His smile fell away as he pushed to his feet and stood before her, peering at her inquisitively. “Why not? I know you don’t want to be a mistress.” He shrugged.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.Oh, he thinks it’s so simple, does he?Ofcourseshe didn’t want to be a mistress, but that wasn’t everything, that wasn’t all of it. “Thelying,Kas! Because of the lying and manipulation!”
He took a step toward her but stopped when she held up a hand. Satisfied, she let it drop back to her side.
“Let me spell this out for you, because apparently it’s too much to grasp without help. The symposium? Rihan Sarma? Your friendship with my father? The dresses? Kas, youkeptthings from me. You saw me years ago, and you never thought to tell me, not once. Not untilwellafter you’d brought me as your guest and coerced me into wearing thatlenedgolden dress.”
“I didn’t coerce you.”
She threw up her hand again, more forcefully this time, nearly smacking it into his chest.
He shut his mouth.
“The dresses! Let’s talk about the dresses, then. You bought me anentire wardrobe, Kas. You can’tdothat. It’s not done. Gifts like that, they come with strings attached. Those clothes must have cost more than I make in a year.”
“Yet you still wear them.” He waved his hand at her choice for the evening, the deep blue gown embroidered with bronze.
It was indeed from the sneakily gifted wardrobe. But it was so beautiful... they all were. Though she’d be loath to admit it tohim, her point still stood,leneteki.Nes clenched her jaw and stamped her foot. “AkkasTilevir Kahoth—”
He shifted warily.
That’s right, I brought out the full name.“You bought me an entire wardrobe, and youliedto me about where it came from. You let me embarrass myself in front of your sister—the queen! You seem to find enjoyment in manipulating me, in dressing me how you’d like, in coaxing me into joining you as and when you see fit...howyou see fit.” With both hands, she gestured down the length of her dress. “It’s like—it’s like you think of me as anobject.” She finished with a huff and a great flourish, as she dropped her arms back to her side.
“I thought we already discussed all of that.”
“Discussed? Yes. Resolved? No.”
“Nes. I’m sorry.” He stepped toward her. She stepped back. “Join me for dinner tomorrow, just us, no one else. So we canresolvethis.”
“No.”
“What more can I do?”
“That’s for you to figure out, not me.” She glared at him.
He shuttered his eyes and drew his arms tight across his chest. “Nes, I can’t help that we were born into different social classes. I may have things to sort through regarding my apparently abhorrent treatment of you, but you also have shit to dig your way out of. Why do you always assume I see myself asaboveyou? Or like there’s inherent differences between us because of the families we were born to? Why do you always assume I’m trying to own you, when all I want to do is be around you, to protect you? I want tomarry you,gods help me.”
That’s rude!They were supposed to be discussing him, not her. He’d struck a nerve, though she wouldn’t even acknowledge the idea of admitting it, at the moment. Her stupid heart was racing so fast she’d started seeing spots from the stress of it all.
“I don’t— It’s not that I— Ugh!” She threw her hands up. “I can’t do this!” Nesrina spun away, then thought better of her plan to retreat, and completed a strange full turn that left her facing the infuriating duke again.
His mouth quivered as his lips threatened to break into a smile.
“Stop that!” she scolded him, with a stomp—a small one. Too muchstomping would be decidedly childish.
He bit his lips between his teeth, stopping his smile, per her request.
“First of all, I don’t need protection! What the fates would I need protection from? Second of all, you are adukeand I’m atutor.There are no two ways about it.”
His lips popped free of his teeth. “If you marry me, you’ll be a duchess. Problem solved.” He shrugged, obnoxiously cool and collected given the circumstances.
Nes roared an unintelligible sound before spinning and stomping out of the library.
“I look forward to dinner tomorrow!” he called, apparently unfazed by her refusal.
The doors banged closed behind her.
thirty-four
