Maybe Fitz was just the wrong person to cure her of Knigh—she’d outgrown Fitz and his sexual preferences. Funny, these past six months, she’d put the end of their physical relationship down to his jealousy about The Song of the Pirate Queen. But hadn’t she also resisted his control in bed around the same time?

Hands raking through her hair, she sighed. If Aedan wasn’t off-limits, he would have been a much better choice, but she didn’t want to get the poor man killed by Fitz. And did she really want Aedan?

No.

Shut up. 

Teeth gritted, she fastened her top button. She’d just have to stay away from Knigh and—

“Vee?”

Blinking, she turned towards the door of her cabin—former cabin.

Knigh stared back at her, gaze passing over her fingers on that top button, her undoubtedly messy hair, her chest that still heaved too quickly. “Are you—did he just—”

“No.” It burst from her, more a breath than a word. “No, he didn’t …” His mind went there first, that Fitz had tried something she didn’t want, not that she …

He cocked his head, confusion lining his brow. “Then …”

She swallowed, throat suddenly so tight it was a wonder she could breathe. Saying to him that she’d gone in there to seduce Fitz was impossible. Not that it should matter. It wasn’t as though she and Knigh were anything to each other. She could sleep with whoever she wished. So could he.

And yet it felt like it did matter.

How could she explain this without him looking at her in disappointment and disgust?

Without hurting him.

Because apparently that was something she cared about now. Oh, gods. This was bad.

Boots clomped down the stairs from the quarterdeck, passing behind Knigh. “I think I know what’s happened here.” Perry looked from Vice to him and back again. “And I fear it was my fault. Blackwood, could we?” She gestured to his cabin.

He blinked, and the expressionless mask slid into place, driving a dagger of ice into Vice’s chest. “Yes, of course.” He opened the door and strode inside, not looking at her once.

She grabbed Perry’s arm as she passed. “What are you doing?”

Perry raised her eyebrows, green eyes soft. “Fixing your foolish mistake,” she murmured. “Will you let me? Or would you prefer to let the man who’s made you so cheerful slip away because of your panic at—gods forbid—feeling some sort of emotion for someone?”

It wasn’t panic. And she only felt desire for Knigh. That was all. Her jaw clenched. “Depends. What’re you going to tell him?”

“The truth.”

Not the truth. Anything but that. Stomach flipping, she shook her head. “No, no, that isn’t—”