“That won’t be necessary,” I told her.
“We shall see.”
Casteel exhaled, briefly glancing at Kieran and then me.Poppy…
I’m not going to run off to Pensdurth, I assured him.
Promise me.
The hand resting in my lap curled into a fist.I promise.
And I wouldn’t break that promise. At least not tonight. But if we heard nothing by tomorrow? Iwouldgo.
He hesitated for a handful of seconds and then bent forward to cup my cheek, his lips brushing over mine. “Behave.”
Tawny snorted.
Pushing back from his chair, he stood. “Let’s go talk to my brother.”
Kieran walked around the table and stopped at my side. He stood there silently for a moment as Casteel stepped off the platform.
I peeked up at him.
He waited.
I sighed. “I’m not going anywhere. I swear.”
“You’d better not,” he said, squeezing the back of my neck.
Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms. Kieran nodded at Tawny and joined Casteel.
The moment the door closed behind them, Tawny looked at me. “I half-expected Kieran to kiss you before he left.”
“I’m not even going to respond to that,” I muttered, picking up my glass.
Tawny giggled. “I thought the Da’Neer brothers were about to engage in fisticuffs.”
“Fisticuffs?”
Her head bobbed. “Are your suppers always that entertaining?”
My thoughts flashed to the one in New Haven when Casteel had announced his intention to marry me. “They can be even more…entertaining.”
Her eyes widened. “Do tell?”
“Sometimes, people start their suppers with their hearts in their chest.” I took a drink of the sweet wine. “And end them missing said heart and dead.”
“Oh.” Tawny looked away. “Wow.”
I smiled.
“So.” Tawny drew out the word. “You going to tell me what Nyktos forbade Reaver from telling you?”
My grip tightened on the glass.
“If not, I’m going to be offended, and you know how I get when I’m offended,” she added. “It will probably end with one or both of us not behaving. Then Casteel will never leave you alone with me.” She turned in her chair, flashing the widest eyes possible. “Do you want to be responsible for that?”
I shot her a bland look.
