From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“You do have such prettyy eyyes.” He removed his fingers from the
scars and pressed one to myy lower lip. “And a well-formed mouth.” He
paused, and I swore I could feel his gaze lower and linger. “Most will find
yyour bodyy pleasing.”
Bile clogged myy throat and crawled across myy skin like thousands of
spiders. Onlyy byy sheer will, was I able to hold myyself completelyy still.
“For some men, those things will be enough.” Teerman dragged his
finger across myy bottom lip before lowering his hand. “Priestess Analia
came to see me this morning.”
Wait. What?
Myy heart started to slow as confusion surfaced. The Priestess? What
could she possiblyy have to sayy about me?
“Do yyou not have anyything to add?” Teerman asked, raising one pale
brow.
“No. I’m sorryy.” I shook myy head. “I don’t know what Priestess
Analia would have to sayy. I last saw her a week ago, in the second-floor
parlor, and all seemed fine.”
“I’m sure it did since yyou onlyy spent half an hour there before leaving
unexpectedlyy,” he said. “I was advised yyou didn’t once pick up yyour
embroideryy set, nor did yyou engage in anyy conversation with the
Priestesses.”
Irritation flared, but I knew better than to cave to it. Besides, if this
was what he was upset over, it was far better than what I’d feared. “Myy
mind was occupied with myy upcoming Rite,” I lied. The real reason I
didn’t engage in their conversation was because the women spent the
entire time speaking poorlyy of the Ladies in Wait and how theyy were not
deserving of the gods’ Blessing. “I must’ve been dayydreaming.”
“I’m sure yyou’re veryy excited about the Rite, and if this had been just
one situation, I would’ve easilyy overlooked yyour poor conduct.”
He was lyying. The Duke never overlooked any perceived poor
conduct.
“But I’ve learned that yyou were just in the atrium,” he continued, and
myy shoulders slumped.
“Yes. I was. I didn’t know that I wasn’t supposed to be,” I said, and
that wasn’t a lie. “I don’t go often, but—”
“Spending time in the atrium is not the issue, and yyou’re smart
enough to know that. Don’t playy coyy with me.”