Kingdom of Sea and Stone (Crown of Coral and Pearl #2) - Mara Rutherford Page 0,13
him in the living area of our house.
“I’m sorry it’s not much,” I said as I led him to our balcony, where I shook out one of our few blankets. The rain had eased, but every now and then the clouds lit up with distant lightning. “We’ve never had a guest spend the night before.”
Talin leaned against the balustrade. “I’m honored to be the first.”
“I still can’t believe you’re here,” I said, folding the blanket over my arm. The light from the house spilled out onto the balcony, bathing Talin in its warm glow. A part of me didn’t want to go to sleep tonight, because I was afraid I’d wake to find this had all been a dream.
Talin held out his hand, and I joined him at the railing, pressing into his warmth. “I don’t know how we’ll explain this to the governor,” I said softly. “Not after I was so sure...”
He placed his hand on top of mine. “I hoped when I saw you again it would be to tell you that Varenia was free. Instead I’ve made your lives far worse.”
“You haven’t. If I’d never gone to Ilara in Zadie’s place...” I trailed off, taking a ragged breath. “If I’d never met you—”
“Don’t you dare finish that thought.” He put a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face him. “Meeting you was the only good thing to happen to me since I found out my mother was still alive. And every moment I’ve spent with you after has been better than the one before. Even right now, when I have no idea what we’re going to do, all I can think about is how badly I want to kiss you.”
I blushed at his frankness. “Then why don’t you?”
“Your mother is right inside the house, for one thing.”
I stood on tiptoe until my lips were close to his ear. “My mother doesn’t have to know.”
Talin turned his face before I had lowered myself back down, his mouth finding mine instantly, stealing my breath. His hands moved from my shoulders into my hair, tipping my head farther back. I dropped the blanket and felt his lips curl in a smile against mine.
Just a few hours ago, I had wondered if I would ever see Talin again, and now he was here, holding me. For a moment, I let myself forget the horrible news that had brought him to Varenia and said a silent thank-you to the universe for giving us this time together.
We were so focused on each other that I almost didn’t hear the tiny voice calling my name.
Talin and I froze, still intertwined.
“I only wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to sleep on the pallet,” Zadie called softly from just inside the house. “It’s too cold in our room,” she added. “Um, good night.”
A moment later, I let out a very unromantic snort of laughter, a mixture of embarrassment and relief. For the first time since we’d met, we could be together without fear or judgment. The only thing we risked hurting tonight was my mother’s sense of propriety.
“Have I ever told you how much I like your sister?” Talin murmured. He picked me up and stumbled backward into my room until his knees buckled against the mattress and he landed with a heavy thud.
“Careful,” I hissed. “We don’t have your fancy feather mattresses here, you know.”
Talin glanced behind him. “You don’t have our fancy doors, either.”
“Mmm. Pity, then, that you’re so ticklish.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” he said, inching away from me toward the edge of the bed.
I arched an eyebrow and flexed my fingers. “Wouldn’t I?”
I leaped atop him, quickly discovering the places he was most ticklish and then doing my best to avoid them, in order not to wake my mother with his laughter.
“This isn’t fair,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’re not ticklish.”
I finally relented, letting him catch his breath for a few minutes while I disappeared behind the curtain and changed into a shift. When I returned, he had removed his boots and unlaced the top of his tunic, exposing a few inches of his smooth bronzed chest.
We both looked at the tiny bed at the same time. A furious blush bloomed in my cheeks.
“I’ll sleep on the floor,” he said quickly.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re our guest.” I shuffled around him awkwardly and reached for the dropped blanket. “I’ll take the floor. In the meantime, I thought maybe we could both sit on the bed and talk.”