Page 19 of Romancing the Throne
“I’ll take it,” Sparrow said, fishing for his purse.
“Let me,” I said and handed over the money before Sparrow had a chance to argue. “Call it a ‘Welcome to Everend’ gift.
“Oh, Elowin!” Sparrow blinked rapidly as the seller handed the lute over. “Thank you!” He strummed the strings once, and the seller said, “I also give lessons.”
I bit back a laugh. “No, thank you.”
Sparrow carefully slung the lute over his back, beaming.
We walked on and once more found ourselves by the grand Ceremonial Pavillion.
“What’s over there?” Sparrow asked, pointing to the tree-lined path on the other side of the street.
“Lovers’ Lane,” I said, and he went pink. “It’s where couples can meet and get to know each other better without their parents or chaperones interfering.”
His mouth opened and closed.
“We can go for a look if you want,” I offered. “Honestly, we’re more likely to see someone selling intoxication charms than to disturb anyone’s romantic interludes. And it’s a pretty place to sit.”
We crossed the street and entered the shaded park. We picked a path and followed it. Sparrow’s hand found mine again, and he tugged me to a stop so we could look at a finch in a bush. Sparrow held his free hand out, and the little bird alighted briefly on his fingers before fluttering away again.
“Are yousureyou don’t have some kind of bird magic?” I asked him.
“No,” he said with a brilliant smile. “I just like them, and they like me too.” His smile faded and he chewed his bottom lip for a moment. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“It’s not wrong, is it, for elves to come to a place like this, I mean, even if they aren’t betrothed?”
“A place like…” Oh, he meant Lovers’ Lane. “No, not at all. It’s very common for elves to have had different romantic relationships before finding someone to marry. Or to not marry, if that pleases them.”
He was pink again. “Teon and you…”
“We courted,” I said and shrugged. “It was a long time ago, but we’re still good friends. They’re my best friend.”
“Is…” He chewed his lip again and then said, “Is Teon your ex with the nipple ring?”
I laughed, as startled by the question as I was by the facthe’d remembered that. “As it happens, yes. I’m sure they’d be happy to show it off, if you’re interested.”
Sparrow laughed too, still pink. “I don’t think I would even know how to ask.” He tilted his head and was silent for a long moment before he asked, “Do you think that the prince wouldn’t mind if I’d kissed someone else before him?”
I blinked. “Oh, no. Of course not. Aldian isn’t a stickler for those sorts of traditions at all. But I thought, well, Iassumed…” I blinked again, attempting to marshal my thoughts. “Who have you kissed before, Sparrow?”
“Nobody,” Sparrow said. “At least, not yet.”
And then he pushed himself up onto his toes and kissed me.
CHAPTER 9
SPARROW
Kissing Elowin was the most impulsive thing I’d ever done in my life, and for a moment I was worried I’d made a terrible mistake. But then, after only the space of a few heartbeats, he cupped the back of my head and kissed me back with a surprising amount of enthusiasm.
I didn’t know anything about kissing at all, but Elowin was clearly very good at it. My heart fluttered in my chest, and when his tongue teased at the seam of my lips, I let him in. My eyes fell closed as I soaked up the scrape of his stubble and the taste and feel of him. But he pulled away too soon and I stared at him in confusion, my lips still tingling. Why were we stopping? A terrible thought struck me. Perhaps he hadn’t wanted to kiss me, and it had been instinct when he’d responded?
“I’m sorry,” I said.
His brow creased. “Why are you sorry?” He reached out and ran the tip of his thumb over my lips and gave me a crooked grin. “I only stopped so we could sit down. I plan to kiss you quite a lot, and it can’t be comfortable for you, standing on tiptoe like that.”
