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“I hope they haven’t seen you make out with too many other women,” she said indignantly.

“Hundreds,” he laughed, fending her off as she tried to smack him. He held her wrists behind her back and nuzzled her throat. “But none as beautiful, passionate, sexy, smart or impressive as you,kalehsha.”

He moved his mouth to her cleavage and licked the inviting valley between her breasts. She shivered as a serpetrus coiled its way up her leg.

“Vahn, let’s go inside where it’s private.”

“We are married,kalehsha.You are mine to kiss wherever and whenever I want.” He paused in his ministrations and frowned. “What is this?”

“It’s my underwear,” she said breathlessly, as the tip of his appendage nudged between her thighs.

“I thought I made it clear you were not to wear such things?”

“I’m not going commando to my own wedding.”

“I can see you need a lesson in the futility of wearing undergarments.”

There was a sharp ripand her silky briefs were no more. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.

“That’s better,” he growled. “I will not tolerate any obstacle to the filthy and depraved things I intend to do to you tonight.”

He ravished her with a kiss that was both firm yet tender; sensually exploring her mouth with his tongue while at the same time caressing her beneath her dress. A brazen promise of things to come.

“Take me to bed,” she whispered when she was able to speak. “And leave the guards outside.”

He scooped her into his arms and nudged open the heavy doors.

“You’re carrying me over the threshold?” she teased. “You’ve done your research.”

“I wanted to do everything right.”

She reached up to cup his face.

“You always do everything right. I love you, Vraxian.”

“I love you too,kalehsha.”

He could barely contain bis happiness. All he could think about was laying his wife on the bed and making her as delirious as he was.

He carried her across the floor, turning to kick the door shut.

And the room exploded.

Fifty

“The doctors say he’ll be fine,” said Ela. “Just give him time to wake up.”

“He’s been unconscious for hours,” Kara fretted. “Are they sure?”

“He was lucky. No internal injuries, one lacerated serpetrus, and a probable concussion. But you were luckier.” Ela eyed the bruise on Kara’s forehead, the bandage on her sprained wrist. “If he hadn’t taken the impact of the blast, you would be dead. His natural armoring protected him.”

“That, and the fact that the explosive was inside arakhawoodcabinet when it went off.” Rhyn came through the door carrying a plastic bag. “We found this inside the dressing table in the main bedroom. Luckilyrakhawoodis the hardest timber on the planet so it tempered the blast.”

He held up the bag and the three of them peered at the blackened, twisted mess inside.

“What is it?” asked Ela.

“According to the investigators, the remains of a necklace.”