Rhia watched the tiny muscle working in the side of his jaw. and after a moment said softly. "You're worried about him, aren't you? King Weston, I mean. You really do care about him."

He lifted a shoulder, watching his fingers tap cream onto a blistered patch of her chest with the delicacy of a watchmaker. "Of course I care. He's the king. His murder would be a national tragedy."

"A personal one, too, I think. You haven't even had a chance to get to know him yet-your father." She caught a breath, trying so hard not to flinch. "He's a good man Nik. And you're very much like him, you know. You should be there with him. If we leave now, we could-"

"Tomorrow's soon enough."

"But-"

He leaned over and kissed her, just thoroughly enough to make her tingle all the way down to her toes. Then he pulled back just far enough to murmur. "Do shut up and relax, won't you? Right now, all I want to do is make you feel better. Let's see…didn't you tell me this is what works best?" His lips, firm and warm, the texture of satin, slid across hers…nibbled at their sensitive insides. He caught the lower one between his teeth when she pouted and sucked it gently, laughing low in his throat.

Her hands fisted in the sheets. Freeing her mouth from that exquisite torment, she whispered. "You're supposed to kiss the owie. But I don't think I could stand…"

He lowered his head, and his hair, cool and damp from the shower, tickled her throat. "Hmm…how about if I kiss it close to the owie? Like…here? Would that hurt?" And she felt the warm, liquid laving of his tongue on her neck…then a hot, drawing pressure.

"Oh-" She drew a shuddering gasp. Then, faintly whispered. "No…" How had her hands escaped from the knotted sheets and found their way to his hair, touching it half fearfully, as if it were soap bubbles, or thistledown?

"Hmm…how about here, then?" And again…the gentle stroking, first, then the heat. She felt it in her breasts, the soles of her feet, and between her thighs. "And here…" It was all she could do not to moan. "And…this lovely little nipple seems quite untouched…"

Same thing-tongue caress…gentle sucking-but this time the sensation that arrowed through her to the swelling, heating place between her legs was sharp and raw. and the gasp slipped from her throat before she knew. The muscles in her back and legs contracted. Her chest rose and fell with her quickening breaths, lifting her distended breast to him. pushing her nipple deeper into his mouth. Pain was forgotten completely, she clutched at his shoulders, wanting him…on her… inside her…everywhere. Never mind the blisters. Nothing else mattered.

He lifted his head…his hair in silky feathers on his forehead, eyes full of a shimmering softness… and smiled at her with such-the word that came into her mind, like the lyrics to a well-loved song, was sweetness. And she giggled- couldn't help it-because it seemed such an unlikely word to apply to the next king of Silvershire.

"Ah, feeling better already, are we?" His voice was a husky growl that only fed the fire inside her.

"You're a very good doctor," she whispered, threading her fingers through the longish hair on the back of his neck.

"Hmm…and I've always wanted to play doctor." The angelic smile tried hard to turn itself into a leer.

"You have a very nice bedside manner, but I think… you've left some of my injuries…oh-" Her voice hitched to a new octave as he lowered his mouth to the hollow below her rib cage. She sucked in air and her stomach muscles tensed.

"Relax, my love…" His breath flowed like warm oil over her taut skin. His hands moved slowly down her sides, stroking…gentling… following the curve of her waist and hips… then retreated to the waistband of the boxers. His fingers hooked into the elastic and drew them down, baring her belly to his questing mouth.

She held his head in her hands, glorying in the silken flow of his hair over her fingers. Her eyes closed… her eyelids felt heavy and warm, as if the sun was shining brightly on her face. She felt her whole body swell and ripen…and her heart did, too, until she felt it would surely burst inside her. and all the love she felt for him come pouring out. I can't…I can't. Can't let him know… She bit down on her lip. fighting to keep the words inside. And focused intently…fiercely…on the physical sensations that were nearly tearing her apart.

She scarcely felt it when he slipped the boxers off. Her legs, obeying his gentle command, parted as easily, as naturally as a flower opening at the behest of the sun. It felt like the sun's touch, too. the way his hands seemed to heat all of her skin at once…a sizzling heat that spread over her body…her stomach, her legs and her buttocks. She arched and stretched in the lovely warmth, sensuously, like a cat.

