Double fuck.
Bale grabbed my shoulders, roughly turning me before shoving me forward a couple of steps. Reflexes kicked in, allowing me to recover in record time and steady myself.
She drifted to a stop a couple of feet in front of me, and an amused smile ghosted over her lips. Shit, did I have something on my face? Something resembling human vulnerability?
Quickly, I schooled my expression back to smooth nonchalance with a hint of arrogance.
“You came. I thought after your disappearing act earlier, you’d find something else to pass your time. Change your mind?” I posed the question to her, genuinely curious as to her answer.
Her eyes darted to look at Bale, then back to me. “Something else? Everything in town is shut down for the opening ceremony,” she noted dryly.
Pausing a heartbeat and a half, she brushed a rogue lock of hair back behind her ear. A gesture so trivial, yether fingertips managed to make it look elegant, maybe even slightly teasing.
“Tell me something, Corbin. Does Bale always look like he’s perpetually pissed off at the world, or am I just special?”
A snort echoed behind me before he replied, “If you’re looking to cut me open, kitten, you’ll have to use sharper claws than that.”
“He’s always like this,” I added.
Giving Harlow as much of an apologetic look as I was capable of, I extended my hand out to her palm up. “Now, did you come here to enjoy the start of the festival with us, or were you just planning on disappearing again?”
She took a moment to look briefly sheepish, trying to mask it with a soft chuckle. The faint dusting of pink on her cheeks gave it all away.
“I can’t help that you were easily distracted,” she murmured.
Her hand hovered over mine for what felt like an eternity before she finally made contact. Her choice to accept me, to acceptus.
Our palms pressed together, my fingers curled around her hand, engulfing it. A fierce sense of protection washed over me, every fiber from my soul to the tips of my crow feathers, despite the form lying dormant in me.
The energy coursed between us, subtle but steady pulses. She must have felt it, too. Her breath hitched, and she swayed on her feet, leaning in towards me.
Even the air around us felt like it recognizedsomething coming to fruition, the breeze ruffling our clothes in a gust. It was as though the wind itself had hands, nudging us closer together.
Just as our faces came within inches of each other, another set of hands parted us like the sea, one hand against my chest and the other on Harlow’s shoulder.
Bale’s husky voice interrupted the moment. “Break it up. You two look like you were about to turn this festival into a godsdamned romance novel.”
His hand fell away from my chest, but hell if I didn’t notice the way his thumb brushed not once, but twice across the front of Harlow’s shoulder before withdrawing his hand from her.
That split second of prolonged contact told me everything I needed to know. He wasn’t as unaffected by her presence as he pretended to be.
Harlow pressed her lips together, glancing around as if realizing that we weren’t alone in the courtyard, and the majority of the residents were still milling about.
Clearing his throat, Bale adjusted his cap on his head as his gaze turned cold. He looked at me and grunted. “What the fuck are you looking at? Wipe that damn smirk off your face.”
That look on my face? Realization that maybe this year’s corn maze chase wouldn’t be as one-sided as I originally thought. Instead of working together to corral and pounce on our chosen one, there would be an exciting edge of competition to it.
“Oh, you mean the look that says?—”
Cut off by Mayor Dennison’s voice, it boomed through the courtyard from the speakers set up on either side of the main platform.
“Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen of Falston! May I please have your attention?” A brief pause hung in the air as he waited for everyone to settle down and turn towards the platform before continuing.
“Welcome to our glorious town’s ninety-ninth annual fall festival.” He flashed a welcoming politician’s smile as he made a sweeping gesture with his arms, his hands urging the crowd to respond with applause. Like the puppets they were, they obliged.
Both Bale and Harlow turned to watch as the Mayor prepared to give his opening remarks. For a fleeting second, Bale’s hand hovered over the small of her back but ultimately fell away without contact.
Seizing the opportunity, I stepped up to the other side of her and planted my hand on the dip of her back just above her hips.
