Leaning down so his face leveled with hers, he asked, “Can I kiss you?”
The room went silent—he hadn’t bothered to lower his voice, after all. But Kerym didn’t care, only lifting his eyes and throwing Pellie’s sister, who hid a smile behind her hand, a look before moving to Raine and lifting a brow in challenge until his burly redheaded friend averted his eyes.
“Kerym,” Pellie said, her cute little brows drawing together as she shook her head.
“Why not?” he asked, no guilt filling his question, only curiosity peeking through the end of the words.
He could smell her… could feel how her body responded to his, so why was she saying no?
“I don’t know… I—” Pellie bit her bottom lip, and his grin slipped back onto his face.
“That just makes me want to kiss you more,” he mumbled, his fingers twitching when she pressed herself against him, in complete contrast to her shaking her head.
Gods, he wanted to weave his hands into her hairand kiss her and fall into her and never get up again. It was as if her entire being filled him—like a sparkling liquor being poured into a tall glass—and he wanted more. Much more.
“I…”
Kerym nodded for her to continue, allowing his nose to fill with her flowery scent—the one that told him she did want this. She wanted this as much as he did. But something was holding her back.
“I think you’re channeling all your feelings about your brother and everything that happened into me,” Pellie whispered when the hushed conversation and clattering of glasses took up behind her again. “I don’t… I don’t know if this is really what you want or if you’re just sad and hoping that pouring all of that into whatever this is will bring you some relief. And… I don’t think you know either.”
Kerym stopped himself from rolling his eyes.
Yes, it fucking killed him to think about Thissian. Especially knowing what he’d done for Kerym the past centuries—how the idiot had taken his pain.
Yes, he felt everything more now. But that included the good feelings.
Thissian couldn’t have known or he wouldn’t have done it, but everything had been muted the past years… as if Kerym had lived in a world painted with fog, everything slow and sodden.
But now? Now he felt everything.
And like Frelina, hewantedto feel it all. He needed to. He didn’t know what it was, but he knew it was important that he did.
Right now. In this place. He was exactly where he should be.
“I want you. That I know for sure,” Kerym responded, watching her face twist with battling emotions. “I do. But apparently, I need to show you before I kiss you for the first time.” He leaned down so his cheek brushed against hers, careful not to let his lips touch the ear he breathed into. “And I like a challenge.”
His heart leaped when he looked up and her eyes glossed with heat, but he made himself take a step back, grateful for the door that slammed open, letting in drops of rain with the harsh wind as first Venko, then Loche and Zaddock walked through the door.
Kerym waited until the screaming rustles quieted as Zaddock shut the door. Then he stepped around the counter, tugging at Pellie to come with him.
His eyes narrowed as he swept them across the serious men: the sorrow that hardened the regent’s face, the worry darkening Zaddock’s gaze—the one that kept him from storming up to the blonde cautiously watching him—and the pinched look Venko carried as he settled into Ardow’s lap, the latter wrapping his arms around him and leaning his chin on his shoulder.
“What happened?” Kerym demanded as a current ran over his skin, making his ears perk and body tense in response.
Someone must have died. There was no other explanation—nothing that could cause the regent’s slumped shoulders as he swept the bottle off the table and sucked down deep gulps.
Heartbeats thundered through the room. Kerym shot Raine a sharp look when he noted Frelina’s jump, grateful when his friend finally got it together and stepped up behind her chair, placing his hands on her shoulders to steady her.
“Well?” Kerym said as he approached Loche, keeping Pellie a half step behind him, his senses screaming at him to protect her.
“I’m getting married,” Loche declared.
The room was silent for a beat.
Then Kerym threw his head back and laughed.
“You… you looked like… you were about to go to your own funeral,” Kerym hissed out whenever he got an ounce of air. “And… y-you’re just… getting married?”
