That chartreuse gaze softened, the lids going half-mast, and those stern lips remained shut.
I let my breath out slowly but knew better than to think his silence was a good sign.
“Third course!” a waiter announced.
Great God of Water, I wasn't going to make it to dessert.
Chapter Three
I did—praise all that's holy—make it through the entire meal in one piece.
But that wasn't the end of my trials. After dinner, there was dancing. The Larch King rarely participated in such activities. He preferred to watch from his throne on the royal dais. Tonight, Konstantin and I were invited to join him on that dais. As the graceful courtiers twirled through traditional Larch dances, the King, the tiger, and I imbibed hundred-year-old cognac and watched the spectacle from the royal perch. Niko was,of course, sitting between us, and our chairs,of course, were not throne-like in any way. But my seat had nothing to do with my discomfort.
The tiger kept watching me.
Who knows what thoughts were tumbling behind those primal eyes? With every glance he made my way, I grew more unsettled. Gone was the hope of a secret romance. Now I just wanted to stay off his murder radar. I was innocent, I could never kill someone, but my actions had shown the Garin that I was willing to manipulate the King, and I wasn't foolish enough to believe that Konstantin would look kindly on that. I had probably become his prime suspect.
No good deed.
“Would you care to dance with my Misha?” the King asked Konstantin.
I jerked out of my slouch, my stare widening at Nikolay, but he was looking at Konstantin.
“You don't mind if your consort dances with other men?”
“Not at all. I don't like to dance, but Misha does. Don't you, Mikhail?”
I cleared my throat. “I do, Your Majesty.”
“There. See? You'd be doing me a favor. I do like to keep my consort happy.”
If I hadn't valued my life, I might have snorted at that.
Konstantin stood up and straightened his black leather jacket. Among the jeweled and gilded court, the tiger's simple clothing stood out, but not in a bad way. Instead of looking plain by comparison, his lack of adornment and rugged apparel only enhanced his savage beauty, making the rest of us look as if we were trying too hard.
Thankfully, he knew better than to walk in front of the King. Instead, Konstantin remained on his side of the dais and motioned down the steps. “Shall we?”
And I knew better than to get up too eagerly.
Nikolay smiled approvingly, then stroked my cheek. “Go on, Misha. It's okay.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I stood up, bowed to him, and headed down the steps, parallel to Konstantin.
We didn't come together until we stood on the marble floor. Then he held a large hand out to me, and I took it. He didn't lay my hand on his forearm, only held it, leading me to the dancing area several feet ahead of us, as if we were a couple on a stroll. But once we reached the edge of the whirlpool of dancers, Konstantin abruptly yanked me against his chest and glided into the mass with me. While I was staring up at him in surprise, he began to lead me expertly in a circle.
I wasn't the only one impressed that the Kaplan not only knew the Larch Waltz but also danced it with such powerful movements that he made it his own. The other dancers gaped at us as Konstantin swept over the floor grandly, broad shoulders angling into the patterns we made with our bodies. His hand felt warm and strong around mine, as steady as his gaze upon me. I lowered my stare to his chest and had the strangest urge to lay my cheek upon it.
“Do you often save people from him?” Konstantin pitched his voice low enough that only I could hear him.
“What?” I jerked my stare back up to his.
“Come now, it was obvious. Even your king knew what you were up to. I think it amused him.”
“Probably,” I whispered. “But then that was my goal.”
“That woman you mentioned earlier, what was her name?”
“What woman?”
