Mercifully, she had absolutely no luck in weaseling another key out of the proprietors. Alasdair wondered whether there truly were no other accommodations available or the advisors had bribed the staff overly well. Either way, he had nary a complaint. Someone looked fondly upon him and his quest, ’twas clear, for he could not have arranged matters more to his satisfaction. Perhaps he should indulge in prayer more frequently than was his wont. Those few Ave Marias in the Micra seemed to have had marked results. At any rate, Alasdair had two entire nights to seduce Morgaine. And he knew the merit of his amorous talents well enough to smell success in the wind. Her hand had trembled within his, after all. ’Twould be a slow and thorough loving. The very prospect heated his blood to a boil. He would taste every increment of her delectable flesh, nuzzle and caress her, memorize the location of every mole and freckle that graced her skin.
