* * *
I stuckto Renna’s side as we lined up for the dancing.
So far I had heard at least five different whispers of something along the lines of“Caught with the wrong Prince.”Or,“She’s only after a crown.”
Aiyana was gloating as suspected. And as much as I wanted to be angry and snap at her, I kept remembering how the king had pitted us against one another, in an effort to get us both back in line, and I just didn’t have it in me to care. She could have Keir. She could have the crown for all I cared.
I ignored Keir. Which was difficult to accomplish. All evening I had to know where he was in the room to avoid running into him, but I also couldn’t look directly at him. I noticed he grabbed for his cuff at least three times.
But I did nothing.
Renna took her turn dancing with Krew. So did Jane. And I tried not to overanalyze Krew’s every move with her. Had he really approached this entire thing with an I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude?
I walked toward him for my own turn, the whole room seeming to hush.
Krew’s intent gaze on me, the way his eyes seemed to seize mine, had me swallowing down the nerves in order to properly breathe.
I bowed before him perfectly. “Your Grace.”
He put an arm around my waist and pulled me in abruptly. “Keep your eyes on me, love. This is what they’ve been waiting all night for.”
I did exactly as he asked.
“Closer,” he said as he made the mere inches between us vanish. “I heard you can dance.”
I cocked my head and smiled. “You heard correctly.”
He smirked. “Prove it.”
And then we were off.
Krew attacked life down to the very way he walked, but as a dancer he glided. He was smooth and fast and not at all what I expected. At one point I looked at the floor, wondering if he was using his magic to create an ice affect or something. He wasn’t. It was all him.
I made sure to keep my eyes on his, even when I felt the whispers and stares.
He spun me away from him. In the process of spinning me back to face him, he trailed his fingers down my shoulder all the way to my hand. Just like he had practiced on me earlier. Maybe it was the music being played, or the whispers, but for whatever reason, a shiver traveled down my spine all the way to my feet. He was really taking his role seriously. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he wanted to whisk me off to his bedroom straight away.
The one I happened to already be sleeping in.
As the song finally finished, I found myself out of breath for multiple reasons. Having his undivided and intense attention for this long was a lot to handle. “You are really good at this,” I admitted.
His eyes never left mine. “Well there’s no need to look so aghast.”
I smiled reached out to pat his chest again, hoping my fingers weren’t shaking. “You dance even more lovely than I imagined. That’s all.”
With a smirk, he grabbed that same hand and slowly brought it up for a kiss. “I’m getting you out of here shortly. Keir has started drinking.”
I bowed. “Never a dull moment, Your Grace.”
For some reason, I didn’t move away right away and neither did he. I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly I had gotten myself into.
CHAPTER5
Iheard a commotion, muffled voices arguing, and wanted to slam my pillow over my head. I was tired. Emotionally exhausted after all the last forty-eight hours had thrown at me. I just wanted to sleep. It wasn’t even morning yet.
But then I heard another noise, and Krew was there, crawling into his bed next to me again.
He got under the covers and threw an arm around me over the top of the covers, probably so it was easily seen. “Close your eyes,” he whispered.