She whaps my arm with a giggle. “Oh, you! Stop that now. Nolan and I are very respectable.”
“The way he wore your lip stain two nights ago would suggest otherwise.”
Her skirts billow as she plops onto the edge of my unmade bed. “A few stolen kisses, that’s all. Everyone does it.”
If only that were true. “Not everyone,” I grumble.
Nia’s hand snaps out, her cool fingers encircling my wrist. “Wait. Are you saying you haven’t kissedanyone?”
“Who was I to kiss? My brother or the neighbor’s goats?”
“Oh, Kerris! You poor thing. You simply must kiss Ronan. I hear he has a wealth of experience and is well-versed in the art of lovemaking.”
“I am not interested in Ronan’s…lovemaking.” Heavens, above. Imagineme, bedding a bloody prince. Utterly ridiculous.
A knock reverberates up the stairwell, and my pulse speeds at the noise. Downstairs, I hear my aunt offer a friendly greeting, followed by a familiar voice.
“He’s here!” Nia launches to her feet and drags me to mine. “Your sleeves would look better down.” She tugs them off my arms, exposing my shoulders.
“What are you talking about? They’re supposed to be up.” I put them back where they belong. There. Nice and respectable.
“No, they’re supposed to bedown.” She yanks them down once more, and when I go to fix them again, she raps my knuckles. “Don’t you dare touch them. You already insisted on lacing your corset all the way; give me this one thing. Please?”
I only insisted on lacing my corset because my breasts would fall out otherwise. I suppose my sleeves don’t looktooscandalous down. “Fine.”
“Ah! Thank you! You are perfect, Kerris. Just perfect.” Her warm hands come over my shoulders, squeezing tightly. “Remember: Ronan is the one who must work for your proposal, not the other way around.” Her eyes sparkle. “And for the love of all that is holy, let that man kiss you.”
* * *
I catch my skirts to keep from tumbling down the steep stairs and descend to where Ronan waits at the door with my aunt in a shirt as blue as his eyes. When the prince sees me, his mouth curves into an appreciative smile.
Let that man kiss you.
The thought of his lips on mine makes me nervous and excited and maybe a tiny bit sick to my stomach. Perhaps there is some merit to the idea. I don’t have to marry the man to let him kiss me, do I? Don’t I owe it to my future mate to have at least a little experience?
My aunt opens the door for us. “Have fun, you two.”
Ronan inclines his head. “Thank you, Mrs. Quill. Are you ready, Kerris?”
As ready as I’ll ever be.
The sleeves of his shirt have been rolled to his elbows, exposing a pair of tanned forearms. Taking his proffered arm, I let him lead me out into the sunny day. Wisps of white dot the blue sky overhead as we traverse the path to the bustling sidewalk.
“You look stunning,” he whispers.
Heat blooms up my throat, burning a path to my jaw. “Thank you.”
“How did you fare yesterday?”
My mind leaps straight to the tall, toned Unseelie we saw at the well. I press a hand to my fluttering stomach, willing my voice to remain calm instead of giddy. “I found it difficult to stay inside.”
“But you did stay in, didn’t you? There’s no telling what those beasts are capable of. I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to you.”
“I appreciate your concern.” Although it is entirely unnecessary. The leader saw me, and nothing came of it.
Instead of continuing toward the city center, Ronan takes a sharp left, bringing me to an area of the city I’ve yet to explore. Each cottage is larger and grander than the one before it—so grand, I’m not sure they can be called cottages at all. The roofs morph from thatch to slate, the windows growing and growing until they become walls of glass overlooking gardens so magnificent, they belong in a storybook.
“Where are we going?”