Perhaps he was a keeper after all, but I wasn't ready for any declarations of undying love yet. I was riding the post-bonding high, and once I came down, I might think differently about the state of our relationship.
"I know what you like." I turned to him. "But would it kill you to act like a gentleman once in a while?"
"I'm not a gentleman and have never claimed to be."
I arched a brow, put a hand on my hip, and struck a pose. "Perhaps you should rethink your answer."
He let out an exaggerated sigh. "I'll try to behave this evening. But I'm not making any promises about tomorrow."
On second thought, I didn't really want Codric to act all stuffy during the party. I wanted him to get drunk and sing lewd ballads and make inappropriate jokes like he had done the first time we met. Perhaps not while the brass was still there, but after they left.
"Don't try too hard." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You're more fun when you're irreverent, and especially when you are singing bawdy tunes."
He rolled his eyes. "Can you make up your mind, woman? I can't guess what you want every minute of the day. I might have bonded with a dragon and discovered what it's like to communicate telepathically, but that doesn't mean I can read your thoughts."
"Find a middle ground," I said. "That shouldn't be too difficult for someone as sophisticated as you. Like it's okay to comment on my ass while we are both naked in bed, but notwhile we are in company. I'm sure that back in Catonia, you didn't make comments like that in public."
"No, not publicly, but when alone…" He shrugged. "You'd be surprised, but even the stuffiest Elurian ladies liked it when I talked dirty to them. Some giggled hysterically while others…"
I lifted a hand to stop him. "I don't want to hear about your numerous conquests."
He grinned. "You started it. Besides, I like it when you get jealous over me."
That earned him a punch to the arm.
"Ouch!" He rubbed the afflicted appendage as if I had really hurt him. "What was that for?"
"For being an ass. Not a badass, just an ass."
He didn't even pretend to look offended. "I'm both." He reached for my hand and pulled me to him. "But you love me anyway." He kissed me.
I wanted to pull away and save my lipstick, but he felt so good, and I could always reapply the lipstick later.
7
ALAR
"Love does not grant you dominion over the one you love. It grants you the privilege of worrying about them for the rest of your life."
—King Aldric III of Catonia, Letters to My Daughters
Kailin stood before the mirror in our room, weaving her golden hair into several tight braids instead of her usual loose one and humming a melody I didn't recognize.
She looked healthier and happier than she had in weeks, and I didn't know whether it was Morgateth's effect or just the relief that all five of us had successfully bonded.
I should be happy for her, and I was, but I was also furious.
"You're staring holes in my back," she said without turning from the mirror.
"I'm not. I'm just thinking while looking in your general direction."
"Way to make me feel special. Suave, Alar. Really suave," she teased. "What happened to my charming prince?"
I let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, you caught me. I was admiring the woman I love, and specifically how the dress uniform pants were lovingly hugging your backside."
She chuckled. "That's better. But given the depth of the crease between your brows, you were also thinking about topics less pleasing than the loving relationship between my uniform pants and my backside."
"There is nothing more deserving of my attention than that."
