Page 143

Rugar let out a deep belly laugh, and slapped Caliban on the back and squeezed his shoulder. Caliban’s cheeks reddened. “He’s a young male, what can you expect?” Rugar went around and introduced the others on the balcony. His wife, son, brother, their spouses, a business partner not related to the Drakonans. Layala would never remember all their names, but his wife had soft pink hair and a cleft in her chin that made her memorable. Then Rugar said, “Caliban said you are looking to open a diamond shop on Pearl Avenue.”

“We are, as well as hold our precious belongings in your treasury,” Hel said. “We hear it’s never been breached so our wealth will be safeguarded well.”

“Certainly. You have my personal guarantee.”

A steely lady with a soft pink gown, stepped to Rugar’s side, and placed her hand on his shoulder. Rugar’s wife, Kira, if Layala remembered correctly. “How long have you been married?”

Hel looked down at Layala, “How long have we been married, love?”

“Nine years,” Layala said. It was how long they were married in their previous life.

“Are you young?” Kira asked, brushing her light pink hair behind her ear. “You certainly look it, but one never can tell with elves.”

Layala did some quick math in her head. If they were married nine years, she had to be at least thirty for it to be plausible. “I’m thirty and Zar is twenty-nine.” He was younger than her after all, by thousands of years.

“Babies,” the older woman crooned with a laugh. “Dragons don’t usually marry until they are at least one hundred. I thought elves were much the same given your long life spans.”

“Typically,” Hel said, lifting his shoulder. “But when I met her, I knew she was the one,” he smiled at Layala, and it reminded her of the night before at the gazebo and that led to other thoughts of him kissing her bare breasts later, “and I simply couldn’t lose her to someone else by waiting. She’s intelligent, ambitious, and beautiful of course.”

“A smart male,” Rugar said.

“To be young and so in love again. I can see it in your eyes,” Kira said with a soft sigh. “But I can always tell by a kiss if the couple will last. The early years are like a hot flame, burning and often flickering, but long marriages are made of those leftover embers, eternal, unquenchable and simmering. Rugar and I have been married for twelve hundred years.”

Layala looked up at Hel. Was she implying…

“Well, go on,” Kira said while motioning with her hand. “Let’s see it.”

Everyone watched them with curiosity. Layala gulped and felt heat creeping up her neck. He deliberately hadn’t kissed her last night even if they did other things.

She and Hel locked eyes,Only if you want to,he said in her mind.

But kissing on the mouth is special to you…

You’re special to me, love.

You’ll want more.

I will always want more.

His hands slid up the sides of her face, and he leaned down ever so slowly. She could hardly breathe. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Something about this was almost as intimate as last night even with people watching them. His sweet breath swept across her lip first, and he waited there for her. He didn’t force it, he waited.

Her fingers wrapped around the lapels of his suit, one beat, two, and she pressed up on her toes; their lips met.

Gentle at first.

Uncertain.

And then it was like Kira described: a flame, hot and unquenchable, wanting,needingmore. Everyone else may as well have disappeared as his arms closed around her, her hands gripped harder at his suit. His lips claimed hers, gentle and yet possessive. His teeth softly clamped on her lower lip, and he gently sucked. A quiet moan escaped her, and he slowly pulled back.

Layala stared up at him. He couldn’t seem to pull away either. That was a mistake, a monumental mistake. Just like the night before, and yet…

“Nowthatwas a kiss,” Kira said, pulling their stares from each other to her. “I think you were meant to be.”

They finally pulled apart and Hel cleared his throat. “It might even be written in the stars,” Hel teased and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

Rugar brought the back of his wife’s gloved hand to his lips. “My wife is never wrong.”

Now is the time to go find out where your vault is,Hel whispered in her mind.The show is about to start. I’ll keep them distracted.