Page 97 of Kiss of Fire

“But it’s not just gratitude you feel towards him, is it?” she told her reflection. “Tor was right. You have feelings for him.”

Yet it didn’t matter what she felt. Shade was probably counting the minutes till she was gone.

She could still thank him for the dress though.

She went through into the living room and knocked at his door.

“Come.”

She opened it a crack.

“Hi. Um, I didn’t know if you’d be here. I know you’re busy. I just came to say thanks for the dress.”

“Am I permitted to see?”

“Oh. Okay.”

She opened the door wider and slipped inside.

Shade had also dressed for the occasion, He was resplendent in a white sleeveless tunic made of raw silk and embroidered in gold, with a thick gold sash around his waist.

Raya swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.

“Wow. You look amazing.”

Shade didn’t answer. His eyes were roaming over her, flaring blue with such intensity that heat flooded her cheeks. She tried to laugh it off with an awkward little pirouette.

“What do you think?”

He couldn’t speak. She had, he was forced to admit, taken his breath away.

When he eventually found his voice, he was mortified to find he didn’t know what to say.

“You look… nice.” He cursed himself. By the gods, how asinine was that? He tried again. “Very… nice.”

“Um, thanks.” She looked down at herself. “I can’t believe my mother wore this. It makes me feel really close to her. I can’t thank you enough.”

“It was nothing. A small gesture. How are you feeling?”

“Scared shitless.”

“What is ‘shitless’?”

“It means very, very scared.”

“You have no need to be. I have every confidence in you.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because you are the one who took down a jotnar. This demonstration is a mere formality.”

His lip curled in amusement and reluctantly, she smiled back.

“I hope you’re right.”

“Have you thought about what you’ll do afterwards?”

“Not really. Go back to the human world, I guess. Not England, obviously. They’re probably still looking for me there. I’ve always wanted to see Europe, though. Maybe I’ll do some travelling.”

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