I let out a sharp laugh to hide how shocked I was at his words, and how much I didn't hate the idea when it came from him. Too bad I knew he wasn’t serious. How could he be? We hated each other—always had, always would. "Is that your version of a romantic proposal?"
"I’m going for practical, not romantic. But if romance is what you want..." His smoldering eyes met mine in a way that made my breath catch, especially as he pulled me tighter against him. My gaze dropped to his sensual mouth and I thought, not for the first time, what it would be like to kiss him. As his fingers curled around my chin and he looked at me in the same way, I knew he was thinking about it too.
I shook my head to break the spell he’d cast over me. "Definitely not. I’m never going to marry you."
Was that disappointment flashing across his face before it returned to his normal, disinterested look? Surely not. "Probably for the best. We’d break poor Falon’s heart."
"Falon?" I laughed. "Only because you’d spend less time with him if you were married."
He gave me a look dripping with disdain. "If that’s what you think then you’re more clueless than I thought.”
My smile fell. "What is that supposed to mean?"
“Nothing.” Derel shook his head.
Was he suggesting Falon had feelings for me? That was certainly news to me. Falon was our best friend, the one thing in common we had besides our parents, but he’d never been anything more—much to my dismay.
“This dress you have on is quite alluring,” Derel said. “Are you sure you’re not looking for a proposal tonight?”
“Maybe I am, but not from you.” None of the men I wanted would propose to me tonight, so it didn’t really matter. But I definitely hadn’t worn this for Derel, of all people. “What did you mean about Falon?”
He idly touched the lace at my neck. “The quality is quite fine. Let me guess, Krea made it?”
“No, I did.” I shoved against his chest, stepping away from him. I knew he was purposefully baiting me to change the subject, but he always knew exactly how to get under my skin and I couldn’t help but respond. “Why are you always so impossible?”
His lips quirked up in a wry smile. “You just bring out that side of me, I suppose.”
Chapter Two
When the song ended, Derel took my hand and led me over to Falon, who sipped something hot and steamy from a metal cup. Falon was just as handsome as Derel but in an entirely different way. Where Derel was lithe and toned, Falon was broad and muscular. While Derel was dark, Falon was bright. When Derel was rude, Falon was kind.
"It's your turn," Derel said to Falon. "I'm done dancing with her."
"And so gracious about it," I muttered.
"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it." He gave me one last smoldering look before stalking back to his parents' stall.
"Shall we dance?" Falen asked with a smile, offering me his hand.
My nerves instantly calmed as I entwined my fingers with his. "I'd like that."
Falon led me back into the square amid the other revelers. He rested his hand on my waist, but kept his distance from me. I tried not to hide my disappointment, especially after Derel had sparked the idea in my head that Falon might have feelings for me. But that was ridiculous. Falon and I had been friends ever since his family had moved to our village when he was five, but there had never been anything more between us. Unfortunately.
Falon's family worked as carpenters, and his strong, rough fingers felt good against my own. He was a large man, the kind who'd gained his muscles working long hours, and I wished he would pull me against his chest like Derel had done. I'd secretly harbored feelings for Falon for years, but he'd never shown even a hint that he saw me as anything more than a friend. If only he would give me a sign he wanted more, maybe we could ease the awkwardness between us. But he never did.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he said, making my heart skip a beat. “That dress is lovely.”
“Thank you. Krea designed it for me, although I all the sewing,” I admitted. Unlike Derel, Falon didn’t judge me or tease me. I could tell him anything.
“No doubt the Fire God will smile upon your efforts. Did you throw a wish in the brazier?"
"Of course. Did you?"
He nodded. "What did you wish for?"
I gave him a teasing smile as I played with the collar of his shirt. "You know we're not supposed to tell."
"Oh, come on. We're best friends. Surely you can tell me what you wished for."
There it was. Best friends. That was how he saw me, and that would never change. "Definitely not."
His blue eyes danced with amusement. "Let me guess. You wished for love."
