Thom didn’t know whether to be intrigued or terrified.
“So Evie . . . ?” Ilain prompted.
With an uncomfortable sigh, Evylin shrugged. “Well...I didn’t really have togethim to do it. He just did.”
“Hm.” Ilain narrowed her gaze thoughtfully. “How long did it take?”
“About a month.”
“Mm.” Her hum sounded disgruntled this time. “I’m not that patient. Is it an Ephrian thing? Being slow to affection?”
Suddenly, Thom understood what was happening. “Ethenn hasn’t kissed you?” he stated rather than asked.
Ilain scowled. “Not since our betrothal ceremony.”
“Interesting,” he muttered, then inquired, “And is this the area where my expertise comes in?”
“Something like that.”
Thom chuckled in disbelief. He wasn’t sure why Ethenn hadn’t kissed Ilain yet; it might have been due to their discrepancy of feelings. But he wasn’t entirely certain why that should stop him. The woman had quite literally offered herself to him. What man wouldn’t take that as an invitation?
With a toss of his hand, Thom decided the young man was a fool. “Well, no, it’s not an Ephrian thing,” he said. “Wearea more reserved culture, but not all men are so ‘proper’ as to remain so chaste. I’m actually rather surprised to hear that Ethenn is so reticent in that regard.”
“That’s the thing,” Ilain said, eyes darting between Thom and Evylin, “I don’t think he is. He told me that he’s kissed dozens of women.”
“Dozens?” Evylin exclaimed.
“Hetoldyou that?” Thom asked incredulously. “Why on Allore’s green Terraeus would he tell you how many women he’s been with?”
“He hasn’tbeenwith any women, thank you very much,” Ilain said with a haughty thrust of her chin into the air. “He’s simply kissed a handful of them... Amongst other activities as well, apparently.”
Thom snorted, still bemused. “And he informed you of this when?”
“On our betrothal night.”
“Huh.” Thom raised his brows at Evylin. “The man’s crazier than I thought.”
Evylin shook her head despite the laugh that bubbled out of her. She turned to Ilain. “Was there a particular reason you discussed your past relationships on your first night together?” she asked.
Ilain shrugged. “No. And they weren’t relationships from the sounds of it.”
“Ah.” Thom grimaced. “I never pegged Ethenn for a lecher.”
“Heisn’t,” Ilain objected vehemently. “As clearly evidenced by the fact that he refuses to touch me. And which,” she swept a hand toward her lithe figure, “is profoundly confusing when I’ve practically thrown my barely clad body at him twice now.”
Thom scanned her approvingly and spoke in a dry tone. “It is baffling. Should you throw yourself at me, you’d have no virtue left.”
“What did I say about patronizing me?”
He grinned at her. “I’m just agreeing with you, Ilain. Something is wrong with Ethenn. Any other man, even bloody Jonn Deckard, would lose himself to a battle against the will of a wife such as you.”
“Thank you,” Ilain said while Evylin scoffed.
“Even if I stripped naked in front of Jonn that first night, he’s such a gentleman that he would have simply asked if I needed to borrow a shirt,” Evylin protested.
Though Thom would rather avoid thinking of his brother in such scenarios, he couldn’t help embarrassing her by asking, “Does he do that now?”
Evylin blushed. “No,” she said, letting the short reply hang suspended in the air.
