Kes, who had been stepping backwards, froze. Her eyes widened and blood rushed to her cheeks. She had practiced with him only a few days before, though it felt more like a few years. But still, the way that he had said that made her heart flutter and her cheeks heat. She shook her head, remembering the sheer impropriety of this. She opened her mouth to lecture Nic about the nature of class, nobility, betrothal and how him being in this room – with that tone of voice! - went against the grain of all three.
She never got a single word out.
Nic leaned forward, caught her wrists and trapped her mouth with his.
Her eyes widened. And for maybe five seconds – stretching out to an eternity, as if she were a ship in the Warp and real-space was warping outside of her mind into weeks and months – she let the kiss continue. Her toes tingled and her breath stopped and her heart pounded like the drums of the bilge decks.
Then she shoved Nic back and slapped him.
He clutched his face, eyes wide. “Wha...T...What the hell was that for?”
“I'm betrothed!” Kes said, her hand tingling, her eyes just as wide. She had just smacked the son of Lord-Captain Sadronosticus. But she took a hold of her courage – she had faced down a witch, she could face down him. “I'm betrothed and, as the Emperor as my witness, I will do my duty and I will make sure you do your duty, Nicodimia Thrace-Sadronosticus!”
“My duty?”
“Yes!” She stood up straighter. “You will be married, as befits your station, to someone who has the proper blood.”
“The Black Bell on Terra would ring first!” He said, wiping at his cheek. “I'm a bastard, and moreover, I'm allowed to have a mistress or two, every-”
Kes saw red.
“Get. Out.” Her finger thrust to the door.