your…need.” 6
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Larissa sucked in a calming breath. She watched her hands flex in her cloak as she tried to find control. He was right. Rhodoi magicians made good money at the Great Palace, but she couldn’t trust them. Not for what she needed. “This is a mistake.” She swung her cloak around her shoulders and her fingers twisted the ornate brooch. “Let the solidus buy your silence.” “Larissa…” He took her hand, his grip strong, sure. For a moment, he stared at her hand in his and her heart beat loud in her ears. His thumb rubbed slow circles against her palm. “You don’t enter into a contract with a Sardisian lightly.” She swallowed meeting his dark, serious gaze. “I know.” She closed her eyes and willed herself to find a scrap of calm. “I wouldn’t be here if it were a simple act of your brewing a love philter or casting a hex.” His fingers ghosted along her arm, teasing over her silk sleeve, and his touch seared her. The metal slide of her brooch as he unhooked her cloak flared heat under her skin. He eased the heavy fabric from her shoulders. “What do you want, Larissa?” “To change who I am.” His silence forced her to open her eyes and she found him staring at her, an endless moment that had her cheeks warming. He let out a slow breath and a fingertip traced along her shoulder. The simple touch scalded her. Her fingers curled, her nails digging hard at her palms. “You’re a patrician’s daughter. Why would you give that up?” He stepped closer. “If we’re to do this,” his mouth hovered over hers, his breath brushing warm against her lips, “then I have to know the truth from you. The complete truth.” She wanted him to kiss her. For him to bury his fingers in her hair and devour her mouth again. Need tore through her thoughts. No. She couldn’t, and she pressed her lips together. Tight. A knot twisted in her gut. She’d already stained her honor, brought disgrace to her ancestors by coming to a Sardisian. Wanting him? She wouldn’t let her traitorous body betray her further. “The new emperor is disposing of his enemies, my family amongst them.” His eyes narrowed. “Is that everything?” 7
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She pulled in a deep breath. “I could save myself by marriage.” “But instead you came to me.” Larissa gave a reluctant nod. “I came to you.” His finger teased the gold-stitched collar of her blue silk chiton, tracing over the lines of tiny pearls. “You have money, Larissa. You could simply run.” His finger slid over the revealed curve of skin below her throat. Contact ran a shiver through her and her nails dug harder. Her desire, her need to run her palms over his smooth rippled chest rioted through her but she fixed her gaze on his jaw. The warm scent of his skin mixed with unknown spices intoxicated her. Larissa told herself that was why she was so willing to tell him the truth. “I could, but my betrothed is an influential man. He’d find me. No matter how far I ran.” His hand pressed against her collarbone. It drifted down and Larissa gasped as he cupped her breast though the thin layers of her clothes. His thumb played with the sudden, unexpected hardness of her nipple. “Do you know what you’d have to give me?” She sucked in a breath, shocked that she wanted him at her breast, wanted his mouth— Words rushed from her. “Your spirits require a piece of my soul.” A smile touched his lips and he looked up. Heat burned in his shadow-dark eyes. “Rhodoi matrons who want their wrinkles smoothed, sagging bellies tightened…from those I take their soul. From you? I require a more satisfying payment.” Larissa’s heart thudded. “You already wanted to…” She waved her hand. A wince almost pulled at her mouth. This situation was beyond her. Completely. “With me. I don’t understand.” “For your pleasure.” His smile grew wicked and her chest hollowed. The ache low in her belly pulsed. Hard. “If you agree to a contract with me, Larissa, my pleasure will come first.” She blinked. “Your—”
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“Not many virgins knock at my door.” His other hand followed the line of her ribs to her waist, before slipping over her backside. The unexpected heat of his touch, the way his fingers teased, played… She bit at her lip and wanted to deny the need she had to press herself against him. Heat flooded her cheeks. But it was better for this man to take virginity. He could offer her an escape, a future. With Avaro, he would simply take her again—and again. She swallowed in a tight throat. “What…what do I have to do?” She sucked in a quick breath. “For you. Do for you?” He pulled at the silk of her chiton, drawing up her linen underclothes with it. “I never touch my clients…” “Then why are you—” He squeezed her backside