Page 62 of The Queen’s Bodyguard

“Just close your eyes, let me do the work. I’ll keep it tame,” he said, and he at least sounded like he meant it.

Theora fished out a gold coin from her tiny change purse, taking a breath to push down her dread at what she was about to do. Dread was perhaps the wrong word for it. It wasn’t as if she was…entirely opposed to kissing Argos. It was just that they hadn’t practiced, and she wasn’t sure she could ever make it look natural.

“Come, Theora,” Argos said, already standing near the statue.

A pinprick of annoyance flicked at her. That was a command, whether or not anyone recognized it as one. She was almost tempted to challenge it, but all that would do was make Argos double down, overdo the affection. Not that the bar wasn’t already set far too high.

She stepped forward, forcing herself not to pause before taking Argos’s hand, holding the coin with him. They didn’t linger—better to get this whole thing over with—and dropped the coin. Together they took hold of the rope and pulled it. The bell was old, its ring dull and muted, but for some reason the sound raised her anxiety. Because she knew what was coming next.

Her heart pounded, echoing off her rib cage. There was no time to soothe her nerves, no time to give Argos further instructions—he’d said he would keep it tame, but she had no idea what that meant to him. All she could do was close her eyes and trust that she wouldn’t have to lecture him later.

Thankfully, he didn’t leave her to her thoughts for long.

He took her chin in his hand, and Theora instinctively lifted her hands to push him off, at the last second remembering herself and softening the movement to take hold of his wrist…just in time to feel the gentle pressure of his lips against hers. Even though she knew it was coming, her breath caught from surprise or relief—she couldn’t decide which, and she didn’t have time to. Because as her lips parted the slightest bit Argos took her lead, deepening their kiss. She nearly swooned at the soft, pleasing pressure of his tongue in her mouth. She gripped his wrist, nearly moving forward to take him back as his lips left hers. In the next second, she remembered where she was, what she was doing.

This isn’t real…I can’t keep this…

Theora opened her eyes and blinked a few times, already missing his lips. She went to speak, but instead a burst of laughter escaped.

A giggle, Theora? What are you, a lovesick teenager?

Argos hugged her close, with the slightest raise of his brow. “And you said you didn’t like this place.”

“If you don’t let go of me…” she muttered.

With her face resting against his chest, she felt the rumble of his low laugh. “You’ll what?”

Venita’s expression was all disapproval when they rejoined them to enter the gate.

Lover’s Lagoon was different from any other tunnel in Lasius. The walls and ceiling were encrusted with luminescent rocks, giving it an almost starlit, ethereal feel that went along with the dim, calming light from the lampposts. The cavern opened up into smaller ones, she knew, that contained real saltwater lakes, some hot springs, some glowing plants. But the main attraction was an underground river that flowed for miles—and that had been flowing, or so the lore went, for thousands of years.

A spray of light moved close by, and it wasn’t until it was passing them that Theora realized someone’s cat must’ve rolled in a pile of flowers and gotten the luminescent pollen stuck to it. She laughed but stopped herself quickly.

She looked up at Argos, who was looking down at her, a slight grin tugging the corner of his mouth.

Theora was glad it was dark enough that he couldn’t see her blushing. “Don’t start.”

“This trip is allowed to be fun, you know.”

“I’m too stressed for fun,” she said. She looked over her shoulder, checking to make sure no one in their party was in earshot. “By the way, was that your idea of a tame kiss?”

“It was three seconds, at the most,” said Argos.

“Forget how long it was. You stuck your tongue in my mouth.”

“You’re the one who opened your mouth. I thought it was an invitation.”

“I-I—” She glared at him, but only because she didn’t have a good explanation for what happened. “Well, we’re not doing it again. You do realize you’re single-handedly ruining my future marriage.”

Argos raised a brow at her. “I believe this whole plan was your idea.”

“Forgive the interruption, Your Grace,” said Apollo, approaching, “but I wonder if I might have a moment.”

“Of course, Apollo,” she said, almost relieved as she regained her composure. She took the arm her friend offered, shooting Argos a look to behave as they strolled ahead.

She needed a moment away from all the tension. A moment to just feel normal. A moment to, somehow, explain to Apollo without explaining.

To keep her future beyond this week with Argos from going up in flames.