Part 9 (2/2)

Sensual?

Spectacular?

He couldn't quite come up with the proper word to describe her. She was not pretty, by any definition,

but she was definitely attractive... to him, leastways.

In answer to her kissing charge, though, he merely said, ”Yea, I did.”

”Don't do it again.”

”Why?”

”Because... because that's not what I agreed to.”

He tapped a forefinger against his lips, which were pressed together to avoid smiling. ”Methinks kissing

would be good practice for nude snuggling in the bed furs. Don't you?”

”Oh... oh... oh!” she sputtered.

He was willing to wager that she rarely, if ever, sputtered in front of her fighting men. That must mean he

was different in her mind. That could be a good thing. Like her being different was a good thing to him.

”Wouldst like to try again? Practice-kissing, I mean,” he offered in his most conciliatory tone, as if he were offering to do her a big favor, when in fact he would be the one most favored by such an act. The woman, despite all her manly attributes, did have the most irresistible, kissome lips. ”In truth, that barely counted as a kiss. 'Twas a mere brush of skin against skin. A true kiss betwixt a man and woman should last much longer.”

”How much longer?” He could tell she immediately regretted her hastily blurted question.

He waved a hand airily. ”Oh, five minutes or so. And tongues should be involved, of course.”

Her jaw dropped open, and her eyes went huge, before she gasped out, ”Five minutes? Tongues? Are

you mocking me?”

”Nay,” he replied. Then, ”Well, mayhap a little.”

”Lackwit,” she snapped and stormed out of the bedchamber.

Adam went back to his journal, but he was smiling now.

Moments later, Ras.h.i.+d announced cheerily, ”He kissed you.” Tyra was leaning her forehead against the corridor wall outside Adam's bedchamber, trying to slow her heartbeat and make sense of the knave's effect on her. Thus far, she could find no sense in it... just nonsense. 'Twas naught more than teasing, of course. But she'd been teased before, and her heart did not goboom, boom, boom, boom like a battle drum. And now the Arab wanted to discuss the ignominious subject. ”Yea, the teasing toad kissed me. But 'twas just a jest on his part. Do not make a big thing of this, Ras.h.i.+d.”

”Big thing? Big thing? How can I not make a big thing of it when my master has remained chaste for two years? And now he has kissed a fair maiden.”

”I am not a fair maiden.” She thought a moment. ”Did he kiss some other woman, too? A fair maiden?”

Disappointment rippled through her at the idea. Was it one of her sisters? Or a serving maid? Perchance one of her soldiers' ladies?

”Nay, just you.” Ras.h.i.+d was smiling from ear to ear.

Elation such as she'd never experienced before replaced the disappointment.

”Next step will be a harem... you wait and see,” he said. ”Praise be to Allah! I will be home afore springtime, I wager. And we have you to thank, my lady Viking.”

”A harem? Are you saying that this kiss was a ploy to get me to join some gaggle of quacking s.e.x-women?”

”Well, I cannot speak for my master, but, yea, kisses can be tools of seduction. And women can be

seduced into joining harems. That is not to say that Master Adam-”

Tyra stomped off before he could finish.

'Twas all much ado about a kiss.

Starting now, she was going to stop thinking about the kiss. For some reason, though, she couldn't stop touching her lips.

”You kissed her,” Ras.h.i.+d charged Adam and grinned as if praising a wee child.

”b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l! Why is everyone making such ado about a single kiss?” Adam set aside his book and glared at his a.s.sistant.

”You've heard that old Arab proverb about kisses, haven't you?”

”Nay, I have not,” Adam admitted, knowing he was going to hear the proverb whether he wanted to or not.

”A wise man once said, 'First comes a kiss. Next come the harem veils.' ”

”You b.l.o.o.d.y fraud! You made that up. There is no proverb that says any such thing.”

Ras.h.i.+d ducked his head. ”Well, there should be.”

Adam shook his head at Ras.h.i.+d and his never-ending attempts to put together a harem for him. ”Help me gather together the instruments for tomorrow's operation.” Ras.h.i.+d nodded. A short time later, while they examined the tools laid out on linen cloth, he tried once again. ”I think she is melting.”

”Who?” Adam asked... as if he didn't know who.

<script>