Page 75 of Royal Rising

“I’ll tell you right now, that’s not much of a deterrent.”

She laughs and winds her arms around my waist. And then she rests her head against my chest and sighs. “Is this happening too fast? It feels like it’s happening too fast.”

“It feels pretty good to me.”Shefeels pretty good to me, here in my arms where she’s always belonged. “Now I just say the things I’ve been thinking for years.”

“Years, huh?”

“That’s what I said.”

“I’ve been thinking this is all so fast since last night, but if you’re talking years…” she says into my chest and I canfeelher smile. Edie is always smiling and cheerful, but this is a different kind of smile. This is the smile she gets because ofme.

It feels pretty darn good knowing I can make her smile like that.

“You’ve been thinking of me, have you?” I interrupt.

She tilts her head and looks up at me. “I’m not admitting anything now.”

“I’ve been thinking of you,” I tell her, and watch as her smile lights up her face.

“What were you thinking about?”

There’s no way I’m admitting any of my uneasiness. “About where I’m going to take you for our date tomorrow.”

“Not tonight?” The disappointment rings in her voice. “I thought—”

“I’m gone tonight, so you think you can handle things here?”

“I can handle anything.” I still hear the disappointment, and for once I want to cancel my plans. “Where are you off to? A goodbye dinner with Fenella?”

“Why would I be going out with Fenella if I told you I wanted to take you out?” The words come out harsher than I plan, but still—does Edie not think I meant what I said this morning?

“Oh.” She looks startled. “I just thought…”

This might take some work.

“Think about what I said and realize that I meant it.” I glance at Edie, annoyance fading with the urge to kiss her again. It was strong this morning, it’s died down a bit, like the rain, but still—I want to kiss her.

I repress the urge and run a finger down her cheek. “If that’s okay with you.”

“It’s…” She nods. “I’ll talk to Mathias.”

“Good girl.”

Her eyebrows almost disappear into her hair. “Good girl?”

This time I swipe my thumb across Edie’s lips, pausing at the centre of the bow and giving the bottom lip a tug. “I like good girls.”

My chest puffs when she swallows, and I step back. “I’m at the castle tonight. Bo’s still in town, so Dad called a dinner.”

“Fun.” The word comes out a little strangled and I smirk because I have that effect on her.

Me. Edie likes me.

“It will be. I might crash there, so don’t worry if I don’t make it back to town.”

She looks confused. “I never worry if you don’t come home or make it back into town because I can never be sure what you’re doing.”

“I thought maybe after last night…” It’s an adjustment, I tell myself. We can’t go from friends only to more without a few stumbles.

---