3
I stroked Riki's head but did nothing more than stare up at the canopy of my bed. My corset dug into my ribs, but I'd already dismissed all my maids. I needed some time alone, and this was the only place I could achieve that.
"Is there a reason you're moping so much, Katya?"
I sat bolt upright, though Riki only raised her head slightly, before setting it back down.
"You shouldn't be here," I said.
"Since when has that stopped me." Gideon raised an eyebrow and plonked himself down on my bed with no thought about how this would look if anyone walked in.
"Things aren't like they used to be."
"Yes, your husband is long dead," he pointed out.
"It's not my husband that's the problem." I pushed away the guilt that always assaulted me when I thought of Killian. We hadn't loved one anothe
