You're not alone

Chapter 8 - Admit it

Moiraine and Lan enjoy a hot bath and talk.

Moiraine was surprised at how fast Lan was at getting rid of his clothes. Had he ever been this eager to get into a bathtub? Smiling, she tried to create more space for him when she suddenly felt his hand on her back.

The uncrowned king of Malkier stood beside her – wearing nothing but his Hadori – and pushed her into the middle of the bathtub.

Confused, the Cairhien woman obeyed, though she didn't understand what his plan was. Did they have specified positions she didn't know about?

Lan slipped into the water behind her, then grabbed her under her armpits and pulled her back to him.

"What-? Lan! What are you doing?!"

He didn't stop until she sat between his legs with her back pressed against his chest. His arms crossed over her belly, and he pressed a kiss on her shoulder. "I need you close to me," he murmured against her skin.

For a moment, Moiraine thought about telling him to stop, but her body was already melting against him. "And sitting together in a small bathtub isn't close enough for you?"

"I need to feel you."

Moiraine chuckled when Lan left a trail of soft kisses from her shoulder to her throat and noticed she tilted her head aside to give him better access to her sensitive skin. Light, she had missed him!

Once he was done kissing her throat, the woman of the Blue Ajah turned her head until her forehead touched his jaw. It felt good to feel him.

"Do you have any idea how much I have wanted to do this for the last month? – Actually, two months?" Lan sighed heavily. "Since we left the Two Rivers, we barely had a moment to ourselves. And after Fal Dara...."

Moiraine winced at his words, and he kissed her forehead. She didn't want to think about the Eye of the World and the loss of Saidar. Not when they were finally back together.

"I was an idiot," Lan whispered. "My anger controlled me and didn't allow me to get close to you, though that was all I wanted to do."

New tears rolled over Moiraine's cheeks. Light, she didn't want him to feel bad for his behavior. She had hurt him pretty badly with her decision to leave Fal Dara without him. He had every right to be pissed at her.

Her hand touched his cheek to hold him close, then she lifted her head higher until she could press a kiss on his other cheek. "You were right to be pissed at me. I made a decision for you without talking to you first."

"You wanted to protect me."

Moiraine nodded. "I did. And as much as I know it hurt you, I would do it all over again if it means I can save your life."

Lan opened his mouth to protest, then shook his head and kissed her nose. "I won't give you a chance to do it again. I will not get distracted again."

The Aes Sedai smiled sadly at him. "You are a fool, Lan Mandragoran," she said tenderly. "We both know about your feelings for the Wisdom. You can't fight against that. And once she becomes an Aes Sedai-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Lan's mouth swallowed the rest of her words. Insufferable man!

When the uncrowned king of Malkier ended the kiss, the Cairhien woman had forgotten what she had wanted to say. "I will not get distracted again," Lan swore.

"You-" Another kiss. Moiraine growled and pulled back. "Would you sto-?" But Lan had found great pleasure in shutting her up like that, knowing she would free herself should she truly not want this. Instead, she returned the kiss, her lips parting willingly when his tongue begged for entrance.