Queen of Men (King Maker 2)

I went into the house and into my sisters’ room to find another old dress I’d shared with Violet or Mary. Sweat and dirt clogged my pores after a day of scrubbing floors and dusting the town hall after the night of mayhem. Though there had been helpers, the place was huge. I needed to clean up for the day, as I let everything my father said ruminate in my mind.

Although my time was running out, I ate dinner at home. I still needed to talk to Turner and Violet. I wasn’t looking forward to either of those conversations. Each had the potential to break my heart or hurt someone else’s.

Heavy with decision, I headed to find Turner. I hadn’t seen him all day, so I went to the only place I could think of to look for him, his house. Mother told me where he’d built it. And like he’d said, it wasn’t far from Violet’s.

On the porch, Kalen sat in a swing looking out until he spotted me.

“Is he here?” I asked by way of greeting.

He searched my eyes for things I wasn’t ready to admit yet. “He left a little after dinner, probably went in search of you.”

My heel caught against a rock as I went to turn. Kalen was fast and was off the porch in time to catch me just before I hit the ground. The power in his arm was magnified as he yanked me to my feet and snaked it around my waist to help steady me.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“Kalen,” I whispered because his touch never failed to affect me. “Please.”

He stepped away, leaving me to smooth down my dress.

“Five minutes, lass.” He started for Turner’s front door, assuming I’d follow.

“No, not in his house.”

Though I didn’t plan on letting Kalen touch me, I couldn’t rule out the possibility of that very thing happening. I wouldn’t disrespect Turner in that way.

“Okay,” he agreed.

He walked backward to the porch to grab a satchel. The tan leather was worn yet well-cared for. There had to be a story behind it the way he seemed to keep it with him. It wasn’t something I’d seen him with before. However, it wasn’t the time to ask.

Once he had it in his hand, he followed me around the side of Turner’s house. Behind it, I stood with my arms folded over my chest. A chill crept over me now that I wasn’t in his arms.

He set the bag down, careful it was within his reach. “You asked how I could love you. You need to know the ways before you walk away.”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear this. His hand came up before it dropped back to his side. I focused on the vivid green of his eyes and the contemplative expression on his face when he spoke.

“I could say it was because you’re beautiful, which is true. But I’ve had many beautiful women in my lifetime.”

I huffed, “That’s a ringing endorsement.”

He wasn’t rattled by my eye roll and continued undeterred.

“I could say it was because you are smart. Let’s face it, that’s high on my list. Nothing’s worse than trying to hold a conversation with someone whose only interest is what party to attend next. But that’s not it either.”

Before me, he ran a hand over his thick black hair as if he were struggling with what he wanted to say. A second before he continued speaking, he stopped and looked me squarely in the eyes. “You have this fierceness in you layered by a lovely vulnerability.”

I met his eyes, unsure if he would explain. I didn’t have to wait long.

“You’re loyal. I see that with your friend Lizzy and now with your family. You may not want to live here, but never once have you spoken a disparaging word about your family and their choices.”

He paused before speaking again. “You fight for what you believe in. It would have been so easy for you to let those odd wire transactions go. But you pursued it with tenaciousness, where most in your position would have listened to their boss and not their gut and let it go.”

There was nothing sweet in the way he spoke. It was straightforward and matter-of-fact.

“You believe in fair play. When you talked to me about your work, you didn’t give up your client’s name.” I didn’t interrupt to mention he was the client. “You told me enough to get my advice, but kept everything else confidential. You play by the rules.”

I felt my cheeks flame, embarrassed at how he’d easily read me.

A sly grin crept on his face when he said, “See, there’s that vulnerability I mentioned.”

Not wanting to give in to my growing weakness for him, I spat out a snarky response,