Page 43 of Crimson Kingdom
I scoffed in disbelief. “You hate Evander.”
He shrugged. “I hateTheodopealso, in fairness, but…” He looked to Avani for support, and my gaze traveled slowly over to her.
She took a deep breath, like she was steeling herself against my ire. “I just want you to be happy, little sister. I think it’s worth thinking about, if only for the political implications.”
Gwyn chimed in. “Besides, you always said all you wanted was someone who would let you spend time here, with your family, and I’m not sure Lord Theo is offering that.”
“So, con,” Gallagher prompted.
“All right,” I set my drink down with more force than was strictly necessary. “You want to do this? Then, let’s start with cons for Evander.”
I ticked off on my fingers. “He kidnapped me. He’s a giant arseling. And he doesn’t actually want to marry me so much as he wants Theonotto marry me.”
“So, what are Theo’s cons?” Avani asked in a tone just a shade too neutral.
I straightened my posture, ostensibly surveying my cards. “He...doesn’t have any.”
“False,” Davin interjected. “Aside from the fact that he’s hopelessly stuffy and holds some old school Socairan ideals about the roles women play in politics, he also casually forgot to mention that he could marry you to avoid the Summitbeforeyou had to go.”
“He was manipulated by his brother just like the rest of us were,” I argued.
“That also feels like a con,” Gwyn offered.
“All right,” Avani broke in, using her unbiased monarch voice. “Pros, then.”
“Theo is kind,” I said. “He’s charming and upstanding, protective, loyal...and a good kisser.”
Davin made a face, and I glared at him.
“And Evander?” Avani quirked a single eyebrow, taking a careful sip of her whiskey. “Is he a good kisser?”
My face warmed, and I suddenly found my cards very interesting. “Why would you think that I would know that?”
Noises of disbelief sounded around the table, and I relented.
“Fine. He’s...adequate, I suppose.” More than, but there was no need to bother with specifics.
Avani eyed me like she had heard everything I didn’t say.
“Ach.” She used our father’s favorite non-word. “Well, if all else fails, we can always make the decision based on their…ass-sets.”
“We’re not talking about theirass-sets,” I said, shaking my head.
“Why not? It isn’t like you haven’t noticed,” Avani said, and Davin snorted.
Four sets of eyes challenged me until I, once again, gave in.
With a sigh, I considered the man-butts I had definitely not paid any attention to.
“Evander’s is solid muscle.” An image assaulted me of him walking out of the sauna right when the steam chose to dissipate. “Which, you know, is really not attractive.”
Avani chuckled, clearly pleased that I was conceding to her. And honestly, seeing her smile was worth the ridiculousness of this conversation.
“But Theo’s has a nice round bubble shape,” I finished.
Though to be fair, I had only seen his through his fitted trousers.
“That’s what we call a PWG,” Gwyn chimed in, tossing three cards into the pile.