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Looking toward the Boy.
The Boy that was somewhere behind there.
It wasn’t the first time I had tried to see his face. I should really stop trying. It didn’t matter how close I got. I couldn’t see through the fabric. This time was no different. There was nothing there, just a stretch of black as his thumb moved over my cheek, his warm breath moving over my lips.
Soft, faint, stuttering.
My heart caught, my stomach clenching as he leaned closer to me, my eyes still searching the black in the hopes that I could see. But all that was there was a hot breath over my lips, the strangled sound making something deep inside of me clench.
By the Goddess. He was so close.
He had never been so close.
“Boy?” My voice caught, and not for the first time, I wished I had a name, a real name I could call him.
Anything.
To see him smile and feel that hungry warmth that was everywhere move everywhere.
Oh, Goddess.
His thumb moved over my cheek again as yet another warm breath fluttered over my lips, and all of that hungry warmth might have escaped me in a sound I had never made before. Half moan, half growl.
What in the world?
Then, he lifted his wooden sword and stabbed me right through the heart. Well, he pantomimed doing so at least.
“What the—? How?” I looked at where the sword was stabbed beside my rib cage, my death and his victory now crystal clear. “You bastard!”
I nearly screamed the word as he chuckled, standing and rolling me off his lap and onto the floor in an unceremonious heap.
“You tricked me!” He was still chuckling as I unwound myself from my skirts that had twisted around my legs, my hem torn even more now. “That was dirty!”
It was, but only because he had stolen my trick. Which he admitted he did, gesturing wildly to me and pantomiming the exact double-crossing I had planned. Pretend death, stab him. I had done it before, and he had been expecting it.
“You learned from the best.” I filled in what he couldn’t say, screwing my face up into a wicked smile before curtsying to him.
He applauded me, the muffled sound of his gloves slapping together in a slow mockery as he walked back over to me, bowing before he took my hand and lifted it to about where his lips should be.
It wasn’t a real kiss—no skin touched—and for all I knew, he pressed my palm to his nose, not his lips. It didn’t matter. My stomach swooped all the same, that feeling from before coming back in a hot rush.
“You do realize I’m never going to let that happen again.” I wouldn’t. Even though my stomach was still trying to tie itself in knots.
The Boy, however, waved me off, putting his hand to his forehead in a fake swoon that earned him a swat on the arm. Oh, if he thought he could mock me, he had another thing coming.
“Don’t get too smug, Boy.” I stepped right up to him, staring into the void that was his face. “I have even more of a game I can play.”
I grinned at him, feeling his breath roll over me as I could have sworn I saw more than heard the smile on the low groan that hissed over to me.
Then, I punched him in the gut. Same as I had Batian. Now, that he should have seen coming. He grunted as he doubled over, hands around his gut. Or not his gut.
By the Goddess.
It took me a second to register that I may have aimed a little too low. Well, I guess lesson really learned now.
“You’ve been warned,” I said as sweetly as I could, trying to hide my laugh as he did his very best to stand up all the way.
He grunted and waved me off as I strode over to the door that separated the living space and his room from mine, opening it on silent hinges before I turned.
