Weren't we talking about Gleb?His conversation was spinning faster than we were.
“The one you said you turned away because you wanted him all to yourself.”
“Oh. Alina.”
“Yes, Alina.” He angled his head down to mine and drew a deep breath, exhaling with a purr. “You smell good.”
“Thank you.” I cleared my throat, hoping that meant an end to our conversation about Alina and Gleb.
It did not.
“What would he have done to her?”
“What do you mean?” I looked at the King and when I found him staring back at me, I smiled, trying to put as much adoration into it as possible.
“There you go again,” Konstantin said. “Placating him.”
My stare shot back to his. “It's part of my duty as his consort.”
His voice sharpened suddenly and his face lowered to mine. “What would he have done to her?”
I relented with a whisper, “Nothing she would have enjoyed.”
The Garin lifted his head and an eyebrow. “I see.”
“I'm his consort; I enjoy his attention. And he values me more than them; he's more gentle with me. So I angle his attention away from them when I can.”
“You manipulate him.”
My jaw clenched, and I had to force myself to loosen it before I could speak, “I am not a murderer.”
The Kaplan missed a step, jolting me against his chest. But he quickly recovered, steadying me as he slid back into the dance. “Why would you say that?”
“You think because I . . . avert the King's attention from others that I would commit treason.”
“No, Mikhail, that isnotwhat I thought.”
“It's not?”
“I think your behavior is admirable, but it angers me.”
“Why would it anger you?”
“You shouldn't have to debase yourself to save people from your king. A king is supposed to look after his people, not abuse them. In my eyes, you are more of a king than he is.”
“Don't ever say that again!” I hissed, then smiled brightly at a couple who danced past us.
“And that only angers me more,” Konstantin's voice dropped into a growl. “What does he do to you? What has he done to inspire such fear?”
I lifted my chin. “I don't believe we know each other well enough to discuss my private life.”
The Garin chuckled. “No, we don't. But I'm investigating three murders, so everything is my business, no matter how intimate.”
“The sex I have with the King has nothing to do with the murders.”
“You don't know that.” He leaned down again. “So it's sexual?”
“What is?”
