Stars of Fortune
Page 56
She wondered, if this is how sex made you feel, how people managed to do anything else.
“Well, we can be a bit preoccupied with it.”
“What? Did I say that out loud?”
“You did.” He raised his head, gave her face a study out of dark, sleepy eyes. “And it’s a fine compliment to me.”
“You gave me a bed of flowers and moonlight. I’m full of compliments.”
He shifted, rolled so he could draw her up against his side. “I want that painting.”
She laughed, happy to rest her head on his shoulder. “I don’t know how I looked.”
“I’ll see that you do. Is it bad timing to ask why you haven’t been with someone before this?”
“No. I felt I had to be honest about things before I slept with someone. And whenever things got to that point, the man was either put off or too interested in that part of me. It wasn’t about me anymore, about wanting me anymore. You already knew. And you have something . . . it balances things. That sounds calculated.”
“No, it sounds human.”
Now she shifted, propped up so she could see his face. “This?” She gestured to the flowers, the moonlight. “What you have, are? It’s fascinating. It’s compelling. But it’s not why I’m here with you now.”
“This?” He laid a hand on her temple. “What you have and are is fascinating and compelling. But it’s not why I want you here.”
Content, she settled down again. “We have so many things to deal with, to figure out. Gods and stars and caves and vanishing islands. Right now none of it seems real. But it is.”
“And we’ll do what needs doing. We’ll find the star that’s here for us. You’ve seen it.”
“Not everything comes through exactly as I see it.”
“We’ll trust this does, and more, keep looking until we find it.”
“You’ve had more time than I have to believe. I’m still working on it. I guess we should go down, start planning tomorrow’s search.”
“Be good soldiers,” he agreed and stroked a hand down her arm.
“Can I ask you a question first?”
“I think you could ask most anything under the circumstances.”
“Is it always like that? Sex? Well, it’s not—not from what I’ve read, or heard. But do you think it was amazing because it was the first time, or it might be amazing for us?”
“I couldn’t say, but I can be sure of one thing. We’re going to find out.”
When he rolled over onto her, she laughed. “I guess they can get started downstairs without us.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
The second time proved amazing—and as for the third, sex in the shower was an experience she definitely wanted to repeat. Often.
Sasha wondered if going without sex for her entire adult life had given her a voracious appetite for it. Regardless, she considered herself well and truly sated, and made her way down to the kitchen to attend to another appetite.
She was starving.
She grabbed an apple out of the bowl, poured a glass of wine before perusing the contents of the fridge.
Someone, she noted, had done some shopping. And since she’d contributed nothing there, unless anyone objected, she knew what to do with the lamb chops.
Humming, she put together an easy marinade, hunted out a bowl deep enough to hold the dozen chops, poured it on, set it aside.
And turning, let out a squeak when she saw Riley leaning against the doorjamb.
“God! You scared me. I didn’t hear you.”
“You were too busy singing to bluebirds and butterflies and making rainbows.”
“I’m marinating lamb chops.”
“Uh-huh.” Riley eyed the wine bottle, got herself a glass. “Well, I have to cross off any idea of using you if we need to sacrifice a virgin.”
“What? Oh. Ha.”
“No need to ask if you’re okay, as you’ve got those rainbows coming out of your ears.”
“It was amazing. I keep using that word. There has to be a better word.”
“It works.” Riley toasted her. “Congratulations.”
“Does everybody know what we— That we . . .”
“Anybody who’s not brain-dead. Where’s your studly sorcerer?”
Sasha winced, glanced at both doorways. “He had some things to do, and I was starving.”
“Good sex burns a lot of calories.”
Sasha held up three fingers.
“Three times? Now you’re making me jealous.”
“Is that usual? It’s probably a stupid question, but I don’t have anyone to ask.”
“Let me just say congratulations again.” Riley boosted herself up to sit on the table. “Three’s a lot for your first rodeo, but you look pretty fresh yet. And let me also repeat: stud.”
“He made it magic. Literally. I probably shouldn’t talk about it. Tell you.”
“Oh, au contraire . You really should, and step-by-step is best. How long does that sit?” Riley gestured toward the bowl with her glass.
“An hour would be good.”
“Great. Let’s take a walk, and you can give me the play-by-play.” Riley pushed off the table. “Look, Annika may be more of a girl, but I’m girl enough to know when it comes to sex—especially the intro to—you’re allowed to share. Plus, I haven’t had any myself in a while, so I need my perks where I can get them.”
