Gladly in the dining room.
Lannahi took a breath and tried again. “You can join me in the dining room to dine with me and listen to music.”
For a split second, Ashared seemed surprised as if he had discovered something he hadn’t expected. Then he smiled like a wolf who decided to play with a puppy.
“And to talk…” he started and broke as if he was trying not to laugh. “Will I be allowed to talk with you?”
Lannahi’s cheeks turned pink. The last time her tongue had tangled like this was in rhetoric class.
“Of course,” she said trying to sound polite. “If you desire to.”
“I think I will desire.”
I will desire to talk.
I will desire.
“If you desire to talk, then we will talk,” Lannahi clarified.
When Ashared started laughing, the blush on her cheeks darkened. Fate, what was wrong with her? This wasn’t the first man who tried to flirt with her.
“Lannahi,” he said, lowering his voice slightly. “Does my company distress you?”
Though his words sounded like he was teasing her, his warm gaze was like a caress.
She had longed for that look ever since she’d left him in his room at the Black Arena.
Lannahi lowered her gaze, suddenly aware of how fast her heart was beating. What she wanted seemed to be at her fingertips.
But the day they’d met, she’d been a singer and he’d been a swordsman. Now she was the woman who’d taken the crown from his cousin, and he…
Who was he?
“Ashared,” she began, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “Thank you for what you have done for me. If there is a way I could repay you, tell me and I will try to clear the debt.”
His cheerful mood evaporated. He regarded her carefully for a moment but eventually asked, “You think I helped you because I wanted you to owe me a favor?”
“I don’t know what to think,” she admitted reluctantly.
“I explained to you the reasons why I followed in your footsteps.”
“I’m not accusing you of lying. I just wonder if there are more reasons behind your decision than I am aware of.”
“I helped you because I wanted to. I did not expect to benefit personally from saving you, and I am not expecting anything now.” He paused, watching her intensely. “I think you have surmised my desires regarding your person, Lannahi.”
Suddenly her throat became dry. She swallowed. “I have,” she admitted.
Ashared examined her face. “But it’s hard for you to trust me because you owe me a debt of gratitude,” he guessed. When she responded with a weak smile, he asked, “Then if we were even, would you be able to trust me enough to let me get close to you?”
Lannahi nodded. With all her might, she tried to ignore the heat on her cheeks. She was certain that Letiri didn’t conduct similar negotiations with the men she invited to her bed.
Ashared was silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, “There is a matter I wanted to discuss with you. I’m not going to demand payment of the debt, but if you listen to me and grant my request, I will consider that we are even.”
Lannahi smiled, though his determination intimidated her. “I’m listening.”
“Am I wrong assuming that you intend to take revenge on Ashkii and Sevii?”
Lannahi’s smile faltered. “You aren’t wrong,” she said, looking at him alertly. For some reason, she felt that she wouldn’t like his request.
