Page 128 of Pretense

Her gentle touch sent shivers down his spine, and it took all his self-control to stand still rather than sweep her into a passionate kiss. It was not yet time, and he forced himself to wait.

Her fingers fell from his jaw to rest lightly on his chest as she peeked up at him with those dark brown eyes, glittering in the starlight. “I think those nights in the library should remain our secret. We said no secrets, but that does not mean we cannot keep secrets from everyone else.”

He gave a relieved laugh. This was the answer he had been hoping for, though he would have done whatever she had asked. “I agree. Then, in that case, all I will tell Weylind is that I impersonated a servant here at Ellonahshinel before I was forced to change my cover and spy elsewhere. No need to go into details.”

If Weylind pressed, Edmund could truthfully tell him that it was too noticeable, for what appeared to be a young, able-bodied elf, not to join the army. When he’d reinvented himself, he’d chosen the role of a warrior crippled at the front, and that had made him much more invisible.

“Good.” Jalissa smiled up at him. “It is our secret to treasure without my brother sticking his overly long, bossy nose into our business.”

Edmund laughed, then gestured at the book she had dropped on the floor. “Yes. I can see how much you treasure that part of our past. And after I went through all the work of stealing it for you. I’m deeply hurt.”

She shook her head, her mouth twisting as if she wanted to frown but couldn’t. “I really should not find the fact that you stole my favorite book for me romantic instead of appalling.”

“Don’t fret. I replaced it with an identical copy so no one will even realize it’s missing. If anything, the new copy is in much better shape than this one. Not quite as well loved.”

“Even better. Then I will not feel guilty about keeping this gift.” That wry smile remained on her face. “You are a bad influence.”

“So I’m told.” He rested a hand over hers on his chest. “I want you to be my co-conspirator in all of my plots and secrets from now on, as I’ll be in yours.”

“You are still planning to engage in plotting?” Jalissa raised one dark eyebrow at him, but her eyes still twinkled in the starlight.

“For the good of both of our kingdoms, yes.” He shrugged, clasping her fingers with his against his shirt. “I’m not sure what it will look like yet. It will likely involve less undercover work and more spying while on official missions as ambassadors.”

“I should not be surprised.” Jalissa’s smile took on a hint of a smirk. “You will always be my ispamir.”

He caught his breath at her title for him, torn between the fact that he liked it and the instinctual fear of years of habit. “Spy prince? Isn’t that a little…literal? A good spy doesn’t go around announcing that he is a spy in his name.”

“No, a good spy does not.” Now she was definitely smirking. “But a great spy can. And you are about to tell my brother how you spied on his kingdom, only to eventually ask to marry his sister. Only the very best spy can pull that off.”

He couldn’t help it. He threw back his head and barked a laugh. “True. Edmund Ispamir. I like the sound of it.”

“I thought you might.”

“You are my perfectly sneaky princess.”

He had not seen her smirk nearly enough. It was so adorable, all elven restraint with a dash of mischief. She cocked her head, that mischief still lingering in her expression. “What is our first mission?”

“A little bit of innocent plotting.” Edmund lowered his tone, though there was no one close enough to overhear. “Fair warning, I intend to kiss you where Farrendel will happen to see. Just some harmless revenge for the fact that he married my little sister without so much as a by your leave.”

Jalissa gave him a reproving look, still tinged with mirth. “It is not Farrendel’s fault you were a little busy spying on Tarenhiel at the time.”

“All the more reason he has no excuse. I was conveniently located so that he could swing by on his way to the border.” Edmund attempted to sound huffy, but he wasn’t sure he managed it. “Don’t get me wrong. I like having Farrendel for a brother-in-law, and I can’t imagine Essie with anyone else. But she’s still my baby sister.”

Jalissa was laughing at him. Not out loud, of course, but he could tell. She fought to keep a serene smile on her face, even as her eyes crinkled. “Very well. I will help with this plan. But it cannot be my first kiss. I do not want to experience that with my little brother as an audience.”

“No, of course not.” His laughter faded as he trailed his fingers through her hair again.

She swayed closer, their faces inches apart as she peered up at him with large, trusting eyes.

He felt that trust so deeply inside his heart. He did not deserve her trust, not after he had broken her heart so many times before.

Now, no more secrets stood between them. He had asked to court her properly, including proving his intentions to her and her family in the elven tradition. This moment was right when so many times it had been wrong.

“We don’t have an audience now.” His voice came out as a low whisper as he cradled her face, gazing into dark eyes shining bright in reflected starlight. “May I kiss you?”

Her answer was a tiny, shy nod against his fingers.

Despite the rushing of his blood through his veins, the heat in his chest, Edmund slowly, gently, kissed her.

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