Biting the inside of my cheek, I did as he asked. He pressed calloused fingertips against the trapped dust. Was he trying to extricate it?
“I don’t think—” My dust seemed to rear in its tracks and pulse harder, wiping away my convictionandthe end of my sentence. “It’s responding to you,” I whispered, stunned and worried that if I spoke any louder, it would scare off my dust. Not that dust was skittish, but maybe confiscated dust was . . .
Remo’s eyebrows dipped in concentration. Slowly, he raised his fingers. Considering how strongly my palm tingled, I expected to see golden ribbons unspool.
But I was wrong.
The air between our hands stayed still and dark.
16
Standards
“It was worth a try,” Remo sighed as he pulled his hand back to his side.
I slid my lower lip through my teeth, partly relieved my dust couldn’t be manipulated by another fae and partly confused as to why it was still swishing around in its tracks like a school of minnows. “It responded to your touch.”
“That wasn’t the dust, Amara.”
I cranked my head up so fast my neck cracked. “What else could it have been?”
His eyes glowed like faceted emeralds. “Your pulse.”
“My pulse? Why would my pulse respond to you? I’m not afraid of you.”
The corners of his lips ticked up.
“I’mnot,” I said, stressing thenotpart.
“Well if it isn’t fear, then that leaves attraction.”
Like a wave, the blood drained from my face before flooding right back inside. “I’m definitelynotattracted to you. I have standards.”
The intensity of his smile turned up. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” Blood still pounded in my veins, but for a completely different reason now.
He was still smiling. “And what are those standards of yours?”
“Kindness.”
“I’m kind.”
“Not to me you aren’t.”
I didn’t think his smile could get any wider, but it did.
“Humble.”
Still smirking, he folded his arms, which somehow made his chest appear broader.
“Not redheads.”
His smirk intensified.
“And not of Farrow descent.”
“So, just not me?” He dipped his chin into his neck, grin intact. “Aren’t you going to ask me about my standards?”