And then his mouth found her center…moved to claim it for his own. His tongue licked over her…into her…and the heat coalesced into a searing white-hot ball that exploded through her like a supernova. Time ceased; she lost all sense of place… didn't hear herself cry out as her body rocketed through a pulsing void, completely out of control…

…until she felt herself gathered in, held fast in powerful arms, felt her back cuddled against a strong chest and her whole body rocked by a steadily thumping heart. Satin lips touched words of reassurance to her temple and the sweat-damp place behind her ear. She felt safe and warm and loved. Why, then, were her cheeks wet with tears?

She lay quietly in the grip of a dream, content to let the happiness she knew was ephemeral as a rainbow bathe her in its lovely light…until it dawned on her that the hard male body pressed against her back was no longer swathed in a towel. She moved her bottom experimentally. Yep. definitely Nikolas and nothing whatsoever else.

He stirred restlessly, one rock-hard leg hooking around hers to hold her still. The muscles in the arm supporting her head bunched under her cheek as he lifted his hand to caress her hair. "It's all right, my love…go to sleep."

"But-you-"

"Shh… You've been injured, you need to rest."

"But…don't you want-Nik, I can feel-"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be perfectly fine…if you'll just stop doing that…"

"You mean…this?"

"Dar-" breath hissed between his teeth "-stop that this instant, minx-I mean it."

"Or… what?"

"Or…" His tongue licked into her ear and she went limp, every inch of her skin spangled with goose bumps. He drew his hot, open mouth down along the side of her neck and chuckled when she gasped…squirmed closer, fitting her buttocks into the nest of his body. He raised himself on one elbow and leaned down to ask in a growling whisper, "Are you sure, my love?"

She nodded, already beyond speech. His lips pressed against her temple as his hand reached around to cup the mound of damp curls between her thighs. Finding her moist and ready, he slipped his hand under her leg and lifted it. She shifted, adjusted, making it easy for him…and he slid into her body slowly, like the sweetest of homecomings…filled her body with heat and her heart and mind with an aching joy.

His hands were strong and sure, holding her steady against his rocking thrusts, his fingers gentle as they stole between her swollen petals and found the sensitive place hidden there. Sensation bolted through her once more; she whimpered… gasped…cried out…and hurtled headlong into climax.

It was every bit as intense as the first orgasm had been, but instead of a terrifying void, she felt surrounded in love and warmth; instead of aloneness, a deep communion. She did feel lost…as if her self, her heart and soul, had become inextricably joined with his. and she would never be the same Rhia again. Somewhere in her fractured self was the thought that this should be a frightening thing…but it wasn't.

Tears of overwhelming love and joy sprang to her eyes when she felt his release follow hers, and afterward she floated into sleep, still blissfully wrapped in Nikolas's arms.

Chapter 14

He watched her come awake, and was steeped in the same sense of wonder with which he'd once observed, as a very small boy. the emergence of a butterfly from its leafy chrysalis. First, the delicate flutter of eyelids…a hint of green sparkling through dark lashes…a tiny frown gathered between bird's-wing brows…the quivering of rose-petal lips on the verge of a yawn…and once again, as then, he couldn't resist reaching out to touch the miracle with an unsteady finger.

She twitched her nose…brushed at her cheek where he'd touched it. Then her eyes opened and looked directly into his. and he thought no sunrise had ever been so beautiful.

"Whazza matter?" she mumbled, her eyes crossing slightly in their effort to focus on his face. "What're you doing?"

"Just looking at you, my love," he said tenderly, stroking her hair back from her forehead. "Watching you sleep."

She rolled her eyes and gave a husky laugh. "Oh, that must have been lovely."

"It was, actually. I was going to do the whole Prince Charming thing and awaken you with my kiss, but you seemed about to return to life without it, so I've enjoyed watching the process. Quite fascinating."

"Oh, God…" She put a hand over her eyes, then scrubbed it across her face and glared at him-or tried her best to. "At least you didn't handcuff me to the bed this time." But he could see the smile and the answer to his deepest wishes shimmering in her eyes.

"Never again," he whispered, and leaned down to kiss her. Then he drew back and added thoughtfully. "Not without your permission, at least."

"Seriously…how come you're all dressed already?" Too early in the morning for humor, evidently. She frowned, yawned hugely as she pushed herself up higher on the pillows, then winced and sucked in her chest when the sheet dragged across her burns. "I must look like bloody hell. Feels like I haven't showered in days. Can't imagine what you must be thinking…"