SABINA

Sabina dug her fingernails into her arms. She could feel her temper flaring again, and she’d promised herself she would try to keep it in check. Especially as she didn’t want to keep apologizing to this man.

He’d sent her emotions all over the place in such a short time. Anger, exasperation, humour, confusion. So much of the last one. What grown man not only had never apologized, but didn’t even know what one was?

But he’d seemed genuine in his desire to apologize, even if he’d done a terrible job. And, despite her downright murderous attitude to him yesterday, the one thing that hadn’t changed was what Norcia wanted of her.

Draivarya was stuck with her for a while yet, and she was stuck with him.

So she’d made a real effort. It had gone well, she thought.

Until now.

Sabina closed her eyes for a moment and forced a deep breath through her nose. She was losing her temper over something that didn’t matter.

It doesn’t, she thought, her inner voice stern to quiet the battling attitudes in her head. Draivarya could feel whatever he wanted to feel about the existence of hetairai and it shouldn’t affect their working relationship.

Besides, her sisters in the Temple of Desire didn’t need her to fight their battles.

And couldn’t she admit to herself that maybe there was a good reason for his reaction? She was no expert on his planet’s culture but she knew enough to understand that Chaya II had a very different understanding of sex and intimacy than the Empire.

Maybe it could be chalked up to culture clash.

Yet somehow she couldn’t stop herself from asking her next question.

“If I were a hetaira, would you still apologize?”

A half-second hesitation. “Yes.”

“But not because you actually felt any remorse.”

She wasn’t asking him. She didn’t need to.

Draivarya frowned, looking at her like she was a puzzle he was trying to solve. “That bothers you. Why?”

“You said yourself you dislike hetairai because you find them to be liars. To apologize when you feel no remorse is also a lie.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Not from where I sit.”

The silence stretched as she watched him struggle with something, emotions fighting it out on his face. Sabina suddenly felt very tired and wanted to go to sleep.

“I think I need you to go now, Mantr S’madhara,” she said, trying to draw a boundary between them.

Panic flashed over his face. “Wait. I’m trying to find the words to explain.”

“You don’t have to.” She tried to make herself smile, but it was too tiring. “It’s fine. Really. But I’ve had an exhausting day and I need to rest.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Surprise threaded through her at his words and tone. He was being genuine.

“I’m just going to reheat my bath, have dinner, fall into bed.” She shrugged, tried to ignore the sudden heat that crept up her neck at her choice of words, and the knowledge that she stood in her bathing robe right now, a thin, threadbare piece of clothing she normally wouldn’t wear in front of anyone.

“I can reheat the water for you.”

Now that caused even more heat to creep up her neck, the thought of him in her bathroom, even as confusion reigned supreme in her head. What a strange thing to offer.

“There’s a button on the tub that will do it,” she said, just stopping herself from saying she was perfectly capable of pushing said button.

She came around the island, trying to shoo him to the door.

“Wait.” Less than a foot from the door, his hand rested on her arm in entreaty. Sabina tried not to gasp at the sensation. It was only the third time they’d touched, and each time there had been a spark of electricity between them.

Yesterday she’d written it off as static electricity, but that wasn’t happening today. She was acutely aware of his fingers encircling her upper arm, the heat that radiated from that small touch, her body’s reactions to his nearness….

Sabina could feel her skin pebble, her nipples tighten, and she had to fight the urge to cross her arms over her chest to hide it, because it would only draw attention there and Draivarya’s gaze was firmly settled on her face.

“Was my apology sufficient?”

The words alone might have been curt, but she could hear the concern in his voice.

“Yes,” she said, then tried again as her throat had been too dry to carry a syllable. “Yes. We’re fine.”

If he’d been anyone else it wouldn’t have been, but she was ready to put their disastrous first meeting and the rest of yesterday behind her. Clean slate.

His fingers gentled on her arm but he didn’t release her; his hand slid down, cupped her elbow. Sabina had a sudden vision of him pulling her flush to him and kissing her till she melted. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear that idea from her head.

It’s been a while. That’s all. You’d react like this if anyone were this close and you’d spent the night dreaming of him much closer, and much more naked.

“You weren’t in the meetings today,” he said, tone lightly questioning.

“I’m not part of the summit.” He’d thought she was part of the diplomatic summit between their governments? A fair assumption, perhaps, or it would have been, if the reason he didn’t know hadn’t anything to do with the fact he’d interrupted her explanation.

“Why did you seek me out?”

His thumb brushed across her arm, almost idly, and the sensation was wholly distracting.

“I….” She cleared her throat. “I was sent.”

“By the Temple.”

She shook her head. “By a deity.”

“By one of your goddesses.” Light disbelief, and look of mild surprise on his face.

She’d expected disbelief as a reaction. She hadn’t expected him to be touching her, his thumb continuing that light rub over the fabric of her robe. A touch that was by all views innocent somehow lighting her blood on fire.

“What would an Aradian goddess want of me?”

If you find out, let me know. No, too flippant a response.

Sabina worried her lower lip with her teeth, wondering where all her carefully-planned explanations had run off to. This wasn’t going as she’d hoped.

Draivarya’s gaze dropped to her mouth, and she watched curiosity and hunger take up residence in his eyes.

Oh, no. She had to end this meeting now, before anything inappropriate happened. Like her pulling him down to her so she could taste that mouth. Which was far too high on the list of possibilities.

She extricated herself from his grasp and took a large step back, so far as she could in her small apartment. “I have all-day work-shifts in the Temple again tomorrow, but the day after I have off. We can meet, if you like, and I can try to explain…everything.”

Draivarya rubbed a hand over his chin, thoughtful. “I believe my obligations end mid-afternoon that day. Dinner?”

Sabina made herself nod, refused to ask herself why it sounded like he was asking her on a date. She brought up her contact information on the touchscreen beside her door so he could scan it into his communicator.

“You can message me to arrange things.” She hit another button, and the door opened. “Good night, Mantr S’madhara.”

He stepped out into the hallway, then leaned back in, his forearm braced against the doorframe. “Call me Draivarya.”

She’d tried hard to establish that boundary, but to refuse his wishes now would be rude. She repeated her farewell with his first name, waited for him to leave.

He regarded her for a long moment. “Good night, Sabina.”

He pushed off from her door, headed down the corridor.

Sabina closed her door and leaned against it, trying to calm her rapid heartbeat. It had been the first time he’d said her name, and the sound of it in his mouth she liked far too much.