“She is also handy with a blade,” Apollo put in. “And swords. As well as lamps.”
“Sounds like there’s a story there,” Quincy noted.
“Two,” Apollo agreed and then he must have communicated something in man-waves because all three of them exploded in laughter.
Well!
“If you’re done making fun of me,” I cut into their amusement. “I’ll skulk back to my house and return later for dinner.”
Apollo turned smiling eyes to me and assured quietly, “We’re not making fun of you, poppy.”
“Really? I’m just a woman but I can speak Eng…I mean, the language of the Vale so I’m pretty certain I’m not mistaken that you are.”
He looked to the men and explained, “She’s very spirited as well.”
“She’s standing right here,” I snapped.
He looked back to me and that tender look seeped into his eyes.
“Calm, dove,” he said softly. “Do you think I or these men who are friends to my family think anything is unseemly about you being spirited or moving…again…to protect my children?”
Hmm.
Probably not.
I decided not to respond.
Apollo knew what my non-response meant and turned into me so we were standing front to front.
“Now, you’re here and there’s no reason for you to go back. Take your time, tour my home. The children are at their studies so you won’t see them. I’ll meet you before and take you to them. We’ll sit and talk in order that you can get to know them a little better before we dine.”
I was seeing the error of my ways (or errors, plural) in engaging on my skulking mission with Loretta and Meeta, but it was too late. We had an audience, an audience that was watching and not moving, and I couldn’t have the conversation I needed to have with Apollo right then. And I could tell by the look in his eyes that Apollo very much wanted me to stay, tour his home and meet him before he took me to dine with his kids.
And I very much wanted Apollo to have whatever he wanted.
Shit.
“Okay,” I told him. “I’ll tour your house. From the size of it, that should take me about seven hours, though. So if I get lost, send a search party.”
His lips twitched before he leaned into me and used them to kiss my nose.
He moved back, caught my eyes and murmured, “Thank you, poppy.”
I nodded, pulled in a deep breath and turned to the men. “It was lovely meeting you, after, of course,”—I looked to Quincy—“I attacked you.”
“And you,” Quincy replied, “after, of course, you attacked me.”
He really was funny and under all that rough, kind of cute.
Unfortunately I wasn’t in the mood to laugh or appreciate his cuteness.
But I did give him a smile.
Apollo let me go but put a hand to the small of my back and gave me a gentle shove toward the house, murmuring, “Go, Maddie.”
I went, trying to be game and turning as I did to give them a small wave.
I got no waves back. Instead I got a chin lift from Balthazar (who was also cute under all that rough), a grin from Quincy and a wink from Apollo who added a grin.