Page 23 of Garlands and Gauntlets

“Uh…Vaelin, I think the kettle is boiling.”

I snap my gaze to the hearth, where the kettle is bubbling like mad. I rush over and grab it with a neatly embroidered mitt, then I pour it over the tea leaves.

Theo watches me the whole time, a slight blush on his cheeks.

“So where did you spend the night last night?” I ask as I wait for the tea to steep. “I thought you were broke.”

He blushes brighter, and I have this sinking feeling he found some other cute elf to put him up…but he shakes his head. “You’re going to be annoyed.”

I frown. “Why?”

“Because I went back to your family’s bakery.”

I gape at him for a second, jaw dropping. “Wait–seriously?”

“I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” he shrugs. “So they put me up, we had some apple tart–”

“Of course you had some apple tart.”

“--and then I actually slept in your room,” he finishes. “Your mother even washed my clothes for me.”

That’s when I catch sight of it–a little flower embroidered on the collar of Theo’s tunic, my mother’s trademark.

They’re all so nice…he fits right in.

I don’t say anything, looking down into the tea instead, and Theo clears his throat. “Are you upset?”

“No,” I say. “I’m glad you had a safe place to go, I’m just…I wish they’d told me.”

“I asked them not to,” he admits. “I wasn’t sure if I would meet up with you again tonight. Wasn’t sure if I was ready to forgive you.”

“So what’s the verdict?” I ask.

He comes closer, passing by the hearth, then he reaches down and tilts my chin up. “I think you’re forgiven,” he says in a low rumble.

Then he’s kissing me…and I don’t care about the tea anymore.

All I care about is him.

Chapter thirteen

Theo

Iwant him tothink I’m some experienced, confident, sexy warrior…but I am very much not.

Not at all.

Back at Greymarch Manor, I was kept isolated from all but a few guards who were involved in my training and protection. I kissed one of themonce, but it never got any farther…

…and now I’m twenty-five and in Vaelin’s house and I want him so badly and my heart is pounding–

His hands slide up over my chest to tug at the lapels of my shirt, but he pauses over my heart, resting his hand there. We pull away and I open my eyes to see that he’s frowning.

“You okay?” he asks.

I nod. “Yeah, just–excited, that’s all.”

I don’t know how he can tell–maybe it’s the tremor in my voice, the way my cheeks flush–but he cocks an eyebrow. “Hey…” he starts. “Have you ever done this before?”

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