"You are deliberately distracting me," Zande chided, but her hand found his heavy chest muscles and lay directly over his heart. "We should settle this."
His hand covered hers so that her palm was pressed tightly to his skin. "We have settled it. I go where you go. You go where I go. You are no longer under Dedari's protection, although we males guard our women as the treasures we know them to be. He will understand."
"In time, Jacob," she agreed a little desperately, "but not right away. I will go back and talk to him. If he agrees to our relationship, the others will have no choice but to do as he says. Give me a few risings to convince him."
Zande was well aware of the hard edge to Jacob's mouth. He was nowhere near agreeing with her.
****
Jacob felt his breath catch in his lungs, his throat constricting to the point of closing off completely.
