Chapter 98

“Is that what you call it?”

“It’s one of the nicer terms, yes.” In spite of their light words, Mathias kept his touch tender, reaching up to entwine a lock of her hair around his forefinger. “You said some rather nice things about me to the Assembly. Did you mean them?”

“Yes,” she answered without pause.

“Because I’ll understand if it was just a ploy,” he pushed. “Tell them what they want to hear to save Edmund more grief. Been known to play that game myself more than once.”

“Is it so hard to believe that I might actually mean it?”

He looked up from the fire spilling over his hand to her deep eyes. “I just know there’s a difference between wanting someone and liking them.”

Darby’s smile returned, and she poked him in the chest. “You are an insufferable ass half the time, but the other half, you can be pretty fun to be around. I don’t say things I don’t mean, Mathias. I can see exactly how Edmund could spend so many years with you. You probably kept him on his toes.”