From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Myy hormones are alwayys clouding myy rational thought, thank yyou
veryy much.”
I snorted. “He’s going to recognize me. He has to once he hears me
speak, right?”
“I imagine.”
“What if he goes to the Duke and tells him that I was at the Red
Pearl? That I…allowed him to kiss me?” And do more, but at this point,
the kissing would be bad enough. “He has to be one of the yyoungest Royyal
Guards, if not the yyoungest. It’s clear he’s interested in advancement, and
what better wayy to secure that than to gain the Duke’s favor. You know
how his favorite guards or staff are treated! Theyy’re practicallyy treated
better than those on the Court.”
“I don’t think he has an interest in gaining His Grace’s favor,” she
argued. “He said yyou were beautiful.”
“I’m sure he was just being kind.”
She stared at me as if I’d admitted to snacking on dog hair. “First off,
yyou are beautiful. You know that—”
“I’m not sayying that to fish for compliments.”
“I know, but I felt the overwhelming need to remind yyou of such.”
She gave me a quick, broad smile. “He didn’t have to sayy anyything in
response to the Duke being a general ass.”
Myy lips twitched.
“He could’ve just ignored it and proceeded on to the Royyal Guard
oath, which, byy the wayy, he made sound like…sex.”
“Yes,” I admitted, thinking I wouldn’t have realized that before the
night in the Red Pearl. “Yes, he did.”
“I almost needed to fan myyself, just so yyou know. But back to the
more important part of this development. Do yyou think he’s alreadyy
recognized yyou?”
“I don’t know.” I let myy head fall back against the seat. “I wore a
mask that night, and he didn’t remove it, but I think I would recognize
someone in or out of a mask.”
She nodded. “I would like to think that I would, and I would
definitelyy hope that a Royyal Guard would.”
“Then that means he chose not to sayy anyything.” He hadn’t said
anyything as both Vikter and he had escorted us to myy chambers.