Claim

She peered up at him and found him staring at Annie, one arm outstretched with a tray of tiny cookies dusted with glittering sugar.

“Oh my goodness,” Annie said, sitting up and reaching for the cookies. She batted her long eyelashes at Johan. “You’re an absolute saint! My blood sugar is plummeting.”

Kira stifled a snort as Johan set down the tray between Kira and Annie. He was almost certainly gay, and yet he couldn’t take his eyes off of Annie.

“Have as many as you like,” he said.

“Just don’t get crumbs on my new sofa,” Kira said. “I’d like Lyon to see it clean at least once before we break it in.”

“Oh…” Johan said, his gaze traveling over the sofa. “You’ll take… this one then?”

Kira didn’t fault him for the reaction. There was a reason the sofa had been shoved to the back of the store. Current trends for high-end decor were almost exclusively dictated by a palette of white, gray, and brown.

“Yes,” Kira said firmly. “This one.”

“Very good,” Johan said. “I’ll just be at the front ringing it up for you.”

“Thank you,” Kira said.

“It’s my pleasure,” he said stiffly before turning his adoring gaze back on Annie. “Enjoy the cookies.”’

“Oh, I definitely will!” Annie said, already reaching for another.

“Someone’s smitten,” Kira said, watching Johan make his way back to the front of the store.

“He’s just being nice,” Annie said.

“If you say so.” Kira reached for another cookie. “Thanks for helping me find a sofa.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Annie said. “Do you think Lyon will like it?”

Kira considered the question. “I’m not entirely sure what Lyon likes these days.”

Annie studied her. “Is it okay if I ask how it is? Being married to the Lion, I mean. Especially now.”

Kira drew in a breath. “Complicated.”

“Is that why you left?” Annie asked hesitantly.

Annie knew Kira had been out of town, but no one except for Alek, Rurik, and Zoya knew the truth: that Kira had run away when Lyon had been sleeping, that she’d left no forwarding address, no way for Lyon to contact her.

And as far as Kira knew, no one knew about the letter she’d left Lyon.

“Actually, no,” Kira said. “Things were really good when I left. I just… I needed some time, some space, after my father’s murder.”

It would be humiliating for Lyon’s men to know his wife had abandoned him after only a couple months of marriage. Kira trusted Annie, but she also believed in the old adage that two could keep a secret only if one of them was dead.

“That’s understandable,” Annie said.

“Maybe, but things haven’t been the same between Lyon and me since I got back.” It was as close to the truth as she dared get. “He’s a proud man. I think he’s afraid I might leave again.”

“And will you?”

Kira turned to find Annie staring at her with open curiosity.

She shook her head. “No. Believe it or not, I think…” She was embarrassed to say the words aloud, even to Annie.

“You think what?” Annie prodded gently.

“I think I’ve fallen in love with him,” Kira said.

Annie grinned mischievously. “I can’t say that I blame you.” Kira laughed and shook her head as Annie continued. “I’m sorry, do you mind if I say that your husband is a true thirst trap?”

“Annie!”