His features flattened. “I promised to give you space.”
“That still doesn’t answer why you’re here now.”
She could swear that arrogance faltered a fraction, as if he suddenly wasn’t sure of himself. But it was gone in the next blink, his casual control back in place.
“I thought we’d have breakfast together here today,” he answered. “Just the two of us.”
“Why?”
He studied her, and she didn’t understand how that was a complicated question.
“I suppose for appearance’s sake, wife,” he finally answered. “I just need to bathe and dress. What are your plans for the day?”
“I’m sure the same as every other day,” she retorted while he brushed past her and headed down the hall.
“Which is?” he called back over his shoulder, pushing through the bedchamber door.
“Nothing,” she said, following him. “A queen in title only gives me little to do other than read history.”
“That seems important for a queen wanting more than a title.”
“It is, but— What are you doing?”
He was pulling his tunic over his head, and that was all sorts of pale bare skin on display with dips and indents that did things to her. She’d seen plenty of naked bodies, but her reaction to Cethin was always different. Always something she didn’t know what to do with. This conflict in her soul she didn’t understand.
“I told you I needed to bathe and change,” Cethin answered, thumbing the button on his pants.
That was a valid point. Hehadsaid that.
But then he’d drawn her into conversation and distracted her. That was her own fault though, right?
“Husbands and wives have conversations, Kailia,” he said, as if he knew the internal struggle she was having in trying to sort this all out.
“Surely not while half dressed,” she blurted.
At least he’d paused the undressing, even if his pants were now merely hanging on his hips with the flap open.
His smile was pure amusement when he said, “Of course not. There’s often no clothing involved. Whispered conversations while heads rest on pillows after other activities.” When she only blinked at him, he added, “It’s things like this that make me question your claims of fucking experience, wife.”
Kailia pursed her lips. This male was one of the few people who could rile her up enough to forget herself and what she should be focusing on. How was he so godsdamn distracting all the fucking time with just his words? Then again, she shouldn’t be surprised. It was how he appeared to get everything he wanted, and she needed to remember that.
He said nothing else, leaving her with the echoes of his dark chuckle as he went to the bathing chamber. Leaving the door open. The sound of shifting fabric and the tub filling had her turning on her heel and making her way back to the sitting room.
Only to find herself cursing again.
“Fucking Temural!” she cried, her bow raised once more. Then, “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve told you multiple times I’m not standing in the hall all day, Lia,” Razik said from the chair he was occupying. “Why do you have your bow in hand?”
“Why do males constantly question a female with a weapon?” she grumbled, sending the bow and arrow away in a swirl of ashes.
“I don’t care if you’re armed,” Razik replied flatly. “Just curious why you feel the need to be so in your own rooms? But if the answer is Cethin, I understand. Just want to caution you that repeatedly stabbing him will raise questions.”
“By the gods,” she grumbled, throwing her hands in the air as she turned to go to the dining room.
It was smaller and far more intimate than the main dining hall they usually ate in. With a balcony that faced east, it housed a table for eight, but only two places were set at one end. Thankfully, staff had already been here because there was a small breakfast spread on the table.
She filled a plate, taking three of those rolls with cinnamon and some fruit. She heard Razik enter the room behind her, but she didn’t say anything, trying to get her defenses back up before Cethin returned.