and she squealed, wriggling against his hold. He simply laughed and held her against him. His fingers slid over the cleft of her buttocks, pressing through the thin material to play between. Need rioted through her flesh and her heartbeat ramped. What his clever touch did had her pushing involuntarily back against the slow stroke of his fingertips. “Sometimes it’s what the spirits need.” His hand drew away from her breast to tease fingers over her lips. “Lick.” The single word dropped hot into her belly and her mouth parted with a little gasp. “Suck.” Her tongue tip tasted him, his fingertip warm and unexpectedly smooth. Hints of his skin and the sharp burn of unknown spices sank through her and she wanted more. She drew him into her mouth, sucking, curling her tongue around first one and then a second finger. He teased her, the slow rhythm of his fingers pushing into her mouth echoing the play of fingers over her ass. Heat flowed through her aching flesh. Damn him. What was he doing to her? He eased his fingers from her mouth to chase over her waist and stomach and disappointment burned. His other hand tugged at the silken cord securing her trews and all too easily pushed them down. 9
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Larissa buried her face against his warm shoulder, mortified and too aroused to meet his gaze. His arms trapped her to him, her palms against the smoothness of his chest, and he pressed his mouth to her ear, his breath ragged, hot. His rough palms covered her cheeks, squeezing hard. His hips pushed against hers and the length of his cock rubbed over her in a way that had her biting at her lip to contain her moans. “First, I’m going to have this.” Fingers slid again between the cleft of her ass, teasing over her puckered hole. His words had her belly tight and the ache between her thighs burned. “I’m going to take you in a way you’ve never dreamed.” A wet fingertip breached her hole and her hips bucked at the sudden fire chasing up her spine. The slow, rhythmic pull and push of his finger, in and out, deeper had Larissa’s eyes crushed shut. Little, muted gasps increased and she grabbed at him as a second finger joined the first. Her body resisted and he pressed harder. The pleasure-pain forced her mouth open against his skin. He tasted… She groaned at the rush of him on her tongue—hot skin, sweat, spices. Her hands opened and splayed against his chest. She ached to explore him, have her breasts against his bare flesh. Her need made no sense. None. “I’ll take you and you’ll scream my name.” His fingers pumped faster, harder. His other hand squeezing her cheek, parting her as his fingers edged lower. He teased, dipping into her wetness. “You want me.” The rough growl of his voice sank though her and she met each thrust of his fingers, the tightness in her belly demanding it, wanting more. “What do you want here,” his fingers pushed deep into her wet flesh and a brief flare of pain ripped a cry from her, “my tongue or my cock?” Larissa grabbed at his shoulders. She couldn’t think, didn’t know… “I—” “Make a choice.” His fingers took her, thrusting hard, his teeth nipping at her earlobe. “Make it now.” “Tongue!”
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He groaned, something soft, possessive, and the sound rioted through her. His hot breath, the taste of his skin, and his fingers…fucking…her— The tightness in her belly overwhelmed her. A surge of heat and joy swept through her flesh and she cried out, grabbing at his shoulders as he continued to thrust into her, ripples of fresh pleasure crashing into the receding waves. Her hands loosened their fierce grip and only his strong arms held up her boneless body. She let out a slow breath. “Is that what you wanted?” His low laughter tingled her skin. “It’s a beginning.” Sliding his fingers free, he let her clothes fall back, the fabric smooth against her bare skin. “Now I want you naked, bent over and gripping the bed.” Panic wiped away the warm haze of bliss. She backed away from him, tripping on her linen trews puddled at her feet and hitting the footboard of his wide bed. “I…” His dark eyes narrowed. “This is the contract, Larissa.” Tilting his head, he let his gaze slide down her body and warmth ran under her cheeks. “You’re asking the Sardisian spirits for a new body for your soul. Buried fingers? Not enough.” Larissa closed her eyes. Only her body servant had seen her without her clothes and now this man, this stranger would see her, would…take…her. Her stomach tightened. It would happen and she had to know something more about him, something to appease her diminishing honor. “Your name.” Her voice sounded raw, unused. “What should I call you?” “You can call me Xander.” “Xander…” “Now take off your clothes.”
