“You lost your flower,” he remarked, once I sat down.
“Did I?” I plucked the aster from a concealed pocket that Runa had stitched into the side seam of my gown to hold my small tin of lip stain.
His eyebrows raised. “What other secrets and tricks do you have up your sleeve?”
If only you knew. “None worth sharing.” I kept my tone vague. “What about you? Do you bring all your esteemed subjects to your private garden and charm them into confessing their secrets?”
“I’m flattered that you think I’m charming.” He clutched his heart, and I rolled my eyes. He went on, “Outside of family, I’ve never brought anyone here before, except Magnus.”
“I’m astounded you’ve never pushed him off the wall.”
“Oh, I’ve definitely thought about it—many times.”
We both chuckled. Then he said abruptly, “You still owe mea truth about yourself.”
I shook my head. “I do not! I’ve already told you mine.”
“And I told you that it didn’t count.” When I began to protest again, he continued, “You’re so mysterious all the time. I just want to know one thing—onemeaningfulthing about you. Collecting flowers for your journal doesn’t count.”
I would admire his persistence if it wasn’t such a pain in the ass. What could I possibly tell him? The silence stretched on while I wracked my brain.
An owl hooted from somewhere below as if urging me to hurry up and say something.
Finally, I said, “There’s only one person in the world who truly cares about me. Mae.”
If he was taken aback by my confession, he didn’t show it. “Who is she to you?” he asked kindly.
Fidgeting with my charm bracelet, I said, “Not a friend, nor a mother. Something in between, I suppose.”
“And what makes you think she’s the only one who cares about you?”
When I said I wanted fresh air, this wasnotwhat I’d had in mind. A distant, rational voice screamed at me to stop talking, to change the subject, to make a joke. For some reason, I ignored it. “Because she is the only one who has always been there for me, unconditionally. She’s the only one who cares that sweet treats are my weakness—except lemon. And she’s the only one who accepts me exactly as I am.”
He shifted closer. “She sounds special.”
“She is,” I said, feeling a pang of sadness. This was the longest I’d ever been away from her. Was she missing me? Worried?
“For what it’s worth, I care very much that you have a sweet tooth. I had my suspicions, but, now that they’ve been confirmed, I will be sure to bring chocolate if there’s even the slightest chance I’ll see you.”
I huffed a laugh and thought back to what Oriane had said about him. It wasn’t the least bit surprising that he’d had no shortage of female companions. Not when he said such things. “There, now you know something meaningful about me. Are you satisfied?”
“No,” he said with a small smile. “I don’t think I’ll be satisfied until I know everything there is to know about you. But that was a good start.”
I wrapped my arms across my body, suddenly feeling exposed.
I hated it.
I needed to regain control of the situation. “You are a charmer, Your Highness. Is it another one of your many attributes?”
“It is, but I meant what I said.” He met my gaze with raw intensity. “I know it hasn’t been long, but there’s something about you that feels different from anyone I’ve ever known. I’ve felt it since the moment you walked into my father’s drawing room.
“My mind used to be quiet, but now it’s full of you. I’ve spent my life running from anything that could bind me, but I’m ready to be your willing captive. I thought I was a brave man, but I tremble at the possibility that you might not feel the same way. It’s madness, yet I don’t want to fight it. It’s like every part of me wants to give in to this feeling. To you.”
My breath caught in my throat. I’d heard all kinds of enchanting speeches and declarations of love, but something about Tarben’s confession set my heart into a sprint. Maybe it was the pure want in his voice, or maybe it was the way his eyes blazed as they fixed on me, but, before I knew what I was doing, I leaned in and met the gentle warmth of his mouth.
His kiss was soft and sweet. It seemed to ask,is this what you want?
My lips responded to the silent question by kissing himharder.He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled my body into his.
