"And then I would have missed this opportunity." Malksis took a position close to her and the heat coming off his body was almost comparable to that of the fire.

"Oh, yes. Let's make it all about you, shan't we?" She was a little disgruntled, but firing back out of habit. Having him so close was wearing on her self-control. She had always found him devastatingly attractive to her, whether he was in jeans and a t-shirt or nothing at all. It must be his scent. That had to be it. As soon as she stopped breathing, she would be free of the urge to throw herself on him.

"Why not? What objection can you have to me? I am smart, have my own business, can pass for human in the normal world if I wish to ... so?"

"My father picked you." There it was out in the open.

"So. This pseudo dislike of me is due to your father finding me acceptable as a son-in-law."

"Yes."

He started to laugh.

She grumbled and moved precariously close to the fire, feeding more of her hard-won wood into the blaze. "It's not funny."

"It is. Quite funny. Do you have any idea what your father would do to a suitor who tried to make a move on you without his permission? He isn't called the Splitter for nothing."

"So I have to go with his pick?"

"No. But you do have to allow me a chance to court you. So far you have put up your spikes and are keeping me back with them. You have avoided dates, run to family events to get away from the idea of seeing me socially. If not for the shift in the portal, I would not have seen you again by your own choice."

Seph fed more wood into the fire while she thought about it. She really had no rebuttal. "I am a modern woman, damn it. We don't get set up by our parents."

"And you are also a Warder, and they do try to find the best matches for their children. It is a proud heritage and one they want to see carried on."

"What about you unicorns? Why me? Why not some mare who flicked her tail at you at one of your gatherings?"

"Because the instant that I saw you, I knew that you and I were destined for each other. You made me feel energized, like I could take on a horde of imps at a moment's notice. And warm enough to set blaze to the nearest trees."

He hadn't moved, but she felt as if he was behind her, breathing onto the sensitive nape of her neck.

"Would it be so bad to try?"

"I suppose not." Sephany turned to him and found him naked and attentive. "Who should start?"

It was a question that threw Malksis into action. In less than two seconds, he had her on her feet and was loosening the ties and peeling the gown over her head. Standing there as naked as he was took more nerve on her part than facing down the dark elf had. His rampant interest was evident. He lay the gown carefully down on the grass and then picked her up to lay her on top of it. For all the world like he was assembling a sandwich.

She took in a breath to speak her thought and he covered her mouth with his own in a light, teasing kiss. His tongue flicked at the seam in her pursed lips and she allowed him entrance after suitable hesitation. He forged forward, tasting of wild wind and heady need. She enjoyed the novelty of his tongue sliding against hers, and she began to mimic him.

Their bodies touched everywhere. His erection pressed between them, with one thigh between her own pressing up against her needy clit. She moaned into his mouth, but began to rock against him as he moved across that most sensitive spot with a steady rhythm. Damp heat was starting to emanate from her core and as he kept pressing against her, she started to draw her breath in faster and faster, until she was almost blacking out as her orgasm approached by inches. Her hips matched his movements, driving for more contact until she screamed her release to the night.

Instead of pouncing on her like she thought he would, he scooted down her body and simply stroked her breasts, belly and abdomen while resting his chin on top of her mound.