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Chapter Two With her fingers shaking, Larissa untied the silk belt under her breasts to loosen her chiton and the fabric flowed free. She tugged it, twisting, wriggling to pull it over her head. Xander took it from her, smoothing out the silk before he hung it on a hook on the back of the door. He folded his arms across his chest, his dark eyes gleaming. “And now your linen shift.” The lamp hanging from a hook in the curved ceiling flickered light over the muscles in his arms. Larissa tried not to remember their heat, their strength, and her need to touch him, to explore him with a curious mouth and fingers, fired anger under her skin. She shouldn’t want him. Should she? “You’re enjoying this.” “That is the point.” His smile was wicked and her breath hitched. Xander was beautiful, she couldn’t deny it. “Now,” he nodded to her pale shift, “that too.” Pulling in a tight breath, she tugged at her linen shift, knowing that she was naked underneath. Her eyes crushed tight shut and she yanked it free. Xander took the shift from her. Cool air brushed over her skin and she shivered, wrapping her arms around her breasts. But that didn’t feel enough somehow and her hands shifted down. “Stop.” Her fingers froze on the curve of her belly. The rapid, almost painful thud of her heart filled her ears. With her eyes shut, his silence unnerved her, made her too aware of how nothing covered her, how her hair tumbled free of the clips and pins to fall loose down her spine. Her chest tightened. But she liked the awareness, the almost-feel of his gaze on her bare skin. This wasn’t her. And she liked that too.
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“Turn around, Larissa.” She did and sucked in a quick breath as his rough hands took her hips. A wry smile twisted his voice. “Lean forward and hold on.” With him behind her, she could open her eyes. She stared at the wooden bar arching between the bedposts. “If you want to see our contract through…” She gripped the bar, the wood warm and smooth under her fingers. Her hair hung over her face, the scents of rose oil and lavender pulling into her lungs. A tight ache pulled low in her belly, the now familiar feel of approaching pleasure. She couldn’t deny the sexual magic that Xander wove in her flesh, didn’t want to, and she sighed as his hands curved around her buttocks. “Growing to like this?” His soft voice brushed against her shoulder blade. Then the heat of his thighs, hips pressed against her bare skin and she flexed her hands tight around the bar. The hard length of his cock pushed between her buttocks. “Please the spirits and the magic will bind tight.” His hands spread over her buttocks, his thumbs teasing, light little circles that pulsed dizzying need through her flesh. A finger breached her ass and she gasped. Fire and pleasure had the ache between her thighs flaring. He stroked her, another finger stretching her. Already fresh coils of need unwound in her belly and she groaned when the blunt head of his slicked cock pushed hard against her hole. “Relax, Larissa.” His calloused palm ran in a slow, hot caress up her spine and it eased her muscles, sank warmth into her flesh. “Yes… That’s it.” The head of his cock pushed into her and she groaned. “Easy…” The stroke of his palm, his fingers massaging her flowed into the slow, slow push of him into her. Her hips rolled, pushing back, wanting him, wanting him to satisfy the ache tightening her flesh. She needed to fulfill her contract with him, but by all his Sardisian spirits, she wanted him. Needed him, buried hard in her— Xander gripped her hip, his fingers hard, and she gasped. He sank into her with a final groan. “My pleasure.” His words rose just above a growl and her flesh clenched,
