“Have ye ever been in the slightest doubt that I need ye?” he demanded. It took roughly half a second of thought to answer this. “No,” I replied promptly. “To the best of my knowledge, you needed me urgently the moment I saw you. And I haven’t had reason to think you’ve got any more self-sufficient since. What on earth happened to your forehead? Those look like tooth—” He lunged across the desk and kissed me before I could finish the observation.
