“Thanks. I will.” Chuckling, he went back to the lifter.
Meanwhile, the knight on the right opened the door.
The room beyond was bright, almost to the point of blinding me after the semi-darkness of the library. I blinked as I stepped through the doorway, not at my most observant. Still,it was impossible to miss the hulking form of the Dragon King, seated not on a throne but on a normal leather chair behind a desk. I veered toward him as my peripheral vision took stock of the room. More shelves here, but these held documents in wooden boxes and leather folders. The seating was all covered in burgundy leather, the walls were forest green, and the ceilings were coffered in mahogany. Such a dark color palette, and yet the room felt airy. The glass doors—currently open to let in fresh air from the balcony—and the tall windows contributed to that.
Noting these details should have helped me focus on intellectual things. It did not. Instead, my thoughts honed in on the Dragon King. I still noticed details, but they were all about him. The way his hair shone, reflecting the light. How long it was. Longer than most female Eljaffna kept their hair. My hair was blond and short—the opposite of his. Frankly, taking care of long hair was too much effort for me. There were other things I preferred to spend time on. You'd think a Dragon would feel the same, but I suppose a king had people to take care of everything for him, even his hair. This thought led to an image of the King sitting bare-chested before a mirror with a pretty man behind him, brushing his long locks.
The muscles around my eyes twitched, as if seeking another chance at remaining aloof and seeing only relevant details. Let's try this again.
The skin around His Majesty’s lips was tight. He had his hands clenched into fists atop his desk. His shoulders straight but tense. Then, as I watched, the hard line of his lips softened, and that release spread over him. Muscles went loose, his shoulders lowered, and his fists opened. And then he stood up.
A part of me stood with him.
Oh, dear Gods. That damn hair was even longer than I'd thought. Nearly to his hips. His body exuded power, but not in a royal way. More like an apex predator that had clawed his way to the top of the food chain. He knew he could kill anything that came at him. It wasn't arrogance; it was a fact. And yet, that expression spoke of another type of battle. Still physical but not furious. Something more intimate. More complicated. His eyes were so blue, so intensely blue, that they were almost purple. And they had a look in them that I knew well.
This was unexpected. There went that thrill again.
The Dragon King breathed in deeply and prowled over to me. I was a tall man at six-foot-five, but he towered over me. His scent preceded him—a musky, citrus aroma with a hint of vanilla. It made me close my eyes for a moment and mimic him. When I opened my eyes, he was right before me, lips parted and stare focused. On me. It felt as if his entire being were focused on me. Was this how he greeted all of his guests? It would be a great tactic to disarm them.
That deep blue stare lowered and then lifted. “You're Claw Shinkai?”
Fuck. Of course, his voice was like a warm drink on a cold night. Something sweet but spiked with liquor.
“I am, Your Majesty.” Thank the Gods, I could still sound normal—no hint of a tremor in my voice. “I have just concluded my initial inspection of the crime scene. One of your sergeants escorted me here. He said you wished to speak with me.”
King Tor'rien made a rumbling, sexy sound, his eyes dropping to my lips as he swayed toward me.
I blinked, wondering if the King was about to kiss me. It was unimaginable. And what was even more shocking was how much I hoped he would. Within seconds of meeting him.
That was not good. Not at all professional.
So, I cleared my throat.
The Dragon King blinked rapidly and straightened. “Please, sit down, Claw Shinkai.” He spun about and waved at a seating area before a fireplace.
I went to the couch and sat down, my legs giving out at the last second. I may have kept the trembling from my voice but it was everywhere else. I had to focus on other things. The fireplace. Yes. The logs were unlit. It was summer in Rushao and the days were warm. Still, when the King sat beside me, it felt as if a fire raged before me, smothering me in heat. There went focusing on other things.
“I hear that you're the most brilliant claw on the force.” The King angled toward me.
Out of respect, I did the same, shifting to face him. It had nothing to do with a need to look upon him. “You've heard correctly.”
A blink. Then he burst into laughter.
I gaped at him. Stern, the man was the most gorgeous specimen of Dragonhood that I'd ever seen. But laughing? He suddenly dropped the mantle of royalty, Dragonhood, and aloofness to become a normal man. Stunning, but touchable. Very touchable. And it made him even more attractive.
He settled into a smile. “You are not modest.”
“I am not a liar, not for modesty's sake or any other. The fact is that I have a quick mind, and I see things that others don't. I have advanced rapidly in my profession because of this. You were told that I'm the most brilliant claw because it's the truth, Your Majesty. Now, I am about to continue being honest with you.”
“That sounds like a warning.” He narrowed his eyes.
“It's a plea for your patience.” I held up a hand. “I do not sweeten my words or twist them to suit an audience. Frankly, I never learned the art.”
He chuckled, this time softly. “No? I'm shocked.”
I lifted a brow.
“It seems you've never learned to recognize a joke either.”
