Page 32 of The King's Man
I nodded. “I’ll find you if I need you.”
“Or send a messenger,” she said, her eyes dropping down to her hands, and that self-consciousness returning. I grieved it. I liked the set of her shoulders when she stopped questioning herself. “I’ll come as soon as I hear.”
“You need to rest as well,” I pointed out.
She nodded. “But I have a feeling that of the two of us, I will rest far more peacefully tonight than you.”
I grunted. That was only truth.
She raised her eyes back to mine and something in me went still. For a split second I saw it in my head—that hand that had been tracing the lines on the map suddenly raising to flatten against the center of my chest. Her body, lithe and honed, fitting against mine as she drew that hand up to curl her fingers in the hair at my nape and I dropped my chin, eyes on those lovely lips—especially that lower pillow. I wondered if it would taste sweet or salty, or—
I cleared my throat and tore my gaze from her, to the room behind me, turning abruptly. “I think I’ll be very comfortable here,” I muttered. “Especially if I can bathe.”
It took a moment for her to respond, but when she did, her voice was tight again. “Of course, I’ll… I’ll tell the servants now. See you later, I suppose. I’ll send a messenger or come myself if anything turns up.”
“Yes,” I said flatly. “If there’s any sign of Gall, any at all… it would be good for me to be there if they think they’ll find himhidden. He… can react poorly when he’s scared. I don’t scare him.”
“I’ll make certain Turo knows.” So formal.
“Thank you.” I sounded almost as uptight as that fuckface.
She nodded, then cleared her throat and walked out, bidding me a quiet farewell as she slipped out the door to converse with the guards in the hall.
I turned towards the bed and my body yearned to fall into it, but I knew I needed to bathe and find clean clothes before that was a good idea.
So I picked up my bag and rummaged through it, but my mind wasn’t on the task.
It kept pulling me back with shrill insistence thatshe should not leave.
I shook my head. That was preposterous. I was merely tired and… and in a strange environment. I was a General. I had no need of her presence to keep me safe in this place.
And now I sounded like fucking Turo again.
But even though I couldn’t hear when the conversations on the other side of that door ended, I felt it.
Ifelther moving away. Felt the distance between us grow, and grow.
Had to fight not to grasp that door handle and rush after her. Which wasridiculous.
I paced the room, skin itching, spine tingling, clawing my hands through my hair—until I caught myself doing it and growled, pulling my body to a halt.
What the actual fuck? Had she magiked me? Or was this just the way it would be between us?
I prayed it was the former, and that there was a cure.
Because the further she drew away, the longer I resisted following, the more it felt like tearing off my own skin.
13.News
~ DIADRE ~
I’d been sitting in my chair in front of the fire trying to concentrate on a book when the note arrived from Turo, summoning me to his quarters. Thank God I hadn’t undressed yet.
I went to him immediately, and knew it wasn’t good news the moment I stepped into his rooms.
It was strange to see him out of his buttoned jacket. He’d removed his cravat and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, rolling up his sleeves. It made him look ten years younger, and a great deal less pompous. It was… strange.
Yilan had told me about this side of him, but I’d never had an occasion to see it. I wasn’t sure if this was a compliment to how he saw my position as a Captain, or a measure of the added stress he was under now that Yilan and Melek were gone. But when he offered me a drink, I was happy to pour myself a gobletof wine while he spoke. Then even happier to drink the first one quickly and pour another, because it wasn’t good news.
