Are you stupid?
As if he heard my thoughts, his face inched closer. “You’ll get your skinny arse back to the rest of the tour,” he said, his tone dripping with thick sarcasm. I gulped down my mortification for thinking he’d kiss me as he continued, “there are plenty of dungeons in this castle where one can lose—” A strong hand came up and closed around my neck, his eyes glinting with something unreadable.
And for a moment, I didn’t speak, didn’t move and I even stopped breathing. Then my body came alive, I gasped at the warm touch of his fingers, aware he could easily snap my neck. Drawing in lungsful of air, inhaling his musky scent
“—just about anything,” he finished, his tone a clear warning.
Instead of fearing the man, I focused heavily on one word and a sore spot in my teenage life. “I’m aware my ass is not skinny.” I poked his chest, not caring for his scorn. The only person who got away with insulting me was my mother. My reaction had him releasing his hold on my neck.
Folding his arms across his chest giving way to bulging biceps, he trailed a lazy gaze the length of my body, and when it returned to my face, a slow smirk curved those full lips. That snake-like action on a boy my age would’ve appeared silly. On him, it was downright sexy until he opened his mouth and said, “would you care to provide me with a deeper examination then.”
My jaw dropped. “What...um...how...you’re...um.”Shit.I sounded like a bumbling idiot. “You’re a sick man,” I finally blurted, leveling him with the best glare I could muster.
It was wasted on him. He merely lifted a brow. “One, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with someday, little girl.”
“Conceited much?” I snorted, keeping my disbelief at bay.
“Yes.”
The closest I’d come to anyone this egotistical was Bennett. Still, I doubted Bennett’s brand of superiority matched this man. Where he probably ate arrogance for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Bennett merely obtained the right through family wealth.
“In your dreams,” I muttered.
“We’ll see.” He glanced at his watch, not giving me a chance to reply. “Now, as much as I’m enjoying this tête-à-tête, I suggest you run along before you’re missed, and my home becomes tarnished by more inquisitive children.”
His home?I wanted to ask who he was, but his clenched square jaw warned me this conversation was over. Rolling my eyes, I brushed past him without another word. A couple of steps away, I looked over my shoulder to find him watching me, his gaze intense, his expression almost thoughtful.
“Don’t touch anything,” he called out.
Turning fully to face him, I walked backward, then tipping my chin in an apparent show of defiance, I veered to my right and stopped. With my eyes on my mystery man, I lifted onto the tips of my black school shoes and planted a kiss on the cheek of a polished knight’s amour. Sucking at the metallic taste on my lips, I stood back and waited. For a sixteen-year-old, I had balls. In my defense, the man staring back at me possessed a magnetism I’d never witnessed before. Call it stupidity or intuition for testing him but I didn’t want our interaction to end.
He slipped his hands into the pockets of his black slacks yet there was something in the way he watched me. My heart hammered so loudly, I feared he’d hear it. He shook his head and stepped toward me as if thinking twice about his next move. My bravery made a quick exit. Not waiting to find out what he had in store for me, I darted across the room and out the only door I could see.
Zipping along dark passages, my shoes tapped a steady beat as I maintained a brisk pace, not stopping until I was almost on top of my school group. Their interest ranged from enthusiasm to indifference, they listened to the guide describing several artifacts hanging on a wall. Just before I reached them, I took a moment to breathe, calm my insides, and then with a glance over my shoulder, I neared Grace. Thankfully, she stood at the rear of the group, her face a scowling mass of boredom.
“Where were you?” she hissed when I interlinked my arm with hers.
“Exploring.”
“Anything interesting?”
“Definitely.” I grinned, catching the rounded flair of her eyes. “I’ll tell you later.”
“But—”
“Are there any questions, children?” our guide, cut her off.
For the next forty-five minutes, we followed the guide and while I tried to give the tour my undivided attention, I couldn’t stop thinking of my encounter with the mystery man. Every few minutes, my gaze strayed toward the red rope barriers half expecting him to come looking for me.
By the time the tour ended, I felt disappointment low in my stomach. It was fun sparring with a man that hadn’t seen me as an obnoxious teenager. Plus, he’d called me skinny.
“Excuse me?” I raised my hand to catch the guide’s attention.
“Yes?” She didn’t look a day over twenty, but she was friendly and offered me an encouraging smile. I felt that not many children showed a keen interest in the castle. If they did, they hadn’t asked many questions, leaving the woman to babble on without interruption.
“Are you able to tell us anything about the more recent castle owners, please,” I asked earning a few disgruntle groans from some of my classmates.
Her smile still serene, she slowly shook her head. “Unfortunately, we’re not allowed to share any information about the family, only that they are rightful heirs according to the line of descendants preceding them.”
