Page 54 of Tiger's Quest
“Ah,” I teased, “so you think our relationship is casual?”
“No. Not for me, it isn’t.” He tilted his head and watched my expression carefully, “What about you?”
“Me neither.”
“That’s good to know.” He reached over, grabbed my blanket, and tucked it around us.
“Ren?”
“Hmm?”
“What would you say if I said Iwantedto wait, you know, until.”
A smile lit his handsome face. “Until . . .what?”
I bit my lip nervously. “Until . . .you know.”
He grinned even wider. “Is this a proposal? Do you want Mr. Kadam’s phone number so you can ask for his approval?”
I snorted, “You wish, Romeo! But seriously, Ren, if I wanted to wait, would it . . .botheryou?”
He put his hands on both sides of my face, looked into my eyes, and said simply, “I would wait for you forever, Kelsey.”
I sighed. “You always say the right thing.”
I was enjoying snuggling with him when a dormant thought popped in my head that made me sit up. “Wait a minute! Your first everything, huh? That’s notexactlytrue, is it? Mr. Kadam once told me that he broke into the Queen’s Bath in Hampi, which was a rite of passage for young men. Didn’tyouaccompany him to Hampi on several occasions?”
Ren froze. “Well,technically speaking—”
I smiled and raised an eyebrow mockingly. “Yes, Ren? Mylove?You were saying?”
“I was saying that, technically speaking, yes, Kadam, Kishan, and I broke in. But, we only made it to the front door, and everyone was sleeping. We didn’t see a thing.”
I poked him in the chest. “Are you telling me the truth, Lancelot?”
“I am absolutely, 100 percent, telling you the truth.”
“So, if I ask Kishan tomorrow, he will corroborate your story?”
“Of course he will.” He mumbled quietly, “And if he doesn’t, I’ll punch him in the face.”
“I heard that. You better be telling me the truth, Ren, and you willnotpunch Kishan in the face.”
“I’m just teasing you, Kells. Ipromise. I have never looked at anyone but you since the day you first read to me by my circus cage. You’re a swan among swallows.”
“Nice line, but I think you should consult your field guide again.”
He frowned at me and ignored my comment. “As far as Kishan goes, he deserves to be punched for eating my cookies anyway.”
“I’ll make you more tomorrow, so don’t give him grief over that.”
I laughed until he effectively shut me up with his lips.
The next day over Ren’s third omelet and Kishan’s fourth, Ren announced he wanted to take up wushu again. Kishan clapped his hands together, showing he couldn’t wait to clobber Ren.
The brothers rented a small studio where we could be alone, so he and Ren could tutor me. They didn’t teach me any fancy moves or forms, but instead gave me a crash course in Disabling Your Opponent 101. We all thought it best if I learn some defensive moves with the possibility of Lokesh hanging about, as well as who-knows-what lurking ahead of us on the next quest. We all stretched for a few minutes, and then Ren began his lessons using Kishan as a test subject.
“Lesson one. If your attacker is running toward you, bend your knees and wait for him to get closer. Then, grab his arm, swing yourself around him, and lock your arms around his throat. If he’s a big guy, then pull up into the top of his throat under the jaw.”
