Gideon leaned against the wall, listening to the muffled conversation. His words from a moment ago needled at her.
“This may be hard for you to believe,” she whispered, watching the guard outside, “but not everyone is repulsed by me.”
Gideon glanced at her. “What?”
“Just because you’re disgusted at the thought of me doesn’t mean everyone else is,” she said, keeping her voice down. “Some peoplelikeit when I flirt with them.”
“What are you talking about?”
Annoyed that Edmund was still speaking to the staff, she shut the door and turned to Gideon, who stood facing her. “That night on the ship, when we kissed. You pulled away like I was…”
She glanced away, remembering the appalled look in his eyes. As if he couldn’t believe what he’d done.
Rune wished she didn’t care. But she did.
“Like you werewhat?” he growled, keeping his voice down.
She fixed her gaze on the polished floorboards beneath her feet. “Like I was a horrifying monster.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “That’s not…”
Gideon fell silent, watching her. As if considering something.
He unbuttoned his jacket.
She stared as he tugged it off, then untucked his shirt. “What are you doing?”
“Putting this to rest. Right now.”
Watching him undress was making her temperature rise.
“Puttingwhatto rest?”
“This ludicrous idea that you repulse me.”
“Idorepulse you.” Her eyes met his dark ones. “You said so yourself.”
“What?”His fingers paused at the uppermost button of his shirt. “When?”
Rune cracked the door open and peered out. Edmund was heading back in their direction.
She shut the door.
Grabbing Gideon’s arm, she tugged him through the bookshelves and across the library, where their conversation was less likely to reach the hall.
“The day you handed me over to be purged,” she whispered as she pulled him down the aisle between shelves. “You said youweren’t sure what disgusted you more—the fact that I was a witch, or that you fell for my act.”
“Rune.”
He halted, forcing her to stop walking. She glanced back to find him staring at the ceiling, as if praying for patience.
She let go of his arm.
“You’d betrayed me in the worst possible way.” His gaze dropped to her face. “I’d just discovered you were the criminal I’d spent two years hunting—not to mention secretly betrothed to my brother. I was heartbroken! You told me Alex was twice the man I’d ever be!”
“Because you were handing me over to die!” she whisper-hissed, turning fully toward him.
Gideon ran a palm over his face and sighed. “Fair enough.” Dropping his hand, he fell silent, considering her. “Since we’re airing our grievances: it kills me watching you seduce other men.”
