Mark of Love (Love Mark #3) - Linda Kage Page 0,29

man could follow me out of the Outer Realms.

“And he didn’t have the amulet,” my aunt reported.

“What!?” No! We needed that amulet more than ever. I narrowed my eyes at her. “Do you think he was being honest? Maybe he really did have the amulet but just—”

“Oh yeah.” She sounded sure of herself as she pressed a hand to her plunging bustline to swear by her honesty. “He was still loopy from a post-orgasmic high when he told me, and it’s basically impossible to lie then, so he couldn’t have been dishonest.”

“You had sex with him?” I exploded incredulously, only to pause and send her a tight smile before answering myself, “Of course, you did.” This was Melaina we were talking about. She never turned down a chance to copulate.

“And he gave me a new lead too.” She wiggled her eyebrows in self-congratulations. “He swears a pearl collector in Tyler told him about having an amulet like the one I described.”

“Tyler? But we just came from that direction.” We had literally passed directly through Tyler on our way from Kole up north to Pinsky. Why hadn’t the guy in Kole just told us about the Tyler jeweler?

“These damn gem dealers are beginning to piss me off,” I muttered. “I swear, they’re just jerking us around on purpose and leading us on a wild goose chase.”

“Well, if they were, it’d be your fault,” Melaina felt the need to impart, “since—you know—you stabbed the last one we interviewed.”

I rolled my eyes. “Even if that was the reason, how would he even know I was in any way associated with you?”

She frowned a moment before answering, “Good point.” Ready to change the subject, she motioned toward the unconscious High Clifter at our feet. “Are you really going to kill him?”

I didn’t like her questioning tone, as if she didn’t think I was capable. So I scowled. “Of course.”

“Shame.” Melaina sighed as she bent down to feel him up again, squeezing his upper arms. “Because seriously, these biceps. So firm. And you should really feel how muscled this chest is. I’m telling you right now, this is how a man is meant to be made. Hey, if you’re going to kill him, anyway, mind if I have a quick ride first? A boy as handsome and virile as he is has got to be good for a spot of orgasmic fun. It would be nearly impossible for him to be otherwise.”

My teeth ground together as I gazed around the clearing, trying not to think about where my aunt had to be touching him as I made sure no one else joined our party. So far, he’d been pursuing us alone, but it was always possible he’d called in reinforcements. An army of more High Cliff warriors could show up at any moment.

But no one else was about except for a black cat peeking out from behind a tree, watching us. It hissed at me when I made eye contact.

Filthy animal.

I narrowed my eyes right back and made a go-away, psst sound at it, until Melaina gave a shocked gasp.

“Sweet baby Jesus, would you look at that lump.”

It was impossible not to look when someone said look, and so my head turned that way before I could stop it.

I immediately wished I had better impulse control, though, because I found Melaina spreading her fingers over the crotch of his trousers, trying to smooth the material flat but failing because something underneath obstructed her attempts.

She glanced up at me, humming her approval. “Now, this is what I’m talking about. Take note, darling, because any man who tells you size doesn’t matter doesn’t have this in his pants.” After smoothing her palm lovingly over the bulge and purring deep in her throat, she scrambled to untie the laces that were holding his britches closed. “I have got to see this monster in the flesh.”

Oh God. I turned my eyes away, internally panicking over the idea of her looking at him—touching him—so much so that it caused an uneasy churn to unfurl deep inside me. I just couldn’t let her do this.

It was on the tip of my tongue to say Aunt Taiki’s name, and somehow bring up Melaina’s true love in an attempt to stop her from doing this here and now to the handsome stranger.

But my aunt had always been a highly sexual being. Male, female, young, old, any variety you threw at her; she usually found a way to appreciate their body. Mentioning Taiki wouldn’t