A Kiss of Magic: A Kiss of Magic Book One (5 page)

“By the one God, our great creator,” he swore fiercely, “you may be the death of me!” He stepped back from her a little further. “The next time we begin this, we will end it properly, I promise you that. But to do that I must take you somewhere else. Will you come with me to my villa?” he asked her, his voice low and raspy from unspent passion.

She knew what it would mean to go somewhere private with him, and she did not shy away from it. The time for discomfort had come and gone. They were going to become lovers. That much was a fact. She could play games with him, demur or be shy, and part of her wanted to do all three. In the end though, it would end up being just her and him and a great deal of intimacy. And she was all right with that.

She was going to become lovers with Dendri Adiron.

When she put it like that she found it quite intimidating, and he must have felt it or read it in her mind using his Aspano abilities because he took the hand he held and instead of pulling it away from himself, he used it to cup his erection intimately.

“I’m just a man,” he whispered to her. “Just like any other man. No better no worse.”

“That isn’t true and you know it,” she said, feeling the thickness of him beneath her fingertips. She rubbed at him and heard him hiss in a breath. “You are an extraordinary man. And today I find myself to be a very fortunate woman.”

“Fortune has indeed had something to do with it. This is a fated match. Something made me come to the tests today. Something made me touch you so we could discover this beautiful thing we are going to share. Yes,” he said. “Fortune has a great deal to do with this.” He pulled her touch away from his swollen shaft and then drew her close for an achingly sweet kiss. “Come with me to my villa.”

“All right,” she said. “Oh! But what about Bess?”

“Bess can come as well. I have many rooms she could choose to stay in. She will be treated as a guest,” he assured her, “and not as a servant.”

“Thank you. She means the world to me. She has loved me no matter what my ability or disability. She above all others in my life deserves to reap the benefits of my future.”

“Your future lies with me,” he said intently.

“I know,” she whispered.

“I promise you I will treat Bess with just as much love as you would.”

“That means a lot to me,” she said softly.

“Come now. Let’s pack some things for you and Bess so we can go when she comes back,” he said. He moved away and looked around at all the shelves and every open space that was covered with books. “So this is why you got all of the answers right on your written test. You are a scholar.”

“Yes,” she said.

“That is a very good thing. I have a very large library I think you will find quite pleasing.”

“Oh! I’m sure I would!” She smiled as she began to hurry about and gather up things to bring with her. She found a satchel and began to pack it with clothes. She added perfume and scented lotions to her items, thinking she wanted to smell good for him. She thought it was probably a silly thought, but she succumbed to it anyway.

Then she began to pack for Bess a second satchel. He watched her as she worked, his eyes drinking in her every movement it seemed.

“You’re staring at me,” she said self-consciously a few minutes later.

“I am merely absorbing who you are. I can hear all of your thoughts, feel all of your emotions. They are overwhelming and wonderful all at the same time. Usually I close myself off to others, only opening my ability when I need to, but I feel I must learn everything I can about you as quickly as possible. I do not wish to make any mistakes with your care.”

“My care?” she echoed.

“Yes. I am going to take care of you, Yasra. I hope you know that.”

She thought back to when they had touched and kissed and realized she had already learned that from him. To him she was an extraordinary gift and he was not going to squander that gift in any way. He was determined to take care of her.

“I do,” she replied. “I don’t really need taking care of. I have been taking care of myself for a long time in all ways except for financially. And, well, now that I am a majji, I can earn my own way in the world.”

“I know you can. But you will not have to.”

She suddenly felt out of breath. “This is all happening so suddenly.”

“I know,” he said, coming close to her and touching her to comfort her. Instead, she opened up her thoughts to his, felt his emotions as keenly as if they were her own. This was all sudden for him too, but he understood there was a certain amount of destiny at play here. It was not for him to question why. It was only his responsibility to treat the circumstances, and her, with care.

“I’m back!” Bess announced, bursting into the door with a bottle of wine held high in her hand. “Let’s celebrate!”

And because they were touching, because she was so open to all thoughts and emotions in the room as any Aspano would be, she felt Bess’s fear. She was afraid that Yasra was going to forget about her. Leave her behind.

Yas immediately crossed the room and threw her arms around her friend.

“We’re going to stay with Dendri at his villa for a while. You are already packed. You might want to see if I forgot anything.”

“I am coming with you?” Bess asked hesitantly.

“Of course you are! I don’t go anywhere without my Bess!”

