To Seduce An Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2)(53)
He smiled. “I know that, too.”
She looked bewildered. “You know that, too? You knew it all day?”
“Yes. Why do you think I wore a towel to bed last night?”
“Oh, you mean you usually sleep…?” She trailed off, swallowed, and pulled the fur more tightly up to her chin. “I admit, I did see your backside.”
“If I hadn’t known you were here, you would have seen more than that.”
A becoming pink blush rose in her cheeks. “How did you know I was here?”
He sighed. “Graciella, I am a trained assassin. I know when there’s someone in my room. I can easily detect a human presence, hear their breathing, sense their heartbeat.”
She stared down at his chest. “Right. I must seem a fool.”
“Why did you come to my room last night?”
“I thought Kitran was in here.”
“Kitran? Why would the washing-girl be in my room that time of night?”
“I thought…I can’t tell you what I thought. I promised Jiandra.”
He had to know. “Jiandra will never know you told me. Mum’s the word.”
“Yes, she will. She knows when I’m hiding something. She can read me like an open book.”
“Graciella, you’ve been honest with me tonight up to now. Please tell me the rest of the truth. Why did you think Kitran would be in my room? Does this have something to do with the spat you two were having?”
“Yes.” She hung her head. “But I can’t tell you without betraying Jiandra’s trust and Kitran’s privacy.”
“All right, how about I make some guesses, and you just nod if I’m right. Then you didn’t tell me anything or purposefully betray anyone.”
“Okay.” She looked up at him and waited.
“You thought Kitran was here because I invited her to my room?”
She nodded, holding the fur tightly to her chin.
“So…you thought I was planning to make love to Kitran?”
She nodded again.
“And you thought this because Kitran maybe claimed she and I were lovers?”
She shook her head no.
“You just assumed it on your own?”
She shook her head no.
He frowned, puzzled. She was worried about betraying Jiandra’s trust, so… “Does this have to do with something Jiandra said?”
She nodded.
“Jiandra thinks Kitran and I are lovers?” He didn’t like that idea one bit. Jiandra should know him better than that.
“Well, she wasn’t sure.”
“But she saw or heard something that gave her that impression.”
She nodded again. “With the Omaja stone. The day she was reading the minds of all the palace servants in search of the traitor.”
“Ohhh.” He suddenly understood. “So perhaps she saw something in Kitran’s thoughts that gave her the impression she and I were lovers?”
Graciella nodded. “Please don’t tell Jiandra I told you. Or let on to Kitran.”
“I won’t. But I’ll be honest with you—it’s no surprise. I knew Kitran had feelings toward me.”
“You knew? So is it true, then?” The pained look in her eyes stole his heart.
“No, it’s not true that we’re lovers. I knew because of how she looks at me, giggling and smiling when I’m around.”
Graciella looked down at his chest again, huddling in her fur.
“So when you got here to my room last night and saw that I was alone—why did you leave?”
“Leave your room?”
“Yes.”
“What else was I supposed to do? I didn’t know you knew I was hiding in here, or I would have apologized right then.”
“I mean, if you wanted to seduce me, why didn’t you just join me in bed?” He knew he was treading on very, very dangerous ground, but it was late, he was still under the remaining effects of the Tongkat and the katsuri he’d drunk, and at this point, he was starting not to care where all this led. He wasn’t up for pretending to be indifferent and cold while she was crying and pouring her heart out to him. It seemed cruel and dishonest.
“I wasn’t brave enough,” she admitted softly.
His heart leapt. “But, you wanted to do it?”
“Yes.”
He stared at her lips, fighting the longing to bend down to kiss them.
“Sire, I’m so ashamed of my behavior since I’ve been here. I know that it’s been improper and utterly disgusting.”
He grinned. “Well, it hasn’t been that disgusting.”
“If you decide to send me back home, I will completely understand.”
“No, I don’t think that will be necessary.” The last few shreds of his resistance to her charms were falling by the wayside, and fast.
“And I swear to you that I did not make up the ghost story tonight to have an excuse to come to your room.”
“I believe you.” He eased forward a bit, caressed her shoulders through the fur.
“I’m sorry I lied to you about the cake when you asked me what was in it. I am not usually so deceitful, Sire, and I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Please stop calling me Sire. Just call me Yavi.” He stared down at her face.