“A...while, apparently.” Shock cut my words into stilted pieces. Usually, the townspeople’s hostility drilled into me, impossible to ignore, but tonight... “I must not have been paying attention.”
“Yes, well. I tend to have that effect on people.”
I peered up at him. How strange. Even now that I’d realized, I didn’t care what anyone thought. Not right now. “Are you saying you’re distracting?”
His grip tightened, bringing me closer. “I prefer the term ‘all-consuming’, myself.”
All-consuming. It was a ridiculous claim. Outlandish. But my pulse surged, drawn by the gravity of those lunar eyes. I groped for a retort and failed to locate so much as a breath.
His other arm came up, pulling me into him, chest to chest. The music rollicked onward, stranding us amid a flurry of sound and activity.
“All-consuming?” I finally found a pocket of air in some unexplored region deep in my lungs. “You think way too highly of yourself.”
Kyven searched my face. This close, his scent drowned me—wild marsh and woodsmoke and lonely, star-strewn nights. Except those long-ago evenings had never felt like this one, so hot and close and intimate. Out there, no one had ever stared at me like they could map the exact shape of my soul if they spent long enough trying.
“I think every bit as highly of you,” he said. “If it’s any consolation.”
“It’s not,” I said, but my fingers seemed to disagree, because they closed around his shirtfront as if trying to draw him closer.
His lids dropped. “Careful.” He made the word into a mouthful of warm honey.
Careful. It was probably the most honest thing he’d ever said to me, a word to heed, but my body had apparently undergone a spectacular divorce from logic. I quivered inside, my breath a ragged starburst, and didn’t let go of his shirt.
“If you keep looking at me like that,” he said, “I might have to do something about it.”
I missed a beat, then another. “Do something? Like what?”
“Well, I had no plans to kiss you tonight. But I could absolutely be prevailed upon to change my mind.”
Hot needles swarmed in my gut. My eyes dropped to his mouth. He would taste like apples, I was sure. Sweet and crisp and delicious. Except...no. He was awful. The very idea was awful, and I hated everything about it. “I wouldn’t kiss you if you were the last man on earth.”
“No? Then why did you come?” His mouth snuck up at the edge, that tug pulling a corresponding hitch from my chest. Gah. No matter what else he was, he truly was beautiful. Annoyingly, disgustingly so. “Were you in it for the sparkling conversation? The free ale? Or did you intend to stare at my mouth all night and pretend not to find it interesting?”
I swallowed a shaky breath and heaved my eyes up to his. With more effort than it should’ve taken, I unhanded his shirt and shoved.
Except he didn’t move. His arms circled me like hot iron bands.
My heartbeat expanded to claim my whole body. Sweet Zephyrine, how had we ended up here? I’d meant this to be an investigation, yet I hadn’t asked a single question. I’d gotten distracted. Drunk on gorgeous eyes and a soft, inviting mouth.
And booze. Yes, definitely the booze.
“Don’t read anything into this,” I said. “I only came because I wanted to know about Vick.”
“Vick?” Kyven’s gaze thinned. “What do you care about him for? Don’t tell me you’d ratherhekiss you?”
I made a face. “No, of course not. I hate him.”
“The same way you hate me?”
“More.” I shook my head. “Or...no, less. Obviously less, because I hate you most of all. Goddess, would you stopdoingthat?”
“Doing what?”
“Asking loaded questions.” I pushed again, and this time he released me. “Ones that damn me no matter which way I answer.”
“If a mere question can damn you,” he said, “maybe it’s time for some self-reflection.”
I stemmed a gasp. “You’re horrible.”