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hollow, aching. The heat of his thighs and hips pressed hard against her flesh…and then he pulled back. Larissa’s low moan escaped her and her knuckles stretched white as her fire curled up her spine. She crushed her eyes shut, her flesh resisting, but she wanted more, more of him, faster, harder. Xander’s hand stroked her ribs, waist and slipped around over the curve of her belly. She sucked in a breath, anticipation beating hard in her flesh. His fingers teased over her curls, circling, pushing… His hips slapped hard against hers as his finger found her sweet spot. She cried out against the fiery rush of sensation assaulting her body. Yet, it wasn’t enough and she ground back against him, driving him deeper into her ass. “Oh, you definitely like this…” The hot satisfaction in his voice only added to the pulse of need flaring in her belly. Her old life ebbed away and only this man remained, a man who stroked into her with increasing pace, his fingers rubbing, pushing in time with that delicious rhythm. Tension thickened in her belly, and she thrust back against him, the hard slap of his flesh against hers, his soft, rising groans only adding to the coils of need burning hot through her body. The promise of her release, the fire and heat of it drew close, so close she could almost taste its glory. “More.” The word was a groan expelled on a short, tight breath. “I need…” “This?” Xander slammed into her and her spine arched, his name ripping from her mouth as he grazed her sweet spot. White fire surged over her mind, coalescing liquid heat flowing through her flesh. And still he fucked her, his fingers biting hard into her hips, harder, faster, riding her through her wild release, building it, promising— Another heavy wave of molten joy hit her as Xander shuddered and groaned, emptying himself into her. For an endless moment, Larissa simply breathed, the fierce 14
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wash of satisfaction slowly easing from her damp body. The hard grip of Xander’s fingers loosened and he stroked her spine in an easy glide. They settled on her buttocks. With a soft groan, he pulled himself free. Larissa ached at the loss of him. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the new life her contract with him would buy her. Freedom from the bind of being an aristocrat, of dutifully occupying Avaro Balsai’s unappetizing bed, of staying alive. She leaned against the bar, flexing her strained fingers and watched Xander pad to a small table set beneath the room’s shuttered window. Lamplight gilded his naked perfection. Yes, she could see why Rhodoi matrons sought him out, but he didn’t sleep with them? The torment of that? She stroked a hand over her belly, feeling the familiar curl of need growing there. Yes, it had to be sharp indeed. “Why do you work here?” Xander didn’t look up as he dipped a washcloth into a bowl of water. He wrung it out. “Convenience.” All right, not the answer she was expecting. He cleaned himself and dipped a fresh washcloth into the bowl. “How so?” Xander turned, a wry smile lifting his lips. “I am a Sardisian priest. We’re not exactly…honored…here in the City of the Rhodoi. Here,” he glanced around the small room, his gaze almost thoughtful, “I can serve the spirits as they direct.” His attention returned to her, his gaze running over her nakedness with a look of hot interest. Embarrassment baked her face and she cursed it. “They choose who finds me. No one unwelcome to them crosses my door.” He pointed to the bed. “Take off your slippers and lie on your belly.” Larissa moved without thought, only catching herself as she rolled onto her stomach. “You like ordering me about.” “Yes, I do.” He smirked at her. “A gift from the spirits.”
