It seemed he'd repaid her tease in kind, because he certainly had her attention now. Emrys raised one eyebrow towards her, an unspoken challenge. Not that he needed to speak it or even indicate it for her to know it was there. She'd already commented on it, after all. She'd always been a little more willing to forego the romantic haze of flirtation and address their metaphors more directly, which was something that had intrigued him about her. Anyone could engage in the witty banter that lead up to a romantic affair, but very few women were confident enough to take a step back and say ah, yes, I see your witty banter; allow me to join you. Off the top of his head, Emrys couldn't think of any woman he'd engaged with who approached their relationship with quite so much willingness and confidence as Angelica Vorona did.

"You say you won't let a challenge go unanswered," he pointed out quietly, "But you also said you had superior restraint, which seems — to me — to sit at odds. Which will it be?"

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The following 1 user Likes Emrys Selwyn's post:1 user Likes Emrys Selwyn's post
   Angelica Selwyn

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wild oceans shake what's left of me loose

E. Selwyn

"Found the trap." She drawled after she shook the incredulous shock off her face. Angelica was rarely matched when it came to wordplay and her chance to enjoy innuendo and banter were rare. No matter how dull people were, Angelica couldn't go around making suggestive comments. Granted, she wouldn't. Her need for stimulation, a strong challenge, and sensual nature left her disappointed by those around her more often than not. She wasn't wasting her energies or affections on every attractive wizard that could form a sentence. Her pirate was an anomaly. She couldn't name the attraction that pulled her in or what it was that made her finally indulge her passions when she'd fought the urge for nearly a decade. She couldn't name another person, witch or wizard, that provoked her like this or seemed intent on finding all of those supposedly shameful desires she buried for the sake of her reputation. She craved the sensual confidence of this man, the ease he had in the world. She desired all the sides of him she encountered, and that was going to be a problem. She would need to address her own reactions to this man, but tonight wasn't the time. She would return to her senses if she indulged in him liberally. It was the only way to cure such stirring or so she decided this instant.

"It seems you have me at a disadvantage. Bravo." She offered him a slight clap with her smirk. "You see, caro, I owe you a debt, of sorts. It would be very rude to deny you a proper thanks." She took her time approaching him. When she reached closed the distance, she held herself still for longer than she thought possible. Finally cupping his jaw in one hand, her thumb brushing along his cheekbone. "Perhaps, I allow you a victory and we consider the score even?" With great care, she kissed him, resisting the urge to deepen the contact before pulling back to meet his eyes. Licking her lips as she pulled away, she let her hand settle at his shoulder. "See? A most respectable gesture of thanks."

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MJ made this miracle!

Emrys was smiling hungrily as she pulled away from the kiss, but he let her go without protest. A respectable gesture of thanks indeed. He was satisfied that she'd awarded him the victory in this little encounter, since she'd been eager to bring up her own triumph earlier in the conversation. And they really ought to stop at a kiss, given that they were still at a public party. Worse than a public party, actually, because her family was hosting it. If they had just been at any old random affair he could have asked her to follow him out and met him at home to pick up where they left off when things got too risque to be accomplished hiding away in a corner of the garden, but not here. Here, someone would be looking for her sooner or later, which meant even a few hairs out of place might be noticed by someone in her family, and he didn't want that.

"We're even, cara," he replied, borrowing her pet term without a second thought. "Now perhaps we should head back to the party."

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wild oceans shake what's left of me loose

E. Selwyn