Bess promptly burst into tears. She grabbed up a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes.

“You don’t have to take me. I would be all right,” she said tremulously. “I don’t want to be in the way.”

“You won’t be,” Yasra said firmly. “You’re coming and that’s the end of it. Besides, who else can braid my hair just as I like it?”

“This is very true. You are quite particular.”

“Besides, it’s not as though this is forever,” Yasra said. “It’s just for a little while.”

She glanced at Dendri, but his face was inscrutable. She went to their bags and gave one to Bess. “Here you go. Now check and make sure.”

Bess did, her hands trembling with her excitement and relief. It saddened Yasra that Bess thought she might be left behind even for a little while. It just showed the mentality nons had toward majji. They were less and they knew it. Therefore, they should not be given the same consideration as others.

Nothing could be farther from the truth as far as Yasra’s perspective toward Bess was concerned. They were friends. Plain and simple. She would be lost without her. She couldn’t face all these shattering changes without her.

Dendri herded the women out of the door once they were ready, but as soon as they stepped outside of the stairwell they stepped into a throng of people. All at once they started shouting for Dendri and Yasra, reaching out to touch them, shoving forward as one being. Yasra backed up against the little tailor shop window, cringing away from all of the attention. Then Dendri stepped in front of her, reached out a single hand and shouted, “Away!”

The crowd suddenly flew backward, all the way across the street where they were tumbled into the grass. As soon as they were clear, Dendri hurried them into a waiting coach.

“Home, Frand,” he said to the driver before ducking into the coach and settling in the seat across from the women.

Yasra had never seen such a display of power before. And considering the family she came from and the friends her parents kept, that was saying a lot. She clutched her hands together in her lap anxiously and wondered exactly what she was getting herself into.

Chapter Four

Dendri’s villa was more like a castle just based on its sheer size alone. It was clear he was the wealthiest majji in the world. Or, well, at least their continent. There may very well be more powerful and wealthier majji elsewhere, but in their world, Dendri had to be the top of the food chain. Maybe the only exception would be the triumvirate, the leaders of their government.

The villa had whitewashed stone walls and a red roof made of ceramic tiles. Cathedral style windows were everywhere, allowing an extraordinary amount of sunlight in. The curved tops of the windows had stained glass pictures, so some of that sunlight was dappled with brilliant colors. The pictures were of things in nature, like trees and animals, or fruit hanging from a vine. But at the front of the house in a large all-stained glass window was the depiction of a naked couple, arms wrapped around one another.

She felt the bottom drop out of her stomach.

Was Dendri married? Was he already committed to another woman? If so, what would happen between them now? She didn’t want to be the cause of rending a loving couple apart…and she wasn't interested in becoming a third person in his bed. As she pictured them in bed together, she pictured them alone in their own little world…like the white room. And she wasn't like Bess. She didn’t like women in that way.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Dendri whispered into her ear as they moved into the villa further.

“Of course you do. You’re an Aspano majji. You can read my mind.”

“I try not to without invitation, but it’s going to be nearly impossible to do with you because we are Gestalt. There is no one else in my life,” he said. “There has not been for quite a while. It is difficult when you are Aspano to have a relationship. You can feel every lie, every moment of resentment, every fading passion as it happens. There is no such thing as burying your head in the sand and pretending you don’t know the truth of what your partner is feeling or thinking.”

“I never thought of it like that.” She frowned. “That’s a little sad actually.”

“I know, isn’t it? You’ll have to console me,” he said, a twinkle in his eye.

Yasra laughed and gave him a nudge. She was surprised to find him so easygoing. She had seen him at a distance before and he had always seemed so serious and intimidating. But he wasn’t like that at all. Not to her in any event. Perhaps he was altering his behavior as a means of luring her in. Perhaps he would change once she got comfortable with him.

Only time would tell.

Dendri looked at Yasra as she stood in his house, her dark hair covered in dancing colored light and took a deep, relieved breath. For a while there he had thought she wouldn’t come with him, that she would have thrown him out on his ear and he would have to work ten times harder to get to her, but she had surprised him when she had acquiesced so easily. It was clear she was beginning to understand what was happening between them.

