Aubrey’s gaze volleys between us, amusement dancing in her eyes. “What’s this about? You annotated a book together?”
William turns his attention to the coordinator, his false persona firmly in place. His tone comes out haughty. “It’s sort of a silly game we’ve played, writing notes back and forth during our signings.”
That contrived tone paired with how he called it asilly gameignites a wave of ire in me. Not to mention the fact that he told a stranger about it. I don’t know when our book became a precious secret to me but hearing him dismiss it like that sends a spear of betrayal straight through my chest.
“I love that idea,” Aubrey says with a decisive clap. “Is that your choice of contribution, Miss Danforth?”
“Yes, Miss Danforth, what do you say?” William faces me with a smile that doesn’t meet his eyes. It’s a look I can’t read. Is he challenging me? Taunting me? “Might as well get rid of it for a good cause.”
“Fine,” I say curling my fingers into fists while I force a shrug. “One person’s trash is another’s treasure.”
“If it was trash,” William whispers, leaning slightly closer, “you should have thrown it away back when you said you would.”
My pulse quickens. As far as he knows, I threw it away after our Winter Court signing. So how the hell does he know I still have it? Was it just a lucky guess? Or was he baiting me to find out? Damn him. First he stirs my sympathy. Now he sparks my annoyance. What is he playing at?
“Fantastic,” Aubrey says. “Well, that’s everything. Except…William, would you like to have a drink with me? Either my room or yours?” She beams a smile at him so bright it’s impossible not to read the subtext in it. Or in the sway of her hips as she tilts her head coyly to the side.
She…wants him.
This isn’t another case of me misreading the signs or being manipulated into overthinking like what happened with Zane at the Winter Court signing. No, this is obvious. This is unmasked seduction.
“A drink?” William echoes, his façade slipping.
Her violet eyes turn hopeful. Pleading. “We can discuss ideas for your date.”
“Right,” he says. “Give me a moment?”
“I’ll head to the lobby.” She offers me a parting smile, devoid of all malice. It tells me she hasn’t once considered me a rival or that there could be anything between me and William. She’s the epitome of cool, collected, and confident.
William faces me as soon as her back is turned. His haughty mask is gone, and the heat I saw in his face earlier—before our conversation turned somber—returns. He plants one hand on the table and leans toward me until our eyes are level. “Give me a reason not to go.”
My breath hitches.
“Give me one reason, Edwina. Just one.”
There’s pleading in his blue irises. A challenge too.
I open my mouth before I can find the words to say. Then anger heats my chest. I lean closer too, a scowl on my face. “No, William,yougive me a reason.”
His eyes widen in surprise.
But he can’t pin this all on me. He can’t taunt me to risk my heart when he hasn’t given me anything concrete to hold on to. As far as I know, this is all about attraction. Seduction. Nothing real or lasting. At least not for him.
For me…
I’m too scared to know what this is for me.
Too scared of that giddy feeling and everything it might mean.
“Fine.” He straightens with a slow sigh. My heart drops with every inch of space he places between us. “Go get rid of that book.”
Without another word, he leaves the ballroom and heads for the lobby.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
EDWINA
Why couldn’t he have given me a reason? Just one damn reason? Why does he fan my hopes and desires, again and again, just to leave me dangling on the precipice like this?