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Larissa bit back a smile, watching him climb onto the bed beside her. He slapped the damp cloth against her backside and she yelped. He grinned, but dipped it between the cleft of her buttocks, the grin deepening as she couldn’t help the twist of her hips. The cloth pressed against still-sensitive flesh and Larissa pushed into his touch. He watched her writhing hips, desire hot in his gaze, and it flared fresh, intoxicating heat under her own skin. How many times would she, could she want him? Xander was addictive. “Turn over.” His words were raw, needy and Larissa obeyed, the last part of her contract burning through her thoughts. Xander found her gaze as he dropped the cloth to the floor. His hands slid down her thighs, parting them, opening her to him. Her heart thudded, not with shame, but with desire. “Do you wish me to complete the contract?” The press of his thumbs into the tender skin of her inner thigh made her reply natural, instinctive. “Yes.” “Are you certain?” He teased the crease of her thighs and she bucked, a soft cry escaping her. “The spirits can be kind or cruel. Your beauty…” His gaze roved hot over her belly and breasts before he found her eyes. The hunger in his eyes gripped her. “May be lost to you.” For him not to look at her with such need spiked an unexpected pain in her chest, but she had made her choice. She would enjoy Xander one final time and his magic would keep her alive. And the memory of him would warm the cold nights of her future. “I know. Seal the contract.” Xander pulled in a deep breath and his eyes closed. His beauty, carved in golden lamplight, had her desperate to run her hands over his perfection, lick and kiss it. The grip of his fingers, holding her open, only tightened the ache. He opened his eyes and dark shadow filled him, she could almost taste it. The light flickered and air brushed over her skin in a cooling rush. Her heartbeat jumped. The power of his magic filled Xander and the first rush of promised release surged at his 16
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change. Drops of molten gold burned in his gaze. She ached to lift her hips up to him, offer herself and Xander would take her, eat her, devour her. As if reading her thoughts, the smile curving his mouth promised pure wickedness. “Time for you to really scream, Larissa.” The first lick of his tongue tore a cry from her, her fingers clutching at his thick hair. Clever little flicks of his curling tongue twisted spirals of pleasure up from her pelvis. His tongue lapped and teased, his soft, satisfied moans, the hard grip of his calloused hands on her shaking thighs, had her arching into him, demanding more. Her fingers fisted in his hair. “This is your pleasure?” Xander’s laughter brushed hot over her mons and his dark eyes seared her. “You have no idea.” He lapped her, long licks that taunted her, forced her to moan, curse him, fight the tightening grip of his hands. More, she needed more. His tongue curled, pushing deeper into her flesh, a rhythmic tasting firing sparks of light behind her eyes. Her nipples peaked and the cool kiss of air heightened the rising tension riding her body. His thumb pressed hard against her sweet spot and he—Larissa crushed her eyes shut, fighting the rise of her release because she wanted the raw tension to last—he fucked her with his tongue. The knowledge, the thought of it blazed and her spine arched under the fierce glory of her release, the power of it smashing over her mind, white-hot and scorching, her scream echoing around the small room. Larissa sank to the softness of the bed, her body spent, boneless even as Xander teased small licks over her flesh. He pressed a wet kiss below her navel and she shivered as she felt the curve of his smile. A slow, blissful sigh escaped her. Her fingers stroked over the damp tangle of his hair, wishing in that moment that she didn’t have to run, leave the man who chased tender butterfly kisses across her belly. “Xander, I—” The door crashed back, the metal lock splintering under the force of a heavy boot. Armed soldiers in heavy leather armor stormed the room, swords unsheathed.
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Larissa shrieked, scrambling up the bed as she tried to wrap a heavy cover over her nakedness. Panic grabbed her. She recognized the first man from the scars running down his lean cheek. Avaro’s chief bodyguard. Fear bloomed hot in her chest. Her betrothed had found her. Xander leapt to his feet, anger tensing his muscles. “I have a city license.” He stood toe to toe with the bodyguard, his fingers clenched into fists. “You have no right—” “Where is she?” Avaro Balsai’s heavy voice cut across Xander and the thump of boots echoed in the corridor beyond the room. “Does she think she can disgrace me by whoring out her flesh?” He stood in the doorway, a short, stocky man in ornate robes, his fingers thick with rings. His dark eyes narrowed, a deep frown forming across his brow, and Larissa’s fingers fisted the sheet that covered her. She swallowed, her throat dry, fear making words impossible. Avaro simply stared…and said nothing. Anger fired over her terror and she straightened on the bed. If she was going to be damned by him, then she wasn’t going to cringe in fear. “Well…?” He blinked and a slow flush worked its way up his sagging cheeks. His hands flexed, his numerous rings scraping against each other. His bow was quick, sudden. “My apologies, lady. I was told the Lady Larissa Valeriae—” Avaro bit off more words and closed his eyes. Larissa could almost feel his mortification. But then his mouth thinned and his inward anger was obvious. He jerked his hand to his guards. “Out.” He stepped back, waiting for his guards to troop past him. His gaze flitted over Xander before he briefly looked to her. Then he stared at the floor. “Again, lady, my apologies.” And he disappeared into the darkness of the corridor. Larissa blinked, staring at Xander as he padded to the door and closed it. He pulled over a chair set beside a dark wood cabinet and shoved it hard against the broken door. “He didn’t…” She ran a shaking hand over her face, trapping her fingers in the loose tangle of her hair. She paused. Her voice had changed, something soft, almost husky.
