Page 144 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
“Bruvver likes kisses.”
Eloquence wasn’t about to pass up a chance to kiss Kimiko. “I am willing.”
Her expression softened. “So am I.”
He awaited her touch, trying not to think too hard about where this kiss would land. He was learning Kimiko’s ways—fond and flirtatious, always coaxing for a smile. She took hold of his braid, wrapping it around her hand in order to draw him close enough to deliver a small peck on the tip of his nose.
This gambit earned the pup’s appreciative applause.
Quen asked, “What do you think, Ever? Was that a good kiss?”
“Silly!”
“You don’t think courtship can be silly?” asked Kimiko.
The little boy shook his head. “Bruvver’s growed up.”
Eloquence said, “I think I should be allowed to have fun, even when I’m grown.”
“Bruvver’s growed up,” insisted Ever. “Tained and troved.”
“But I’m still your Quen.”
Ever took interest in the decoration on the front of his tunic. In a small voice, he said, “Quen is for Kimi.”
This time, when he reached for his little brother, Laud yielded.
Quen lifted him high, swung him low, and tickled the pup until he gasped and squirmed. Only when the wag was back in Ever’s tail did Eloquence firmly state, “I have reached my attainment, and I am betrothed.AndI am still your Quen.”
“My bruvver.” And more cautiously, “My Quen?”
It was the first time the boy had called him by name, and it seemed both a gift and a promise. His pup would always need him, even if the ways changed. “Always and ever,” Eloquence promised.
Ever took hold of Eloquence’s braid with both hands and pulled. When Quen leaned in, his brother kissed his nose. “Luff you, Quen.”
Just before Eloquence was to leave the tent for his final circuit of the courtyard, he stood with Kimiko, shoulder to shoulder, hands clasped. All his senses told him she was pleased and present, embracing the noise and the excitement. “What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Savoring the moment.” Kimiko rubbed the side of her face. “And wondering if Junzi will release a special line of chocolate bars to celebrate our wedding.”
He chuckled.
“And another thing.” Her sidelong look had a speculative quality. Crooking her fingers to bring him nearer, she whispered in his ear. “I’ve been wanting to ask, and I seem to have you to myself for the moment.”
“For the moment,” he agreed.
“If my pledges are supposed to lead into increasingly intimate territory, where is my final kiss supposed to land?”
Quen managed to answer evenly. “My blaze.”
Kimiko’s fingers settled on his bare chest. “And where do you keep that?”
His heart had begun to hammer. “I’m sure you’ll find it if you look hard enough.”
“Would the uncovering of blazes count as courting behavior?”
“Definitely.” And while they were near enough to the matter, he said, “I have also been wondering. The placement of today’s kiss … who chose it?”
“I did.”
