Tessa’s gaze traveled from the tip of the sorcerer’s pointed hat to his toes and back to meet his eyes. “Let’s face it, pal. Deep blue silk? Stars and planets? Pretty stereotyped I’d say. You looked better in herringbone.”
“I do so enjoy herringbone,” Merlin murmured. “And Armani…”
“In fact”—Tessa went in for the kill, knowing full well this had nothing to do with clothes—“I’d say what you’re wearing has no real style. I’ve seen better fashions for the well dressed wizard in children’s books. Bottom line here is that what you have on is…well…trite.”
“Trite?” Merlin sputtered with indignation. “Trite?”
“What was your comment about repeated words,” Tessa said under her breath to Galahad.
“’Tis a sure sign of a mind befuddled.” Uneasiness colored Galahad’s voice and he laid a hand gently on her arm. “My lady, Tessa, I would beware your wordswith the wizard. He has been known to smite those who incite his rage.”
“Thanks, but his rage isn’t the only thing incited.” The panic and fear she’d set aside returned in a wave of fury. She glared at Merlin and struggled to hold back angry, frustrated tears. “I want to go home. Now. Send me back or wake me up or whatever. I refuse to play your little game.”
Merlin smiled. “But you do agree the playmate I’ve chosen is one you do not find unattractive.”
“I admit it. Galahad here is a hunk.”
“A hunk?” A pleased smile quirked Galahad’s lips. The man might not know the exact meaning of the word but he obviously got the drift. “The lady Tessa bethinks me a hunk?”
Tessa groaned. “That’s great, Merlin. Just what he needs. Another boost to his ego.”
Merlin’s voice was soft. “Nonetheless, you are here for him.”
“He doesn’t want me!” Tessa glanced at Galahad who lifted a brow as if to say he certainly did. “Not like that! I know you’re interested in that . All men are interested in that.”
“Galahad.” Merlin chuckled. “You devil you. And you’ve scarce met the lady. I must say I am impressed.”
“She is a fair flower, my lord Wizard. Indeed, she has quite pleasing,” the knight leaned toward the magician in a confidential manner, “boobs.”
Merlin choked back a strangled laugh. “What have you been teaching him?”
“I don’t believe this.” Tessa buried her face in her hands. “I’m standing here in the Middle Ages witha wizard and a knight and all they can talk about is my chest!” She uncovered her eyes and glared. “This has to be a dream, because real life is not this weird.”
Merlin scoffed. “Of course it is.”
She squared her shoulders. “Fine. Dream or coma or real life, count me out. I’m not going on a quest with him or anybody else.”
“Quest?” Galahad said.
Merlin shrugged. “You have no choice.”
“I most certainly do.” Tessa lifted her chin. “If you won’t send me home I can choose to live happily ever after right here in,” she shuddered, “Camelot.”
“What quest?” Galahad stared at Merlin.
Merlin’s bushy brows arched upward. “You won’t be very happy.”
“No, but I will have the satisfaction of throwing a monkey wrench into your plans.”
“Tell me of this quest.” Galahad directed his words at Tessa.
“Hah. If you think the Middle Ages are bad perhaps you’d prefer to live out your life in the dawn of time.” A nasty light twinkled in the sorcerer’s eye. “The only human being amidst the dinosaurs?”
“Perhaps I would!”
Galahad’s brows drew together in confusion. “Dinosaurs?”
“You wouldn’t last two minutes,” Merlin said smugly.
“Maybe not.” Tessa spit the words. “But they’d be a damned satisfying two minutes.”
“Really? I’d scarcely call it satisfying. I’d call it,” Merlin cast her a wicked smile, “lunch.”
“I’d rather be lunch for a dinosaur than a pawn for you in some real-life game of Dungeons and Dragons! ” Tessa’s voice rose
“I do so enjoy herringbone,” Merlin murmured. “And Armani…”
“In fact”—Tessa went in for the kill, knowing full well this had nothing to do with clothes—“I’d say what you’re wearing has no real style. I’ve seen better fashions for the well dressed wizard in children’s books. Bottom line here is that what you have on is…well…trite.”
“Trite?” Merlin sputtered with indignation. “Trite?”
“What was your comment about repeated words,” Tessa said under her breath to Galahad.
“’Tis a sure sign of a mind befuddled.” Uneasiness colored Galahad’s voice and he laid a hand gently on her arm. “My lady, Tessa, I would beware your wordswith the wizard. He has been known to smite those who incite his rage.”
“Thanks, but his rage isn’t the only thing incited.” The panic and fear she’d set aside returned in a wave of fury. She glared at Merlin and struggled to hold back angry, frustrated tears. “I want to go home. Now. Send me back or wake me up or whatever. I refuse to play your little game.”
Merlin smiled. “But you do agree the playmate I’ve chosen is one you do not find unattractive.”
“I admit it. Galahad here is a hunk.”
“A hunk?” A pleased smile quirked Galahad’s lips. The man might not know the exact meaning of the word but he obviously got the drift. “The lady Tessa bethinks me a hunk?”
Tessa groaned. “That’s great, Merlin. Just what he needs. Another boost to his ego.”
Merlin’s voice was soft. “Nonetheless, you are here for him.”
“He doesn’t want me!” Tessa glanced at Galahad who lifted a brow as if to say he certainly did. “Not like that! I know you’re interested in that . All men are interested in that.”
“Galahad.” Merlin chuckled. “You devil you. And you’ve scarce met the lady. I must say I am impressed.”
“She is a fair flower, my lord Wizard. Indeed, she has quite pleasing,” the knight leaned toward the magician in a confidential manner, “boobs.”
Merlin choked back a strangled laugh. “What have you been teaching him?”
“I don’t believe this.” Tessa buried her face in her hands. “I’m standing here in the Middle Ages witha wizard and a knight and all they can talk about is my chest!” She uncovered her eyes and glared. “This has to be a dream, because real life is not this weird.”
Merlin scoffed. “Of course it is.”
She squared her shoulders. “Fine. Dream or coma or real life, count me out. I’m not going on a quest with him or anybody else.”
“Quest?” Galahad said.
Merlin shrugged. “You have no choice.”
“I most certainly do.” Tessa lifted her chin. “If you won’t send me home I can choose to live happily ever after right here in,” she shuddered, “Camelot.”
“What quest?” Galahad stared at Merlin.
Merlin’s bushy brows arched upward. “You won’t be very happy.”
“No, but I will have the satisfaction of throwing a monkey wrench into your plans.”
“Tell me of this quest.” Galahad directed his words at Tessa.
“Hah. If you think the Middle Ages are bad perhaps you’d prefer to live out your life in the dawn of time.” A nasty light twinkled in the sorcerer’s eye. “The only human being amidst the dinosaurs?”
“Perhaps I would!”
Galahad’s brows drew together in confusion. “Dinosaurs?”
“You wouldn’t last two minutes,” Merlin said smugly.
“Maybe not.” Tessa spit the words. “But they’d be a damned satisfying two minutes.”
“Really? I’d scarcely call it satisfying. I’d call it,” Merlin cast her a wicked smile, “lunch.”
“I’d rather be lunch for a dinosaur than a pawn for you in some real-life game of Dungeons and Dragons! ” Tessa’s voice rose
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