She understood what Vekel had meant the moment her lips made contact with Brynjolf's. As soon as she'd pressed her lips to his, his arms had contracted, almost painfully, around her and brought her even closer.

Damn, she thought as her lips curved into a smile under his; he sure can kiss.

Alianna broke the kiss and smiled up at Brynjolf's stunned expression. Patting him on the cheek, she stepped out of his arms, "I think I got my answer." With a saucy smile, she started to turn away and go gloat to Vekel that she'd learned what he hadn't wanted to tell her.

For the second time that day, her second grabbed her by the back of the shirt and jerked her back.

With a spark of annoyance in her eyes, Alianna spun around and jabbed a finger into Brynjolf's chest, "What's the big idea? I've got things to do."

She glared up at his calm expression waiting for a response, but none came.

"Look, if there's nothing then I'm-eep!"

The sentence ended in a squeak as Brynjolf lifted her in his arms and started to cart her off to places unknown.

Alianna couldn't help but stare incredulously up at the big redheaded Nord. What the hell was he up to? "Brynjolf, what's the meaning of this? Put me down this instant! Do you hear me?!"

"Hush, Lass," he said calmly as he headed, she realized, for the master suite. Her room.

Panicking, Alianna struggled to get out of his grip, but his grip was unrelenting. Apparently, she thought with more panic rising in her chest, she'd given Brynjolf the wrong impression.

"Brynjolf, I believe you misunderstood the intention behind that kiss." Dammit. She couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice.

"If I did," he began, "then we'll settle it in your quarters."

Though his grip was like steel, she still tried to escape his hold. Without prevail.

As they passed different members of the Guild, she was mortified to see amusement in all of their gazes. Her face grew hot and she knew she was blushing like mad.

Brynjolf tossed her on the bed and shut the door. Turning back, he found that she had already pushed herself to her knees. Her annoyance clear on her face, "Look, Brynjolf. Vekel said something that hinted that you had a crush on me and I wanted to find out for myself. That's all."

His lack of response and reaction made her nervous. "So, can I go now? Since I cleared everything up?"

Once again, no response.

With a huff, she bounced off the bed and started to stomp past him.

He grasped her arm in his hand and tossed her right back onto her bed. Before she could get up again, Brynjolf covered her body with his, pinning her down.

"Let me up, Brynjolf," she snarled through her teeth.

Shaking his head, her second in command replied easily, "Not yet, Lass. Fore, you see I've been dying to have you and what is a man to think when a woman just ups and kisses him in front of everyone?"

Irritated, Alianna struggled to throw him off. But he was a Nordic man and he outweighed and overpowered her. Her attempts of escape proved useless. Setting her teeth, she answered his question, "That's my way. You know me; I don't care what anyone thinks."

When Brynjolf grabbed her chin and yanked her head around, panic bloomed in her chest. It wasn't that she wasn't attracted to Brynjolf, he was a very handsome man, but she knew that the man was possessive and he would want her for keeps.

"Brynjolf, stop!" she threw her hands up and covered his mouth in an effort to stop his descending mouth. "You don't want to start this."

He raised a brow in question.

"I'm planning on leaving tomorrow," she said quickly. She hadn't been, but his feelings spooked her into changing the time to sooner rather than later.

He stopped and drew back to study her, "Leaving? Where?"

Relief washed through her at the distance she'd gained between their bodies. "Not sure yet."

"Why on earth would you think of leaving the Guild?"

Alianna pushed herself to sit on the edge of the bed beside him. She shook her head and clarified her intentions, "I'm not planning on leaving forever. I just need a little more excitement. A change of scenery, if you will."

Brynjolf frowned, "Being a thief and dodging the law isn't enough excitement for you?"

She shrugged off his sarcasm, "I'm not much of a thief, Brynjolf. Actually, that's not true. I'm a great thief, but that's beside the point. I'm used to killing that's what I'm good at."

His eyes darkened with disapproval, "You want to start killing? For money?"

Alianna rolled her eyes, "I meant on a battle field. Fighting bad guys, slaying dragons, rescuing men in distress."

"I thought it was damsels in distress," Brynjolf interjected with a small smile.

"Whatever," she waved his comment aside. "I need more excitement than what the Guild has to offer at the moment. I'm not going to be gone for too long, I'll come back every now and then to bring some goods I've collected along the way or just to see how things are going."

Brynjolf just stared at her for a moment, "If you're not going to be gone for good. Then why can't we start anything between us?"

Uh oh, she thought, she hadn't expected him to bring that subject back up. "Well, I uh..." She swallowed, "You're a man that wants one woman for life. I can't give you that."

Her eyes widened when he reached out and wrapped a hand in her hair, "You're right about me, Lass. I am looking for a woman I can settle down with. One that knows who and what I am and still chooses to be with me." When she tried to break the hold his eyes had on hers, his grip in her hair tightened, "I think that woman might be you. I know you're drifter and the thought of staying in one place for too long distresses you."

"I'm not scared," she protested.

He ignored her and continued, "So I am aware that I'm going to have to work on you. I need to make you fall in love with me so that you'll stay here with me and give up the yearning to leave. But, I'm not going to make you stay here. I'll woo you whenever you come back until you give into me."

He sounded so confident in his ability to do so that it both angered and frightened her. Narrowing her eyes at him she bared her teeth in what could be considered a sneer. "Oh, cut the bullshit, Brynjolf. You just want to get me in bed."

Alianna saw the flare of anger in those green eyes before she was flat on her back and his mouth covered hers.

She gasped in shock and stiffened when his tongue slipped between her lips. In not time, she relaxed and her eyes closed to enjoy the kiss.

She could feel his irritation as he feasted on her lips. But the anger didn't spoil the kiss, truth be told, it made it exciting.

Brynolf released her lips to growl, "Oh I want you in bed, Lass. There is no doubt about that. But I want more than just a romp, I want something that will last for a very very long time. It isn't just that sweet body that draws me to you, it's that sharp mind and your strange sense of humor."

"Strange sen-?"

"You'll come back to me, Lass. And one day you'll stay with me."

When he covered her lips again, Alianna decided she just might have to come back to Riften very soon indeed.