Urden, God of Desire by Anastasia Rabiyah

parted, ready to accept his should he dare to sample.
    He leaned closer, his cheek grazing hers as he whispered in her ear, “I want your loyalty.”
    She snickered lasciviously. “Is that all ?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’ve told you it’s not mine to give.” She ran her cheek along his, moaned softly, and pushed a knee between his legs. “You’re a strange man. So cold and unyielding. Does it tempt you to be close to me?”
    He stepped away, letting her go and regretting it. “What do you know about General Wyther?”
    Melia slinked away from the wall, returning to her seat and her drink. She sipped. Her thumb circled the side of the glass. He wanted it to touch him in that same way, to draw over every tingling inch of his body.
    She smirked. “Jeremy told me a great deal about you and your plans. I know of your alliance.”
    “When was the last time you saw him?” He shivered, wondering just who and what she was now. Jeremy would not have betrayed him. Not over threats from the Empire and not for…sex? Jealousy burned him. He clenched his teeth together and waited.
    “It has been several days.”
    “You know he’s dead.” He retrieved the bottle and topped off her goblet. Staring at her face, he tried to read her when he asked, “Did you kill him?”
    She said nothing. A chill ran down his spine.
    The com tone sounded, and Enrue growled at the interruption. “What!”
    “My Shiemir,” his secretary stated. “I have disturbing news.” She cleared her throat, and he knew the distressed sound in her voice. “Jorin wishes to speak to you.”
    “Tell him I’ll return his com after my meeting.”
    “He’s not on the com, my Shiemir. He’s here…with me.” Something bumped and tapped in the background. “And he has some vids you should look at…now.”
    Enrue reached out to Melia. She placed her fingers in his hand. Heat ran through his body, passion, fire and an eerie feeling of déjà vu. “Will you excuse me?”
    She nodded, her expression contrite.
    “I’ll be there in a moment, Nema.” The com clicked off. Enrue stood there with Melia’s hand in his, his thumb brushing back and forth across her knuckles. He didn’t want to leave her, to break this strange, euphoric moment. For the first time in his life, he felt connected to another person—not like he had with his wife. Theirs was an arrangement of sorts. This was different and not realized enough to be anything more than a trivial pulse, a beginning, a change.
    “Hurry back, Enrue,” she said, her voice husky. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
    “Try not to drink too much. It’ll make you say things you might regret.” Reticent, he pulled his hand away.
    She smiled. “Maybe I want to say something like that.”
    He backed to the door. It slid open. He stood there a long while memorizing her face, her shape, her scent. When I return, I’m taking her to my bed. The game ends now. I will have her.

Chapter Thirteen
    A New Leader
     
    Sima stared out the window of the cottage she and Razi called home, seeing but not seeing the gravel road. Her fingers thrummed on the sill. She chewed her lower lip, as was her way when she was nervous. Behind her, Lensi stirred a cup of tea, the scent of it minty and strong. The Habiri Sister had come with a proposition, and Sima didn’t want to agree to it without speaking to her husband.
    “He’ll be angry I asked you at all.” Lensi cleared her throat.
    “I know. He probably told you not to ask, didn’t he?”
    “He did.”
    Sima twisted a lock of her hair, staring at the road, willing Razi to come home—now. No familiar shape of a man sauntered along. There was only the amaranth waving at her in the cool breeze. She gave up and turned to face Lensi. “What about Leuj? Is he involved?”
    “Yes.” Lensi sipped at her tea, her green eyes misty. She set the mug down. “Very. He still has connections. They don’t know it’s him, but he knows all the right words. He knows the black market trade