Court of Flowers (Sutherland Book 1)

IX | The Hidden Flower

"You seem distracted, Sasha, dear," Ruby noted, staring at her with narrowed eyes. "Is it your flower? Is he proving to be a challenge?"

Sasha blinked, snapping back to the moment. She had not realized that she had been staring blankly in the air, thinking about West and the surprising visceral reaction she experienced three nights ago.

Ruby sighed and smiled at her with understanding. "Mayhap we should postpone the talk about the upcoming ball and talk about this current quandary you have."

Sasha opened her mouth to say that there was nothing she wanted to talk about her flower, but Ruby held up her hand, stopping any objections.

"What is it? Is he not to your liking?"

Apparently, he is more to my liking, was the first answer that came to Sasha before she scoffed, shaking her head.

"Then you are not to his liking?"

She frowned. "I cannot be certain, but now that I think of it, I might not be to his liking after all." Not that she cared, really. What concerned her was her own reactions to the man—his stares, his words... his very presence. It was dangerous for her and her mission because she may potentially lose control of her faculties as she did three nights ago.

"Whyever would you say that? How does he act around you?" Ruby asked, frowning.

Sasha lifted one shoulder. "He stares at me as though he is angry."

"Or hungry," Ruby corrected with a chuckle. "New Belles often cannot distinguish the difference between the two."

"No, he must have been quite full. It was after supper."

Ruby's shoulders shook with laughter. "I meant hungry for you, dear."

"Oh." Sasha cleared her throat, shifting in her seat, heat rising to her cheeks. "Then you are entirely mistaken. He is most often angry with me. And he clears his throat too often. He would not meet my eyes. He shifts in his seat as if he is ready to up and leave. Or make me leave."

Ruby's lips opened in astonishment as she listened. "Sasha, you innocent girl! Oh, you have been in the Library too long. I cannot imagine how innocent the others are if you are this... this naive!"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Dear, I wager that your flower is this close—" Ruby showed her the very small gap between her two fingers, "—this close to pouncing on you and you there you are thinking he does not want you?"

"How do you—"

"Simply believe me, Sasha," Ruby interrupted, holding her hand with a dramatic sympathetic smile. "Now, what you ought to fret over now is how you can make him suffer even further so that he shall give you what you want."

Sasha was suddenly interested.

What she wanted was to go back to the Library. And the only chance she had of going back was if she could finish her mission. And she could finish the mission if she found proof—or lack thereof—of West's crimes against the kingdom. And she could only do so if she could get access into his estate where most of his secrets may be hiding.

"How? How do I do that?" she eagerly asked.

"Sasha, how much do you know about the sexual act between a man and a woman?"

Sasha blinked.

"You have been in the library for five years and I know how you ladies spend your time. Do you even read books on romance?"

Again, another blink.

Ruby sighed. "There are many pleasures one can have in the act, Sasha. It is not always abhorrent as what your face tells me."