Dendri had not understood what had driven him to go to the school that morning. While he mentored many up and coming majji from Aspano house, he wasn’t particularly interested in the fledglings that barely knew what house they belonged to they were so green. He now knew fate had driven him there so he could find Yasra. Dendri had never thought in a million years that he would ever become half of a Gestalt couple. He knew he was powerful, that he made a great deal of money being one of the most skilled majji around, but he had never suspected he was destined for the kind of power that came with being part of a Gestalt couple. A Gestalt couple would be treated like messiahs. The crowd by Yasra’s door was only the beginning. The only reason they hadn’t gathered at Dendri’s door was because of his fearsome reputation. People knew he was not a majji to be trifled with.

But that reputation was working against him as far as Yasra was concerned. She was half afraid of him still, completely intimidated by their attraction for one another and utterly overwhelmed as a whole. She had one foot out the door before they had even arrived…telling Bess they would only be staying for a little while. The truth was, she would be living with him from that moment on. He didn’t know all that much about her yet…but thanks to his Aspano abilities he knew enough. Enough to tell him that he would enjoy her as a person. That she was good at heart. That she had many glowing qualities.

He also knew her self-esteem had taken quite a beating over the years. He frowned when he thought of her parents. How could someone do that to their own child? Treat them so poorly? Be such complete and utter snobs that they would excommunicate their daughter from their lives just because she showed no potential as a majji? And then to have the utter gall to come to her and brag about themselves and how it was their doing she was so powerful?

Well, they had been lucky when they had left willingly. As an Aspano he could do quite a lot of damage to a healthy mind. He could literally drive someone crazy. Or all it would take was a single burst blood vessel in the brain and a person could be a vegetable for the rest of their life. Yes. He could do quite a lot of damage if he wanted to.

But most majji lived by a code. Their ethics kept them from doing certain damage otherwise they would have to face summary judgment by the rest of their house. True, it would take a great deal of effort on the Aspano house’s part to try and punish him for any wrongdoing, seeing as how he was the most powerful of his kind on their continent, but it could be done. Especially if they joined with other houses in a conjoined effort.

But he was one of the punishers, not the one in need of punishment, and he had no desire to change that at present. But if he was pushed…if he felt the need to protect Yasra…he would do so. She was his, and he would do everything he could to protect her from everyone else…including her own kin.

He led Yasra into his home and watched her reactions with a careful eye. He wanted her to be pleased with the place. He wanted her to be delighted with what would become her future home. He had designed the place with his future life-partner in mind, making certain it had everything that could possibly please a woman within its walls.

Pleasure washed over her features as she took in the open airy rooms filled with streaming sunlight. Her beautiful blue eyes with their fringe of black lashes widened every time she saw something new that fascinated her. There were murals painted on the stone of the walls in almost every room. He had paid a heavy price for the artisans to make them just right. The frescos were almost as beautiful as she was.

He couldn’t believe his fortune. He could have ended up tied to a woman with bad breath, bad skin, and bad temperament, but instead he found himself attached to a young and lovely creature with a sweet tasting mouth, delicious curves, and a sweet nature. Just thinking of the flavor and heat of her kisses had him hard and wanting her.

“Bess, this is Arya,” he said, introducing a young, barefoot girl who had just entered the room. “She is one of my servants. She will show you to the guest quarters.”

“That isn’t necessary,” Bess said, looking shy and awkward. “If there is a servant’s room connected to the room that Yasra is staying in, that will be sufficient enough. Plus, it will allow me to be close to her.”

“I can give you adjoining guest rooms,” Dendri said. “You will be right next door to one another. Arya, take these bags to the south side guest rooms. Bess, you can accompany her so you know where they are. I have some things I need to discuss with your friend.”

“Of course. If that’s all right with Yasra,” Bess said pointedly. It did her credit that she wasn't willing to let her friend face her unusual and unsure future on her own.

“I’ll be fine,” Yasra said, color tingeing her cheekbones. She was afraid to be alone with him, afraid of what it might mean. She need not be afraid of him, but she was right if she thought he was going to press every advantage he got with her.

“Come, let me show you the rest of the villa,” he said.

They walked slowly through the rest of the house. He showed her every room, gauging her reaction to each. The kitchens were large and full of a flurry of activity as they prepared for the evening meal. The salon was full of sunlight and was prepared for a woman’s pastimes, be they sewing, knitting or, in Yasra’s case he was sure, reading. He took her to the library then, showing her a room full of soaring shelves, much of which could only be accessed by ladders. She exclaimed in delight, running from shelf to shelf to examine the titles on the bindings of the books.

“
Murdo’s Practicum
! I have been looking for this! They say there’s only two copies.”

“They are right.” He smiled. “You will find I have many hard to find volumes.”