“Well, we can be a bit preoccupied with it.”
“What? Did I say that out loud?”
“You did.” He raised his head, gave her face a study out of dark, sleepy eyes. “And it’s a fine compliment to me.”
“You gave me a bed of flowers and moonlight. I’m full of compliments.”
He shifted, rolled so he could draw her up against his side. “I want that painting.”
She laughed, happy to rest her head on his shoulder. “I don’t know how I looked.”
“I’ll see that you do. Is it bad timing to ask why you haven’t been with someone before this?”
“No. I felt I had to be honest about things before I slept with someone. And whenever things got to that point, the man was either put off or too interested in that part of me. It wasn’t about me anymore, about wanting me anymore. You already knew. And you have something . . . it balances things. That sounds calculated.”
“No, it sounds human.”
Now she shifted, propped up so she could see his face. “This?” She gestured to the flowers, the moonlight. “What you have, are? It’s fascinating. It’s compelling. But it’s not why I’m here with you now.”
“This?” He laid a hand on her temple. “What you have and are is fascinating and compelling. But it’s not why I want you here.”
Content, she settled down again. “We have so many things to deal with, to figure out. Gods and stars and caves and vanishing islands. Right now none of it seems real. But it is.”
“And we’ll do what needs doing. We’ll find the star that’s here for us. You’ve seen it.”
“Not everything comes through exactly as I see it.”
“We’ll trust this does, and more, keep looking until we find it.”
“You’ve had more time than I have to believe. I’m still working on it. I guess we should go down, start planning tomorrow’s search.”
“Be good soldiers,” he agreed and stroked a hand down her arm.
“Can I ask you a question first?”
“I think you could ask most anything under the circumstances.”
“Is it always like that? Sex? Well, it’s not—not from what I’ve read, or heard. But do you think it was amazing because it was the first time, or it might be amazing for us?”
“I couldn’t say, but I can be sure of one thing. We’re going to find out.”
When he rolled over onto her, she laughed. “I guess they can get started downstairs without us.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
The second time proved amazing—and as for the third, sex in the shower was an experience she definitely wanted to repeat. Often.
Sasha wondered if going without sex for her entire adult life had given her a voracious appetite for it. Regardless, she considered herself well and truly sated, and made her way down to the kitchen to attend to another appetite.
She was starving.
She grabbed an apple out of the bowl, poured a glass of wine before perusing the contents of the fridge.
Someone, she noted, had done some shopping. And since she’d contributed nothing there, unless anyone objected, she knew what to do with the lamb chops.
Humming, she put together an easy marinade, hunted out a bowl deep enough to hold the dozen chops, poured it on, set it aside.
And turning, let out a squeak when she saw Riley leaning against the doorjamb.
“God! You scared me. I didn’t hear you.”
“You were too busy singing to bluebirds and butterflies and making rainbows.”
“I’m marinating lamb chops.”
“Uh-huh.” Riley eyed the wine bottle, got herself a glass. “Well, I have to cross off any idea of using you if we need to sacrifice a virgin.”
“What? Oh. Ha.”
“No need to ask if you’re okay, as you’ve got those rainbows coming out of your ears.”
“It was amazing. I keep using that word. There has to be a better word.”
“It works.” Riley toasted her. “Congratulations.”
“Does everybody know what we— That we . . .”
“Anybody who’s not brain-dead. Where’s your studly sorcerer?”
Sasha winced, glanced at both doorways. “He had some things to do, and I was starving.”
“Good sex burns a lot of calories.”
Sasha held up three fingers.
“Three times? Now you’re making me jealous.”
“Is that usual? It’s probably a stupid question, but I don’t have anyone to ask.”
“Let me just say congratulations again.” Riley boosted herself up to sit on the table. “Three’s a lot for your first rodeo, but you look pretty fresh yet. And let me also repeat: stud.”
“He made it magic. Literally. I probably shouldn’t talk about it. Tell you.”
“Oh, au contraire . You really should, and step-by-step is best. How long does that sit?” Riley gestured toward the bowl with her glass.
“An hour would be good.”
“Great. Let’s take a walk, and you can give me the play-by-play.” Riley pushed off the table. “Look, Annika may be more of a girl, but I’m girl enough to know when it comes to sex—especially the intro to—you’re allowed to share. Plus, I haven’t had any myself in a while, so I need my perks where I can get them.”
