nodded weakly, as his gaze made each thin layer of silk she was wearing feel like a brand. This was not how the mission was supposed to go. As his slow visual unveiling went down her belly, the diamond in her navel began to radiate sudden heat throughout her womb.
"You wore essence of Hathor for me?"
She swallowed hard as he stopped breathing when he spied a glint of silver beneath the sheer wisp of scarves that made her skirt.
"Tell me that is not what I think it is . . ." Damali nodded and opened her palms for him to see. "I went to the queens of my council, and told them about you... and they gave me these for you." Her voice had dropped an octave on its own. She wasn't playing, just couldn't help it while looking at the expression on his face.
He shut his eyes and quickly turned his head as though she'd slapped him. "The Creator has blessed me." Then he slowly opened them and began walking toward her. "And they advanced your ripening for me?"
His voice held such quiet awe that she wasn't sure if she'd heard him, but there was no doubt about it, she could read the look on his face. If her voice would give her some wiggle room, now was the time to find it.
"Let me sing for you," she said, moving along the edge of the water in the opposite direction from him. "At least let me do that for you." She glanced around quickly to see what was available for another diversion. There was none. "And I wore these," she said, lifting a scarf with two fingers, "so I could dance for you."
He stopped. Incredulous. "You would even do the seven veils for me?" "Yeah. If you want me to," she said quickly, anxiety spiking through her.
He shook his head, his murmur tense. "At this point, you don't have to. Just sing to me in my arms." A hint of fang crested. "Just the fact that you would . . ."
"But the acoustics are better over here," she nearly shrieked, dashing over to the shallow side of the pool.
He chuckled low in his throat. "No, they're way better in bed."
She could have kicked herself. She sounded like a complete bubble-head! Aw Lawd, Nefertiti didn't give her an antidote for this! Without much room for evasion, she fled down the wide pool steps and went into the sensation tank. He simply folded his arms and looked at her, seeming both amused and even more turned on.
Her skirts were floating in the strange, tingly energy that looked like water but wasn't wet. She glanced up at him and he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the effect. Okay, the pool was working. She'd do the floor show from here. She'd do whatever was necessary to buy some time. She began belting out the first song that came into her head. "Wounded Lover," yeah, that would work, it sent an apology for what was about to go down. Even though it was new, this one she knew by heart. She'd actually composed it for Carlos, and shit, after this morning, and definitely after tonight, he'd need to hear that, too.
But something was very wrong. As she kept singing, Cain's rapt expression of desire had begun to dissolve into something she wasn't sure of. When he battle bulked, she froze for a second, took two steps back, and leapt out, putting the pool between them.
"How could you! In my house! When you know I am ready to put the world at your feet!"
"Yo, yo, yo," Damali said quickly, "I don't know what you're--"
"Look at your hands!" he thundered.
She glanced down at her palms quickly, her eyes wide, and started backing up. "I don't know how that happened, baby."
"Because you had him on your mind! His energy is in my pool and betrayed you! You sing to me--a lover's song, in my pool, composed and created for another man, and put your desire for him in it so strong that it literally changes your tattoo for him? Are you mad? You bear his tattoo in my house?"
When Cain headed for his closet, she headed for the door. She didn't need to be a telepath to know the man was going for his blade. She wasn't waiting around for old biblical justice, served king style, either. An eye for an eye, sheeeit... Off with the head of an adulterous bride, aw hell no, she was a