Page 87 of Once Upon a Crown
“If it makes you feel any better,” Lance looked at me, “I never liked him.” It was a poor attempt at cheering me up, but I appreciated the effort.
“Not even when you first met him?”
“You mean on that trip I took to Norrandale with my father?”
I nodded.
“I remember him following Cai around like some kind of lost puppy. But apart from that I don’t remember much.”
“Oh I know that.”
He gave me a look. “I do remember kissing you, Gwen.”
“Really?” I faked surprise. “I’m surprised you do.”
“We’ve had this conversation before.” Yes, we had. And he’d told me it meant something to him too, but what exactly, I didn’t know.
“Not that it matters,” I said a little dramatically. “It wasn’t that good a kiss anyway.”
“Now I know you’re lying.”
“Am not,” I insisted. “Why? Has no one ever told you that you have mediocre kissing skills, Prince?”
He ran his tongue across his teeth, drawing my attention to his mouth.
“No.” He tried to hide a grin. “They have not.”
“Well, good thing I told you, then. Since we’re friends and all, I suppose it is now my responsibility to keep you humble and so forth. Can’t have you walking around with any delusions about yourself.”
His mouth fell slightly open, and I couldn’t say I didn’t relish the fact that I’d caught him off guard at least a little bit.
Lance’s eyes narrowed. “If it was such a bad kiss, then why did it have you swooning over me for months after?”
Oh, I’d walked right into that one, hadn’t I?
“I didn’t say it was bad, I said it was mediocre,” I corrected him, though still not entirely helping myself.
“Then why’d you hold a grudge for literal years?”
I needed to change the subject fast, before I made a fool of myself.
“You’re so full of it,” I replied with derision.
“Oh, am I?” Lance asked with a mocking tone, looking down into my eyes. He clearly enjoyed teasing me and some part of me enjoyed the attention.
“Yes,” I replied. “You most definitely are.”
His face was closer now and I didn’t dare break the eye contact and give him the upper hand. I didn’t want to let him know that despite everything, despite all the years, he still got to me.
“Then you must not be doing a very good job of humbling me, after all.” His gaze travelled to my lips and then back up to my eyes.
“Well, your ego is so big, it’s going to take a while to bring you back down to earth.”
Lance was so close to me now that we practically shared a breath. I could feel my heart beating in anxious anticipation.
“Gwen.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I forgot how to breathe.
“Yes?”
