“You go change,” he told her, “and I’ll check on dinner.”

She raised a brow at the offer. “Are you sure?”

He raised a mirroring brow. “I can terrorize staff just as well as you can.”

Laughing, she acknowledged that truth, accepting his hand to get up from the chair. “I won’t be long.”

He drew her to him, lips brushing over hers in a light kiss that quickly heated. Firmly setting her away from him, he shook his head. “Just don’t take too long, or I’ll have to come find you, and we’ll no doubt end up in bed.”

She put the back of her hand to her forehead and sagged dramatically. “On second thought, I think maybe I don’t feel well enough to attend dinner. Maybe you need to carry me up to bed.” Nic secretly relished it when Gabriel carried her, his easy strength so deliciously compelling.

Gabriel laughed and waggled a finger at her. “None of your tricks, familiar. I’m wise to your seductions.”

A susurrous of need thrilled through her at him calling her that. “Seductions don’t require a bed, wizard,” she purred, swaying toward him and reaching to undo his pants. Perhaps she’d kneel and…

He stepped back, deftly evading her. “Later,” he promised.

“It wouldn’t take long,” she protested.

“Maybe we can share that bath,” he said over his shoulder as he strode for the library doors, casting her a wicked grin.

“But you promised me the arcanium tonight.”

He paused, looking blank.

“Right before Lady El-Adrel arrived,” she prompted, though that brought to mind that whole set of problems, with Lady El-Adrel blackmailing Gabriel over the enchanted knife he’d made and forcing him to take on her wizard son, Jadren. A wizard with no MP scorecard—impossible—and who Nic had no idea about—almost as impossible. She should ask Alise. After she got through the long, complex, and complicated apology portion of the letter. Maybe her sister could dig up some gossip about the enigmatic, auburn-haired Jadren El-Adrel. Though Maman would frown on asking favors in the same letter as an apology. Nic would have to send two letters, with a respectful time in between. Speaking of which, maybe Alise would be able to check on their mother and determine if Papa had really kept her in alternate form all this time.

And if Alise didn’t respond, well… that would be an answer too.

“That was before we ended up in the arcanium this afternoon,” Gabriel said, and she had to wrench her thoughts back to the subject at hand.

“Guess what?” she asked, gliding toward him and hooking a finger in the open neckline of his shirt, his skin hot as fire-warmed velvet beneath. “We can go to the arcanium multiple times a day.”

“No,” he replied firmly, grasping her hand to hold it in place and sliding the other behind her neck. He kissed her, soft and deep. “I love you, Nic,” he said, catching and holding her gaze.

Her heart turned over with a dreamy sigh. “I love you, too.”