Page 86 of Find My Way Down to You

I hate that his stiffness comes with gentleness too. While teaching me to dance. When he caught me before I fell. Stood between me and Cerby or anyone else who might be a threat. The second he found me inside that maze.

Most of all, I hate the knot in my belly when he doesn’t back down. When he lets me push in. His pink, plush mouth curved downward in annoyance.

And in this moment, I hate how much I want to kiss him.

So I do.

I half expect Cary to yank away, disgusted. But he doesn’t. He presses his mouth to mine, clumsy and awkward. There’s atentativeness in his kiss. Uncertainty I’m familiar with.

My lips draw away. Only a small distance. Breathless, I whisper, “Is this your first kiss?”

His body tenses against mine. “Yes.”

“Oh. Okay.”

I try to think of a better response. Words collect in my head, going nowhere.

Cary surges forward again. His fingers grip my waist. I angle my head. Open his mouth with my tongue. He tastes honeyed and tart, like a fruit.

Pomegranate, but not the drink Henri gave me. Raw, unaltered.

And I wantmore.

My excited fingers drag through his hair. Freeing his soft curls. My other hand flattens against the small of his back, like he did to me as we danced, until we’re pressed together. I can feel him against the inside of my thigh.

Moremoremore.

I direct the rhythm of our kiss. He’s like a blank page. My lips are the ink, shifting and shaping lyrics to his mouth. His breaths sing. I can’t stop chasing that noise.

But I’m forced to.

“Well, well.”

Mortification seizes me and I flinch backward. My head knocks against stone. The throb reverberates until I almost don’t see where the voice originates from.

Eventually, she comes into focus.

Poppy stands a few feet away. And she’s not alone. Thankfully, it’s not guards or another Deathless or Milos by her side. Only the Danes, tongues lolling. I’m really starting to questionwhoexactly Cerby is guarding.

Dangling from Poppy’s fingers is a rose gold mask. “You dropped this.”

A flush springs into my cheeks.

My gaze flicks to Cary. He’s wide-eyed, quiet. Yet there’s a subtle twitch to the corners of his swollen mouth that tells me he’s not angry. Embarrassed, yes. Not disappointed, though.

Poppy saunters to his side. “I have to say, I’m quite surprised by this.”

“You are?” I say around a swallow.

“No,” she deadpans. Her fingers comb through Cary’s hair. “This is a new look.”

“Stop it,” he mumbles, cheeks bright.

I hold in a laugh.

The ferrier of souls, a heartless Deathless,blushing. Because of what my hands did to his hair. Because he clearly enjoyed kissing me.

My chest puffs out.