“Not yet. He may be licking his wounds. Or maybe he flew over to Cofahre to feed himself there.” Angulus looked grim, like he did not expect that to happen.
Kaika gripped his arm. “If not, we’ll convince him to do so.”
Angulus gazed down at her arm. “At least one good thing came out of my ill-advised and inappropriately manned mission.”
“You cut the throat of a Cofah operative who’s vexed me numerous times?”
“That’s not exactly what I was thinking of, but if I rid the world of a man who has vexed you, then I feel somewhat useful.” He laid a hand on her hand.
“You were very useful. I’d crawl through a tunnel with you anytime.”
A lopsided smile made its way onto his face. “That’s encouraging. I’d been wondering... since the kidnapping... if I would have amounted to anything if I hadn’t been born into my current position. I’m relieved that I didn’t fall apart at the first sign of pressure.” He patted her hand and released it. “I suppose I shouldn’t be confessing such things. Women prefer confident men, I hear.”
“You’re confident. Just not with women. I’ve seen you in your element, giving speeches to the troops and negotiating with diplomats.”
“You’ve seen me negotiate with diplomats?”
“Well, no, but I read about how you did it once in a newspaper article. You sounded very competent.”
“Hm.”
“Now tell me what the one good thing was,” Kaika said.
His smile grew shy. “That I got to confess my feelings for you. And that you were—what was the way you put it?—checking out my ass within minutes.”
“Really, Sire. I’m sure it took me closer to an hour to get around to that.” Kaika patted the top of the basket. “Shall we see what kind of grub your cook packed us?”
“Very well, but I should inform you that she’s a chef. She attended three different culinary academies and worked in one of the most sophisticated restaurants in the city before coming to join my staff. She might be offended to have her creations defined so carelessly.”
“Are those dragon horn cookies?” Kaika had her head in the basket, and she withdrew a carefully wrapped parcel, tearing into it with childish glee to reveal chocolate-dipped treats. “They are cookies.”
When Angulus did not comment, she looked up. He’d said something, hadn’t he? About a chef. She hadn’t had dragon horns in ages and had forgotten to pay attention. Fortunately, he did not appear annoyed. He was gazing at her and still smiling.
“There’s something to be said for simple pleasures, isn’t there?” he murmured, watching her lips.
“I told you, I’m a simple girl, Sire.” Kaika handed him a cookie. Delightful smells of herbs, seafood, and bread wafted out of the basket, too, but there was nothing wrong with having dessert first.
“You can call me Angulus.” He nibbled on the end of his cookie.
Kaika licked the chocolate-dipped end of her dragon horn. “What shall I call you in bed?”
Angulus coughed. Hard to believe such a little nibble of cookie could cause that reaction. “I, ah, what do you mean?”
“Like a nickname.”
“I haven’t noticed that Angulus shortens itself to anything flattering.” His lips parted as he watched her tasting the cookie.
Kaika deliberately teased him as she enjoyed the chocolate. “No? Once we get your clothes off, I’ll see what I can come up with.” She surveyed him from head to toe, letting her gaze linger in certain spots.
His entire face flushed with embarrassment. She shouldn’t tease him so, but once she’d gotten over being stunned by his confession and worried about what a relationship might entail, she’d grown quite enthused with the idea of enjoying his company in a horizontal capacity. She’d caught herself grinning more than once during her recovery, waiting like a schoolgirl smitten with her first crush for him to visit each day. Any woman would be delighted with a king’s attention, she supposed, but he’d truly won her regard when he’d realized that the best place for her was out in the field, not grounded here in the capital. He understood her. What more could a girl want?
“Do you have a nickname?” Angulus asked. “Since I know you don’t care for—”
She pressed a finger to his lips before he could utter her first name.
He raised his eyebrows, a hint of indignation entering his eyes. Not used to being shushed by commoners, was he? She turned the touch into a caress, tracing his lips, then trailing her fingers up his jawline to push through his hair and rub his scalp.
“I’ve had a handful of nicknames,” Kaika said, “but since I’m picking one for you, maybe you want to pick one for me.” She moved the basket out from between them and set it on her other side so she could scoot closer. “Let me give you some ideas.”
This time when his brows rose, his eyes glinted with intrigue. She leaned in close, rested her hand in his lap, and gave him a kiss designed to curl his toes. Her own toes did some curling too. When the fliers came in to land, the view was probably spectacular, but they were too engaged in other matters to notice.
Lindsay Buroker, Under the Ice Blades
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