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Had the spirits allowed him in so that he could see her change? And she obviously had changed. “He looked straight at me.” A smile pulled at Xander’s mouth. “Your contract is sealed, lady.” Something wistful touched his voice and he didn’t look at her. Instead, he pulled on his breeches and belted them low on his hips. Larissa pressed her fingers to her face, trying to feel the difference in her appearance. A smaller nose perhaps? A different arch to her eyebrows. Whatever it was had Xander unable or unwilling to look at her. “A mirror.” Her voice cracked on the word and she swallowed. “I want to see…” Xander gave her a small copper disc, polished into a sharp shine. He turned away to wash, splashing water over his face, running this fingers through his hair. She felt the deliberate act of it, his deliberate avoidance, and fear dropped a hot stone into her gut. She held up the mirror and the woman who stared back at her was…beautiful. Tentative fingers touched her smooth, clear cheek, traced again over her perfect nose. A sculptor couldn’t have carved a more perfect face. A bark of laughter escaped her. “From the way you…” She waved a hand at him as he straightened and wiped a dry cloth over his jaw. “I thought I was a monster.” “You are truly beautiful, lady.” Lady. That was the second time he’d called her that. “Xander?” His name sounded wrong on her lips and she winced. He rubbed at his jaw and a brief smile touched his mouth. “I’d grown used to the other you.” A soft laugh escaped him and he stared at the rug beneath his bare feet. He winced. “I didn’t think it would be this difficult.” “Difficult?” He looked up and his focus darted over her features, as if taking in the changes he’d wrought in her face. A sadness gripped him and it formed a fist in her gut. She shuffled off the bed, taking the sheet with her. She touched his jaw and he almost flinched. “Xander…?” 19
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“Get dressed.” He stepped back from her, backing into his washstand. Water sloshed over the rim of the water bowl. “It’s time for you to leave.” His rejection hurt, a sharp and unexpected stab to her gut. She drew in a tight breath. “You pleasure is over and now it’s time for me to leave?” Xander didn’t reply and folded his arms across his bare chest. “You’re in the protection of the spirits until you leave the city.” His lips pressed together. “What money and jewelry did you run with?” Larissa wanted to lash words at him, ask him why he would care…but she didn’t. This had been an arrangement. Nothing more. Now she had to dress and find an inn close to the city gates. With the dawn, they would open the gates and she could buy passage to Halys. From there, a ship could take her…anywhere. She held back a sigh and picked up her linen trews, stepping into them and cinching them tight around her waist. Pushing her feet into her slippers, she moved to the door and stretched up for her clothes. “I have enough money,” she murmured. She shrugged into her linen shift, tugging it down over her breasts. “My parents…” The words sounded odd, as if she were talking about other people, not the ones who had disappeared into the Great Palace the morning before. Her throat closed and tears burned behind her eyes. “Always…always protected me.” Xander cursed softly, his impatience obvious. Larissa’s head snapped up. Was he offended by her grief for her parents? “What?” She yanked the chiton over her head. Angry, shaking fingers knotted it under her breasts. “Waiting for another woman to find you?” His mouth thinned. “No.” “Then what? I seal the contract and you can’t even look at me anymore?” She picked up her cloak and swung it around her shoulders, clipping the brooch to secure it. Her bag followed, the satchel falling heavy against her hip. “So, I will say good night, Xander.”
