“Oh, he loved you?” he asked.
I looked away into a tree to keep from crying.
“How can you be sure?”
“You weren’t there,” I stated. “I know what I know. You know nothing of it.”
“Maybe, but Idoknow one thing. I would’ve brought you back something from the hunt had I known this was the kind of girl you were, Princess.”
“Oh, eat sand!” I spat.
“Eatsand?”His eyes flashed wider, and he cracked a buoyant laugh. “Struck a nerve, have I?”
I took a deep breath.
“Tell me. What would you have liked from me? A token from the nearby shop?” He slid off Ice and plucked a single flower from the path, then presented it to me. “Or something closer to your bird? Here. This is white. What doesthisbuy me?”
I galloped on ahead.
“Wait!” he cried. “Wait! I could find a feather! Give me but a moment!”
I was nearly to the bend when a loud, high whistle tore through the air and brought Tails to an absolute halt. I kicked him and tried to urge him on, but the traitorous bastard let Cyrus catch up.
“Good boy,” the swordsman told him, stroking his neck. He was still happy when he offered me his hand to help me down.
I took it, but my feet went firmly into the dirt, and I gawked angrily at his face as his palms slid to my hips. They were warm and large, and as quickly as I had protested their arrival, the smile left Mr. Evergreen’s face, and we were caught in a would-be, almost-embrace, and he was serious.
He came forward in the slightest way. He dropped his hands; his voice was husky.
“Are you going to tell me about him?” he asked. “About the kiss?”
“I amnot,”I replied.
“Why?” He smirked. He returned his arms but higher, pinning them to the horse’s side, and in either direction of my cheeks. “I’ll tell you aboutmyfirst kiss.”
“I have many regrets sharing any of this with you,” I said. “I wish you would forget.”
“A kiss is nothing to forget,”he whispered.“I’m sure your knight would agree. I’m sure he still thinks about it, Swan. I’m sure he compares every woman he thinks about to you.”
I backed into Tails. “Don’t call me that,” I said.
“Call you what? Swan?”
I wanted to complain, to throw whatever verbal dagger I had at him, but the proximity, the angle, and the meaning of whatever it was he was doing entrapped me in a frenzy I could not compete with.
He said,“I’d wager he’d pay any price to kiss your perfect lips again. Would you let him? Even if he did not declare himself?”
“Do not toy with me, Sword,” I said, squaring. “I do not appreciate being the victim of your jokes.”
“You think I’m joking?”he asked. His eyes were fixed to mine. “How could he not want to kiss you, Svana?” he asked.
Chapter 25
Iarched a brow, convinced, beyond all doubt, that Mr. Evergreen was, in fact, dumb enough to dare press his mouth to mine, if not prevented.
“Doyouwant to kiss me?” I asked.
“Yes.”
