Ethenn’s shoulders stiffened as she drew closer. “Not that way,” he said.
A shadow crossed her expression for a moment. Then she chuckled. “I’m not trying to seduce you,” she promised. “I’m merely comforting you.”
“I’m not the one who needs comforting.”
“You’re a bloody orphan,” she teased. “They always need comforting.”
Ethenn couldn’t help his amused grin. “That’s quite insensitive.”
“I’m not known for empathy.”
Without his consent, his hands found their way to her waist. “And I’m not known for my openness.”
“How’s this, then?” She tugged on his shirt, pulling him toward the bed with her. She sat on the edge, gripping his hands. “You said to tell you when I needed something. Well, this is what I need, Ethenn. I want you to distract me.”
Ethenn grimaced. “By telling you about my parents?”
She shook her head, staring up into his eyes. “By telling me about yourself,” she said, patting the mattress beside her.
Ethenn stared at the pattern on the worn brown quilt. “Ilain—”
“Ethenn,” she interrupted.
He met her gaze, seeing the mix of hope, fear, and sorrow within.
“Please.”
Taking the seat she’d offered, Ethenn sucked in a deep breath. Could he do this? She needed help; that much was clear—a distraction to keep her mind off her loss. But if he opened up about his past, that would mean reliving everything,revealingeverything. And he wasn’t sure he could do that.
Ilain’s fingers brushed his on the bed between them. She looped her forefinger around his, gently prodding him to speak.
Turning to her, Ethenn made his decision. “I’ll make a deal with you, Ilain.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ll answer one question with total honesty,” he said. “Then you’ll never ask about my past again.”
Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not much of a distraction.”
“I wasn’t finished.”
She nodded for him to go on.
“One question, one honest answer,” he said, then swallowed down the last of his fear and added, “And I’ll kiss you.”
Ilain blinked. “I don’t—”
“As often as you want,” he clarified. “Whenever you want, however long you want.”
Her chin lifted in understanding. “You’ll kiss me as a distraction?”
He shrugged in response.
Ilain pursed her lips, drawing back. “That doesn’t seem...rational,” she said, throwing the term back at him.
“It isn’t,” he confirmed. “But this is a deal, remember? I get something in exchange.”
She smirked. “Oh, and the kissing is only for me?”
