December 21st marked one year since The Artist's Masquerade was published, so I thought I would share a snippet of that with you this weekend. In this scene, Cathal has drawn Flavian away from a party that neither of them was enjoying (but both should be present at) to show him a room in the royal palace created to house a particular enchantment. Or perhaps just to be alone with him...

Mesmerizing. The lights swirling and sparkling above them, the slow movement of Cathal’s fingers... the rest of the world faded away. Beautiful though they were, even the lights couldn’t hold his full attention, blurring together in front of his eyes as his focus narrowed to Cathal’s touch. Those strong fingers drawing random patterns up and down his back, the heat of them burning through the layers of fabric separating them from his skin. He tried to make sense of those patterns, tried to anticipate where Cathal would move, but he lost even the attempt in the sensations, the heat shivering through him.
“Flavian....” It was a whisper of sound, and Flavian barely heard it over his own heart beating in his ears.