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Skin Magic
She pushed the chair from the door, her stomach leaden. It was ridiculous of her to regret leaving him, to be hurt by his dismissal. He was a Sardisian priest. He followed the path of the spirits. “Larissa.” Xander took her arm, stopping her from pulling back the broken door. “Wait.” She froze, his touch suddenly foreign, strange. Her eyes closed. “Xander…” “The spirits showed me your face and said I had to make a choice.” He eased his tight grip on her arm, stroking down to her hand until his fingers covered hers. “Come with me.” She let him guide her back to the bed and he sat her on the edge of the thick mattress. Xander took her hands, turning over her palms. His thumbs stroked over her skin, light, exploring, tracing creases she didn’t recognise. “You or them.” Larissa stared at him. “I don’t understand.” “I’ve lived here for over a year,” he twitched a smile as he glanced around his small room, “because I was waiting for you.” Her chest tightened and her thoughts span. None of what he said or how he acted made sense. She closed her eyes and fought to focus. He’d been waiting for her because his spirits had offered him a choice. A year of waiting, of having her face in his thoughts…and now that face was gone. Larissa let out a slow breath. “The woman you’re waiting for. I’m not her anymore.” He laughed, something soft, wry, pressed an unexpected kiss against her forehead and squeezed her hands. “For a moment, I was dangerously shallow.” He sighed. “You’re my choice.” His mouth stilled against her skin and his voice became brittle. “Would you refuse to be the chosen of a Sardisian priest?” “Xander…” She pulled back to look at him, finding his eyes serious, his face set. Her heart beat too loud in her ears. His chosen? She only had the briefest knowledge of
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Kim Knox
the Sardisians, more rumor than truth, passed to her by servants and gossiping friends. But it sounded as if he wanted her. Panic and delight warred in her. “My life is upside down, wiped away. I truly don’t know what you’re talking about.” “I’ve served the spirits.” A wry smile lifted his mouth. His thumbs traced the lines on her palms. “Served them well and now, if I choose you, they’ll release me.” The panic fired heat under her skin, disappointment souring her gut. “So you only want to be free of them.” He released her hand to slide his palm over her jaw. Larissa tried not to lean into his touch and failed. “I planned, wanted to follow the spirits until I died. But you…I couldn’t resist.” Her stomach hollowed and she couldn’t deny the pulse of excited joy firing through her flesh. Yes, this beautiful Sardisian had changed her, changed her life in ways she couldn’t imagine. He’d also given her a future. With him. A mischievous smile grew. “And I have to agree to be chosen?” Xander’s eyes narrowed. Seemed he could read even her changed face. “Larissa….” His rough growling of her name tingled her skin and her smile deepened. “You have tonight to convince me.” She wet her lips and caught the gleam of hot interest in his gaze. “Tomorrow I plan to leave the city for Halys.” He stepped back from her and the wicked twist to his mouth had her skin hot. The wash of golden light warmed his face, his bare torso. His beauty caught her, held her. Yes, his spirits had been kind to both of them. Xander inclined his head. “You’ve paid your golden solidus, lady.” Light sparked in his eye and her skin flushed in anticipation. “What would you have me do?”
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About the Author Kim lives on an ancient boundary line, once marked by a Neolithic burial tomb. The tomb’s now a standing stone circle—thank the Georgians for that one—and stirs her mind with thoughts of history and ancient myths. She mixes the essence of the past into fantasy, along with the essential mix of magic and sex. She also writes science fiction romance, pushing out into the far future with effortlessly sexy men and the women who can’t resist them. Kim is multi-published. You can contact her on her website or come and chat at her blog: www.darknessandromance.wordpress.com
The author welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and e-mail address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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