"Love?" I said, with a short laugh.
"That's what everyone wishes for."
"Not me. I asked the Fire God to show me what my path should be. To give me a hint about my role in this town and what I should do with my life." I tilted my head. "What about you? Did you wish for love?"
"No, of course not," he said a little too quickly, before looking away. "I wished for the same thing as you, pretty much. To have a good future."
"Uh huh." I smiled at him. "Who's the lucky lady you have your eye on?"
"There's no one." He fingers tightened around my waist. "You're the only lady I ever spend time with, after all."
That was true. But if he'd wished for love and I was the one he wanted to be with, why didn't he just tell me so? Was he worried about Derel? He must know I could barely stand to be in Derel’s presence, even if my body was physically attracted to him at times. Or was Falon concerned we'd ruin our friendship? Or that I didn't feel the same for him?
Maybe he needed a little hint as to my feelings. I pressed my lips to his cheek as the song ended. "It's okay if you did wish for love, you know."
He turned his head toward me, so that my mouth nearly touched his own. I felt both of us breathing heavily, locked in a close embrace that had somehow shifted from friendly to more. I slid my fingers up into his short blond hair while he looked at me in a new way and opened his mouth. Hope rose up in my chest that he might finally confess his feelings, but then a hand landed on my shoulder and ruined the moment.
"My turn," a low voice said.
I looked up at Blane in surprise as he swept me into his arms in a lover's embrace, so different from the way Falon had been holding me and even more intimate than the way Derel had danced with me. I should have pushed him away or told him to stop, but instead I found my traitorous arms sliding around his neck and my heart racing as we began to dance. I glanced back at Falon, who gave me a friendly smile and a nod, before the crowd swallowed us up.
"When did they let you out of jail?" I asked Blane, mainly to distract myself from the way he felt. And smelled. And looked. Everything about Blane was irresistible, from the sexy drawl of his voice, to his dark tousled hair, to his tall, muscular body. And trust me, I’d tried to resist.
“Jail” was really the basement of the chandler's house, since Sparkport was too small to have an actual prison and Blane was the only person who was ever thrown into it on a regular basis. Usually by Derel and Falon, who acted as the town guard on most nights.
"This morning," Blane said, with a roguish grin. "Falon took pity on me. He didn't want me to miss the Fire Festival, after all."
"What was it this time?"
He lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. "I appropriated some wine from that grumpy old merchant Carik. He had plenty, trust me."
I sighed. Carik was known to cheat people out of their money, but that didn’t excuse Blane’s theft. "I shouldn't even be dancing with you."
"Why not? Embarrassed to be seen in my arms?"
"Something like that."
"Too bad you like it so much." His lips brushed against my neck and sent shivers down my spine. The worst part was, he was right. Blane was the village bad boy, always getting into trouble, but for some reason I couldn't resist him even though I knew it was wrong. My family would never let me be with him, and Blane wasn't the type who'd want to get married anyway. But I couldn’t stay away.
Blane was the one of the two men I'd kissed in my life, and I knew he wanted more from me too, but I'd held myself back so far. It was difficult though because the man practically oozed sexuality. Just being around him made me damp between my legs. And his touch? It made me crave more every time.
“You wore this dress for me, didn’t you?” he asked, his lips trailing down to the spot next to my pendant, dangerously close to my breasts. I gasped, worried about people watching us, though I was finding it hard to care at the moment.
“Don’t be silly,” I said, though my breathless voice gave me away.
“You look so very tempting in it. The only way you’d look better is with it pooled at your feet.” His hand ran down my back to rest on my bottom possessively. "Will you meet me later tonight?"
"I can't."
"That's too bad." He took my earlobe between his teeth and I let out a gasp. "I can't stop thinking about you."
"Well, you should. Stop, I mean." Gods, Blane made me flustered in a way no one else did. "We both know we don't have a future together. My mother is pushing for me to marry soon, after all, and—”