Ivar's Escape (Assassins of Gravas #2) - N.J. Walters Page 0,29

more than a pretty dream. One she’d indulged too much.

But this was an opportunity to discover what lovemaking was all about, to do it with a man of her choosing away from the prying eyes of her family.

“Your past is lost to you. You might have someone special in your life.” He didn’t have a wife. That much was certain. But maybe there was someone his family didn’t know about. After all, as a long-range scout, he was away from his home more than he was there.

“There’s no one.” He nibbled on her ear, sending ribbons of desire through her.

“You can’t know that.” And it would kill her if she did this only to discover he had a woman he cared for or loved. Delphi would become nothing more than a regret in his memories. “I won’t take advantage of you.”

It took everything in her to push him away. He eased over onto his side, looking worried instead of exasperated or angry.

She couldn’t figure him out. Ivar was unlike any man she’d ever met.

He brushed a springy curl away from her face. “I would never force or coerce you, but I can tell you that there is no other woman in my heart.”

“You can’t know that.” And it was pathetic how much she wanted to believe.

“I don’t know specifics about my past, but there’s a certainty that I have never found a woman I could trust enough to commit to.”

Delphi ignored the shaft of pain that pierced her. “You don’t trust me,” she reminded him. The truth stung. She could be an adult about the situation. This was about making a physical connection, not a lasting emotional one.

He huffed out a breath and rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. “You have an answer for everything.”

Sitting up, she wrapped her arms around her legs. “It’s the truth. You said so yourself.” To her disgust and mortification, her eyes filled with moisture. She blinked back the tears before any could fall. She was tougher than that.

Yet a part of her yearned for his trust, ached to be able to give it in return. She’d been alone for so long. Yes, she had her siblings, but Zaxe and Sass were different from her, more able to compartmentalize their lives.

She’d been the one to hold out hope, to fantasize about a better day. Now that it had arrived, she wanted to grab on to life with both hands and savor it, making up for all the years she’d spent in virtual captivity, her every action controlled by another.

Ivar scooted over until he was beside her and stroked his thumb down her cheek. She closed her eyes, savoring the gentle touch. There’d been so few of them in her life.

“I know you’ve given your word to the Gravasians. I respect you for that.”

It was something, but she wanted more than respect. That was nothing more than a cold lump in her belly.

He captured one of her curls and tugged, elongating the lock and then releasing it so it sprang back. “Your hair is like you, strong and soft at the same time.”

His accurate assessment made her bristle, shoulders tightening and fists clenching. “I’m not soft.” She’d never been allowed.

“Not outwardly. You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met.” Pleasure bloomed in her chest. “The most reckless, too.” Her pleasure flipped to dissatisfaction.

“That recklessness saved your sorry ass,” she reminded him.

“It did. And I’m grateful for that. But you never should have been at risk. The Gravasians should never have asked that of you.”

“I volunteered.”

He tilted his head to one side, studying her intently. Only her rigid training kept her from squirming. “Reckless and brave.” Ivar leaned inward. “And so very beautiful. Your skin is softer than the finest Darkata silk.” He feathered his fingers over her cheek, across her jaw, and down her neck. “Your hair has a life of its own. It makes a man wonder what it would feel like stroking over his skin.”

He was seducing her with nothing more than words. Ivar’s family had mentioned he was a master of language, had a way with people. They let their guard down around him, talked to him. It was a talent. One that allowed him to travel to various planets and outposts and gather information.

She’d never expected to succumb to it, but it was getting harder to resist.

One of her curls eagerly wound around his finger when he stroked it. Her body was betraying her. She wanted him, even though it