Loren pulled her even closer, burying his face in her hair,“I daresay, he already has his present for this year, three of them, and theyall have blonde hair.”
“Stop being wonderful,” she warned.
He shifted to kiss her shoulder.
And when he settled back, he said, “I’ll try.”
She was silent long moments, and he thought she was asleep.
He was proved wrong when she murmured drowsily into thedark, “Liar.”
He was indeed.
One last time before sleep claimed him, Loren smiled intoher hair.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Three Kings
Loren
As Loren approached, the sergeant at the doors, andthe four other soldiers besides, saluted smartly before he moved, opened one ofthe double doors, and Loren strode into the room.
The Royal Suite at The Heritage took up an entire floor.
And it looked like the sitting room of the suite took halfit.
“I’m now seeing why you refused to stay with Father and me,”Loren drawled as Tor, standing at one of several arrangements of sofas, turnedhis gaze in Loren’s direction.
Cora jumped from one of the settees and moved directly toLoren.
“Lore, you devil, you’re getting married?”
He shifted his attention to his king and lifted his eyebrow.
“I left it as a surprise,” Tor explained.“My queen has lesspatience than I do with my nobles makingarsesofthemselves.She didn’t want to come.She arrived and received a reward.Now,she’s pleased she’s here.”
As he explained this, Cora made it to him, and he fell intoa deep bow, knowing what response that would get.
“Oh my God, stop it,” she complained.
But he was struck.
He’d heard that before.
Oh my God.
Singular.
He’d heard his queen say it.
And in the beginning when he met her, he’d heard it fromSatrine.
Something vague but strange started to plague his stomach.
He ignored it as he bent to kiss Cora’s cheek, and when hewas done, Tor was there.
He didn’t bother with the bow, teasing or not.He just shookhis hand.
