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“Yeah, why?”

He focused his gaze on her fidgeting fingers. “You seem a little anxious.”

“Sorry,” she whispered, stopping her tapping at once as her cheeks warmed.

He gave a little shake of his head, as if to say there was no reason to apologize, but she kept her gaze trained forward. She needed to control herself. Her tapping fingers would only lead to more questions she really didn’t want to answer.

Another scene passed by, Clara and Prince arriving in the Land of Sweets. Claire drew deep, calming breaths as she focused on the white outfits and shining backdrops behind the ballerinas. She thought she’d stopped her tapping, but when Liam leaned toward her again, his shoulder pressing against hers, she froze.

“You’re making me anxious now,” he whispered, placing his hand over her fingers.

Claire stared down at his hand over hers, her heart ramping up in time with the music, her skin aflame, as if warmed by a fire. She kept waiting for Liam to retract his hand, but when it settled more on top of hers, she looked back up at the dancers.

Liam was holding her hand. Liam was holding her hand. Would Melody see and make a big deal out of it later on?

After a quick glance in her direction, however, Claire knew Melody had nothing on her mind but Dean, whom she cuddled up against.

It was a small relief, one that lasted only a moment as Claire’s thoughts threatened to spin out of control. Why was Liam holding her hand? Was it because he wanted to, or because he just needed to stop her tapping?

She leaned toward him. “I’ll stop,” she whispered.

He kept his gaze on the performers, leaning slightly toward her with his response. “I’ll hold onto you…just in case.”

Then he cast her a sidelong glance that sent her heart racing.

Claire bit her lip to keep her smile at bay. Alright, so he was going to keep his hand there, then. That didn’t mean he wanted to for any reason other than to keep her from fidgeting. That didn’t mean…

He brushed his thumb against her skin so softly, she thought she’d imagined it. But when he did it again, his caress became clearer.

Heaven help her.

The dance ended, applause sounding from the audience. Claire fully expected Liam to keep his hands to himself after clapping, but when he placed his hand on hers once again, this time sliding his fingers around her own, she had to remind herself again and again to breathe.

There was no mistaking his actions. Liam was holding her hand because he wanted to. And she couldn’t deny the fact that she wanted to hold his right back.

Each time the dances ended, their hands would break apart, and Claire wondered if he would take hers again. Time and time again, however, her spirits soared as he returned his fingers to hers until the final bows were taken, and the lights turned on.

Finally, as those around them stood, Liam slid his hand from hers, the cold instantly accosting her fingers.

“What an incredible performance,” Melody exclaimed as she stood next to Dean. “Didn’t you guys just love it?”

Claire nodded, though to be honest, she couldn’t say for sure. Her mind had been too utterly preoccupied with the perfection seated beside her.

As they made their way from the hall, Claire bumped into Liam so many times, she was beginning to wonder if he was doing it on purpose, his eyes catching hers over and over again until they finally stepped out into the cold air.

Claire breathed in the brisk wind, welcoming the distraction it brought to her mind. She didn’t even know what was happening to her right now, having to pull her mind from Liam so often. She couldn’t afford to draw closer to him. She didn’t want to waste her time falling for a man who didn’t have time to date her—or a man who lived halfway across the world.

And yet, as he helped her into her coat, his hands lingering a moment against her arms, she began to care less and less about what her brain argued for, and more and more about what her heart desired.

She turned to face him, smiling with gratitude as he watched her in return. What if, just this once, she allowed her heart to thrive instead of her brain? What if she forgot about the future and focused on the here and now?

Her heart picked up speed at the mere notion of giving in to her desires, but when she turned, catching Melody’s watchful gaze, Claire took a clear step away from Liam and focused on the street ahead of them.

Melody would have no way of knowing about Claire’s growing feelings for Liam, but it became obvious that Melody was doing her best to find out that very thing as she honed in on Claire and Liam for the rest of the night.

When they went out for gelato, she asked them question after question, paying them more attention than she even did to Dean.

Claire tried her hardest to focus on her friend, but her thoughts were lost as she sat down beside Liam and his knee pressed against hers.