Carnhain grinned over at Jatasha as her dart hit the board, landing in the 4-point section of the board, a circle closer than his own 3-point throw.  Now he had to make a decision.  He could try and win this game and possibly earn himself dinner with her tomorrow night.  However, he was unsure as to whether or not she would resent having lost.  On the other hand he could let her win to flatter her.  Or would she think he was portraying her as weak by letting her win?  Suddenly he wished Kedyn hadn’t left yet so he could ask him advice.

 

Truthfully, he didn’t know what he wanted more.  Dinner or the chance to train her a try to impress her.  He threw his next dart as if he really was trying to win.  The dart sailed in beside Jatasha’s 4-pointer.  With a sudden smile Carnhain knew exactly what he wanted the outcome of the game to be.  A draw would work out just perfectly and he wouldn’t have to choose.

Jatasha smiled at Carnhain as he threw his last dart.  She wasn't sure if he was playing his best or not, but she was happy just to have the time with him.  She had thought for sure the would have just dumped her off somewhere as soon as he got back to the Citadel, but he didn't seem inclined to get rid of her.  Even with his friend showing up he hadn't tried.  She still couldn't entirely believe her luck about that.  Now if only she could get him to see that she was his for as long as he was interested... no coin necessary. 

 

Light, she was acting a lovesick girl.  Next you knew she'd be reading one of those silly stories about the girl who promised herself to two men and had to run to the White Tower for protection or some such.  She just wanted this one man to look at her and hand the rest. 

 

Her dart landed in space and she smiled again at the man beside her.  She wrapped an arm around his neck and winked.  "I do be thinking this game be getting good.  do you be interested in uping our wager?" She asked.

 

Jatasha   

‘I am such an idiot.’

 

Carnhain had somehow managed to delude himself with the notion that he was somehow in control here; that he, the novice in this complex game they played- said game not being the darts, was somehow calling the shots.  Oh Light was he wrong.  Just when he thought he knew or at least had some idea of what was going on, she threw him completely off kilter.

 

Jatasha’s dart sunk into the chipboard surrounding the dartboard.  Zero points.  She had let him win.  Why?  Despite his best friend’s all-too-knowing jokes, Carnhain wished Kedyn was back to get advice from.

 

But when her hand snaked its way around his neck, pulling him closer, he was suddenly quite glad Kedyn was gone.  The brilliant shade of the cavalryman’s face, contrasting so beautifully with his light hair would have had the Kedyn laughing for the next week.  And yet despite his awkwardness, he leaned in, bare inches away from her face.

 

“Depends what the wager is.” he grinned.

She didn't know what to make of the man before her.  One moment he was blushing furiously and the next he was leaning in close enough to kiss.  She thought about doing just that, but smiled at him as she looked up.  "This do be a rather public game." She said, trying to think before she ruined everything.  Her habits got the best of her though and she leaned in until their lips were practically touching.  Any thought of backing down were gone then and she just hoped he went along, or didn't think less of her for being so forward.

 

"There do be other games that do be proving a certain... prowess." She said.  She leaned up into his lips then, kissing him softly as she did so.  "Many games that I do be certain you would be enjoying."

 

Jatasha Danica

She leaned in.  Coherent thought became difficult as her lips grazed his when she spoke.  It took a tremendous amount of concentration and willpower to actually hear what she was saying and keep from closing the bare hair’s breadth between their lips.  He had completely forgotten, already, that they were still in public and quite honestly, really didn’t care at that point.

 

Jatasha finally closed the agonizing space between him and he responded eagerly to her kiss.  His mind had lost itself in the same fire it had the night before and for a few moments until she broke the contact.

 

"Many games that I do be certain you would be enjoying."

 

The insinuation wasn’t lost on him.  Carnhain followed her out of the tavern like an obedient puppy, one hand caught in hers.  His mind was a fog, incapable of intelligent thought.  Only a small voice in the back of his head muttered that he was using her.

 

Using her!  She was throwing herself at him!

 

But why?

 

He stopped, gently pulling her to a stop.  “Jatasha…” he fumbled for a way to express his doubts, worried he would somehow offend her.  “You aren’t… Well… You aren’t… You aren’t trying to… you know… repay me for saving you yesterday, are you?”

She was pulled to a stop and looked questioningly at him as he began to speak.  It was obvious by the way he fought with the words, by the tone of his voice that he was uncertain of what he was saying, but he felt he needed to say it anyway.  As his words came out, she felt a surge of gratitude and affection for the man with her.  She had used her body as repayment for many things in her life, but he had never made her feel like she needed to repay him for what had happened.  The company seemed to be enough.  She had no words to express what it meant to her, that he would be so concerned about her doing something like that he brought it up even when he didn't want to.

 

She pulled herself hard against him, her hands going around his neck and finding his lips without hesitation.  She kissed him long and hard before finally letting go of him.  "You do be the only man I be knowing would  would be stopping and asking me that." She said with a grin.  "Perhaps it be for that reason that I have no thought to repay you in such terms."  She winked at him then.  "I do be finding a way to repay you sometime in some more worthy way, but what I do be offering now be just something between us."

 

She reached up again, wrapping herself closely into him.  With her lips brushing against his she whispered "If you do still be interested."

 

Jatasha Danica

Despite his that she was doing this for the wrong reasons, Carnhain responded to her kiss without hesitation; returning the kiss with as much passion as she gave.  The return to reality when she broke an uncertain amount of time later, whether a few minutes or hours Carnhain couldn’t tell, came as a disappointment.

 

But her words assuaged his guilty conscience and his face lit in a mischievous grin.  With her body pressed up against his and her lips so close though once again became a struggle.  But he had just… one… more… thing… to… say…

 

“You don’t owe me anything except dinner tomorrow night.”  He didn’t bother to answer her last question, he let his kiss do that.