“His abduction is the only thing Edward has done which I find hard to pardon. How could he use an old man so poorly?”
“He was not harmed, Highness,” Lady Mari said. “My father himself told me so. He was fed and his medications administered on time. Only his pride suffered. And even at that, he claims he would have done the same given the same circumstance. You yourself said you would not have gone to see Prince Edward had it not been for my father’s capture.”
“But throwing him down in the dust....”
“It all happened according to a plan, Highness. A grand, divine design.”
Sebastian felt himself wanting to smile, but he refrained. “You are the last person I’d expect to be defending my brother. Even yesterday, I might have accused you of being in league with him and Tawnia.”
“And now?” She regarded him without the least hint of nerves or guilt, a small bemused smiled touching her lips. Those sweet, tender lips he had kissed just hours before.
“Now? I think I’d like to kiss you again,” he said, moving closer to her. Her expression did not alter, but she dropped her hands to her sides, as though unsure what to do with them. He reached down and gathered them into his own. “May I?”
Blushing to an endearing shade of pink, Lady Mari looked him in the eye as she nodded.
Smiling, Sebastian brought her fingers to his lips, then tipped his head to touch his lips to hers, a tender brush against their softness.
Her fingers tightened around his as he broke contact to look down at her face, still tilted up to receive his kiss. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open until she was once again gaze-locked with him.
“Oh, Highness,” she whispered. He was still close enough to feel her breath on his cheek. “I hadn’t even had time to imagine the second kiss.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Did that one do?”
“Most assuredly,” Mari said, with a small breathless laugh.
“Good. Then you must promise not to call me Highness anymore.” She appeared about to protest, so he put his fingers to her lips. “Call me by my name. Please.”
She smiled against his fingertips, and he lifted his hand to brush an errant strand of hair back from her face.
“It will take some getting used to,” she said, pausing before letting herself whisper, “but I think I can manage, Sebastian.”
###
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More YA titles by Kristi L. Cramer
In the Bonnie Isles Trilogy:
A True Prince (#1)
To Make a King (#2)
Coming Soon:
Should Monarchs Stumble (#3)
Adult titles as Kristi Cramer
In The Knights of Juneau series:
Adult Romantic Suspense
Standalone novels featuring the Knight family, residents of Juneau, Alaska.
Knight Before Dawn (#1)
In The Boys of Syracuse, Kansas, series:
Clean Suspense with a Dash of Romance
Standalone novels featuring characters connected to the town of Syracuse, Kansas.
Last Shot at Justice (#1)
Last Second Chance (#2)
One Last Song (#3)
With Elaine Cramer:
Adult Dark Humor
The Musician & the Alien
(a Sci-Fi short)
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Find these (and other titles) at:
www.kristicramerbooks.com