“I don’t doubt it. Look at them all!”

Eventually he pulled her away from the library, though not without her arms being full of books she had found to read. He showed her the pool in the center of the solarium. It was protected from the elements and was a good four feet deep. The water was clean and clear, and he had it cleaned once a week by a Vendii majii who could manipulate the water and make it fresh again in concert with his servants who scrubbed the walls and floors of the pool thoroughly.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” she said, looking down at the colorful tile that made up the design of the floor of the pool.

“You can try it any time you like,” he said.

“But…what would I wear?”

“Whatever you like,” he said with a smile, “Or nothing at all.”

She blushed furiously at that and he laughed.

“But there is a private bath for that,” he said, taking her upstairs to show her the private bath. It was a smaller pool, only six feet by seven feet and two feet deep.

“I don’t know what I would do with so much room to bathe in.”

“You and I are able to heat the water now,” he said in a whisper against her ear. “So long as we are touching.”

To emphasize the point, he reached out and stroked a finger down the side of her neck. As he did so he concentrated on heating the water. Soon steam began to rise off the water. He found it to be very reflective of the heat he was feeling just by touching her in that small way.

“Would you like a bath?” he asked her. He led her into the room that was becoming moist with damp heat. He showed her a stoppered bottle and taking the stopper out he held it under her nose.

“Henno flowers!” she said. “It smells wonderful.”

He dumped a healthy dollop of the mixture into the water and using his Aspano ability to move things with his mind, he made the water bubble and roll until a froth of bubbles appeared on the surface.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” she said softly.

“Moving water is a very tricky skill. Only the highest level Aspanos can manage it.”

“And you are very much a high level Aspano,” she said.

She sounded uncomfortable, so he moved them away from the topic.

“Come. Let us put these books down somewhere safe and dry and then you can take a bath and wash the cares of the day away.”

“It does sound lovely,” she said with longing. “But I shouldn’t really.”

“Why shouldn’t you? You are a guest in my house. You should avail yourself of its every pleasure.”

Before she could argue he took her to her room. He barely gave her time to register the sunny room with its large bed before he was taking the books out of her arms and resting them on the bedside table near the kerosene lamp.

“A bit of reading before bedtime,” he said with a smile. Then he led her back into the bathing room and shut the door behind them. He came up behind her and picked up her hair, sweeping it forward over her shoulder, and began to unbutton her dress. She gasped and turned around, her hand on her chest as she met his eyes.

“With you here?” she asked.

He smiled again and reached for her hand. He pulled her closer and sought out her ear. With his lips brushing over the shell of it he whispered, “I’ve already seen you naked and wet.”

She sucked in a sharp breath and he pulled back to gauge her expression. She looked a combination of shocked and aroused. Good. At least arousal was in there somewhere. He turned her around again and resumed his work on the buttons of her dress. As he exposed her spine, he could not resist the urge to kiss her on each knobby little bone of her vertebrae as it appeared. He did this until he ran out of buttons at the midpoint of her back. Then he gathered her skirts in his hands and pulled the dress up over her head and off her body. He let it fall to the tiled floor and looked at the treasures he had uncovered.

She was wearing ankle boots and stockings tied at her mid-thigh by garters. She wore a small pair of drawers and was bare breasted without her dress to cover her. She had the most perfect breasts, he thought. Round and full, tipped with rosy red nipples that were puckered tightly. She bashfully crossed her arms over her chest as he stared. He knelt down on one knee and unbuttoned and removed first one boot and then the other from her feet. Then he untied each garter and rolled her hose down her leg. As he went he caressed her thigh, her knee, then her calf, the elegant shape of them attracting his hand like a magnet. Finally, he stroked his fingers along her instep. She giggled and pulled away and he smiled. She was ticklish. He found that to be delightful. In fact, he found everything about her to be delightful.

On his knees before her, kneeling like a supplicant to her beauty, he ringed one hand around her hip and pulled her forward as the other hand went to the tie on her drawers. He pulled it free and then slid the silky material down over her hips. He felt her tense, felt her wanting to resist him, but in the end she let him take off her final bit of clothing. Now he was kneeling in front of a naked goddess. She was pale skinned, flawlessly without so much as a freckle. She had a small mole in the crease of her thigh, but other than that she was perfectly white. She was curvy in the extreme, with well-shaped hips and breasts and a slightly rounded belly. Her bottom, which he could not see at present, promised to be just as full and curvaceous.