“I’m fine,” I managed, my throat a little raw from coughing up water. Clinging to him, I looked into his face, noticing the droplets of water clinging to each of his long, dark lashes. Even with his hair plastered to his head, and his features taut with worry, he was beautiful.

“I’m fine,” I repeated, reaching up to stroke his cheek.

He pulled me tighter against him as his lips found mine, and I sighed as I allowed myself to melt into his strong embrace. It felt so good to be able to let my guard down, to be able to show my feelings openly, and even better, to have them returned. Just weeks ago, Iannis and I had tiptoed around each other, and now we kissed and touched every chance we got.

His big hand slid up my blouse, and I moaned a little as his thumb brushed over my nipple. “Is this part of the lesson?” I murmured against his mouth.

“A different lesson,” he admitted, nibbling at my earlobe, “but one I can always make time for.”

I giggled as he rolled me onto my back, and there was no more talking for quite some time after that.

6

After our ‘lesson’ was done, Iannis and I adjourned to his suite, where we had an early dinner with Fenris. Iannis was going to be busy all evening, but he wanted to update us about what was going on in the Mages Guild, and I was more than amenable to that.

“I’ve had dinner in Iannis’s rooms more times than I can count, but never with another person,” Fenris remarked as he cut up the seasoned chicken breast on his plate. “It’s a pleasant change of pace.”

I grinned a little. “I have a feeling this isn’t going to be the only thing that changes around here, now that we’re engaged.” I squeezed Iannis’s leg from underneath the table, away from Fenris’s watchful gaze. He didn’t react outwardly, but his leg tensed ever so slightly beneath my hand, indicating his surprise. Obviously, he wasn’t at all used to being groped around other people.

Fenris chuckled. “Are you kidding? Things have already changed drastically. Or haven’t you noticed the bounce in Iannis’s step as he walks the halls these days?”

“There is no ‘bounce’ in my step, Fenris,” Iannis said mildly as he forked up some green beans. But his eyes flashed in annoyance, and Fenris and I snickered. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind, let’s get on to business. You may have noticed, Sunaya, that I’ve been getting a lot of calls from the Minister lately.”

“I certainly have.” I’d been wondering about it, too, but had held my tongue, figuring Iannis would tell me about it sooner or later.