Page 54 of The King's Maiden

I liked that, but I didn’t point it out to him.

Even after a week away—time I’d hoped would give him the opportunity to reflect on what he’d done—he still acted standoffish and way too serious. No use giving him a reason to sour this civil moment between us by pointing out he’d said something nice.

I shouldn’t have worried about it.

He found an opportunity on his own.

“But you’re already at a disadvantage, so you’ll need all the help you can get.” He wrinkled his nose at my clothes. “You know, it reflects on me if you show up late, looking like you just went a few rounds in the dirt.”

My eyes rolled, but since I’d already verbally sparred with one hot dickhead this morning, I decided to take a different approach.

“Jealous?” I couldn’t help myself. “Could’ve been you if you hadn’t been a raging dick the other night.”

“Hardly,” he said, ignoring my last comment on his reaction altogether and quickening his pace so we fell out of step. “I have a job to do, Maiden. Duty is something I happen to take seriously.”

My snicker earned me a glare.

“What now?”

“You said you takedutyseriously.” I chuckled just to be a brat. “Doodie. That’s all I heard.”

His eyes narrowed. “What are you, five?”

I threw up my shoulders, smiling broadly as I jogged to keep up with him. “Maybe.”

He groaned at my reply, shaking his head. And my plans to ignore him fully went out the window.

Getting under his skin sounded so much better.

It was so intriguing, watching his irritation rise while he acted indifferent. I wanted to crack his composed exterior.

Maybe there’d be someone human underneath it.

Thoughts of how I’d achieve this distracted me as we approached the large, central staircase leading to the floors above. So much so, I almost forgot that I’d been turned away at the gate. But when Landon’s critical gaze flicked over me for the third time, it came rushing back.

“Hey! Why didn’t they let me in at the gate? They said I’d been dismissed.” My arm swung out and swatted his chest. “Was that y—Landon!”

I screeched his name as he grabbed my arm, spinning me into the wall to his left.

He stepped in front of me, clamping a hand over my mouth. His arm braced over my chest, pinning me to the brick.

For a second, I worried it had only taken one swat to unravel him, but I was also getting a little tired of being tossed around like a rag doll. So, despite the potential for consequences, I did the only thing I could think to do.

I stomped on his foot.

He grunted but stifled the sound behind pursed lips. His eyes bore into mine, willing me to be silent.

Instead, I licked his palm, enjoying far too much the appalled look on his face when I did it.

He brought a finger to his lips and then to his ears. Footsteps echoed throughout the room. And my heart leapt stupidly in my chest at the sound of Kingston’s voice.

“Where is she?”

A voice I couldn’t place answered him. “I’m not sure, Kingston. Perhaps she got intimidated by everything and left?”

“She wouldn’t leave,” Kingston argued in my defense, and I couldn’t ignore the relief that rushed through me.

He hadn’t been behind my less-than-warm welcome.

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