“Have you told her?” Khiran asked.
Velario kept his mouth closed, feeling a bit like the idiot Danten had called him. He had worried that if he asked Reyn for too much, she might not feel comfortable with the arrangement they already had. But what if his friends were right, and his silence had prevented them from deepening that relationship? Telling Reyn how he felt didn’t mean pressuring her to feel the same.
“Do yourself a favor,” Khiran said after a moment. “Don’t hesitate when you declare yourself. Tell her exactly what you want, then let her decide if she wants the same thing—you’ll be able to tell if she feels backed into a corner.”
Velario took a moment to think it over. He stood up. “In that case, I believe I shall walk out of here, track Reyn down, get her naked, and then ask her to marry me.”
“You cannot be serious,” Danten groaned.
“Of course I am. I love her. Why shouldn’t I ask her to marry me?” Khiran had a point. This was Reyn. She wouldn’t hesitate to laugh in his face if she didn’t want to marry him. But if she did, and he didn’t ask? No, he wouldn’t make that mistake.
“That’s not the part I was hoping you were joking about. You do not ask a woman to marry you in bed, Vel. You have to make it a big romantic moment.”
Vel crossed his arms. “And how many proposals have you made?”
“Doesn’t matter. Khiran? Del? Back me up here.”
Khiran smiled. “Lisca actually asked me.”
Del shrugged. “Ro and I agreed it was time after my uncle hired an incubus to seduce her in order to ensure I’d cooperate with a political match he wanted.”
Danten dropped his head against the table. “Romance, people. The ladies want romance!”
Velario sat back down. Reyn did deserve a romantic proposal. “What do you suggest?”
