"Atleast under the Qun, you don't get everyone tripping on each other's dicks while the country goes to crap."

Shalini only chuckled at that and folded her arms.

"You've got a way with words, Bull."

"I do what I can."

"Maybe we can find some other uses for that mouth of yours..." She purred and leaned forward slightly.

"Yeah..." He hummed, tilting is head to the side, and seemed to think. "When is the next meal, anyway? Orlesian food always leaves me hungry."

Shalini stared at him, speechless, until she sagged against the pillar behind her.

"Am I really so bad at flirting that you're not even noticing when I do it?"

He appeared surprised at first, but then he laughed and pulled her into his lap, grinning heartily.

"Awww, don't be sad, Kadan. I do notice." He cupped her ass and squeezed lightly. "But yeah, you kind of suck."

She pouted her lips and sulked, looking at him with big eyes.

"Well, I'm sorry." She muttered. "I don't have that much experience with seduction."

As the Keeper's First, Shalini had spent most of her upbringing and time to study and learning her magic. Because of that, she hadn't really had the time to make many friends, much less form romantic attachments. Oh, she had fooled around, but that required little planning and much less seduction than now, believe it or not.

Bull only snorted at her apparent predicament, and gave another squeeze, making her yelp.

"Oh, there's a difference between seduction and flirting, Kadan." He murmured, and smirked as she slapped a hand over her mouth, quickly looking around to see if anyone had heard her, painfully reminded that they weren't, in fact, alone. When no one seemed to react, she eased up and turned back to him, raising an eyebrow.

"And you consider yourself an expert?" She asked and tilted her head.

"Naaaah..." He shrugged. "But I'd like to say I'm an expert when it comes to you."

"Oh?" She folded her arms. "Do explain."

He moved his hands from her ass and let them rest around her waist instead, his thumbs making slow circles.

"Well..." He began and leaned back, but his hands stayed where they were, warmth seeping through her tunic. "Okay, when you flirt...I have no idea where you got those lines from, they're just...You want to seduce, but you end up flirting, which kind of just kills it."

"Yeah, okay, I get it. My flirting is horrible." Shalini muttered, a big frown on her face. "But I must have succeeded with something, right?"

"It wasn't your flirting, that's for sure..." He snickered, and she gave him a light punch.

"Come one, Vhenan." She pleaded. "Have I seduced you even once?"

He laughed out loud at that and Shalini felt her heart sink like a stone, but then his hands were on her ass again and he lifted her up so her forehead almost brushed against his.

"You, Kadan -" He growled. "- seduce me everyday, whether you intend it or not."

She swallowed, a small shiver passing through her body.

"Really?"

"Really." He smirked. "Except when you try to flirt, that's just horrible."

She snorted and punched him again, smiling as she did it.

"Okay, okay!" She laughed. "I get it!"

She rested her head against his shoulder then and they stayed like that for awhile, his hands occasionally fondling her bottom again. All Shalini could hear was the background murmur and clang of mugs and glasses, and when she put a hand on his chest, his strong heartbeat added an almost soothing noise.

After a few minutes of calm though, Bull straightened up a bit and cleared his throat.

"You know, Boss." He looked at her with a crooked smile. "I wasn't messing around with you when I said Orlesian food made me hungry."

She giggled, but didn't move her head to look at him.

"We can take something with us to the room." She mumbled. "Eat in bed."

"I like the way you think, Kadan." He rumbled and grinned down at her. "See? Now you're doing it again, wicked little seductress."

"I do what I can."