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He chose law for fun... Was he kidding me? How could anyone be so irresponsible?

He could stick his playful grin somewhere else!

Miles raised his hand and held the book out to me.

“Just between us,” he began quietly, holding his hand to his mouth with a serious expression, as if he wanted to whisper something to me. “There's nothing criminal about wanting to stand up for the rights of underrepresented groups.”

His smirk returned.

Stunned, I stared at the book.

More and more anger built up inside me.

I should have left that aisle the moment I had discovered that shelf, should never have found that book in the first place.

I regretted it, but most of all, I regretted ever thinking it would be a smart idea to mess with Miles DeLoughrey.

Miles exhaled quietly, as if exhausted, a red flicker flitting across his irises for a deceptive fraction of a second, before he shrugged his shoulders and lifted the book past me again to put it back on the shelf.

He leaned forward and I held my breath again, decided to get out of here as quickly as possible as soon as he had pushed the book into the gap. But instead of moving away from me completely, Miles remained much too close to me.

My gaze fixed on the golden necklace peeking out from the opening of his shirt. The necklace that probably held his moonstone.

Only now did I become aware of his masculine body, which wasn't touching mine, but whose shadow I could feel all too clearly lying on me.

His head was next to mine, but I didn't dare turn mine.

I thought I heard him draw in his breath, almost inaudibly.

Goosebumps shot down my spine, down my neck, spread across my shoulders and finally ran down my arms...

My lips parted slightly as I tried to draw in air. My lungs wanted me to gasp for breath, but a slight inhale was all I was capable of.

“What game are we playing right now, Emely?”

His voice was soft, hoarse, rough...

Warm breath brushed against my neck.

“Do you think anything would be different if our families weren’t enemies?” I heard my own words from the winter ball echoing through my head, and it felt like a lash, like high treason, to even ask such a thing.

“Everything would be different.”

Miles' words were the actual lash, the reminder that the mere thought that anything could be different was my undoing.

It ruined me, allowed me to let this man confuse my body.

Tears. I felt myself close to tears.

I jerked my head around, grabbed Miles' shirt, and pushed him against the nearest shelf.

He hadn't expected it, because he looked as surprised as I was to find that his shirt wasn't ice cold, but pleasantly warm.

I let go of him immediately, but didn't step back. Instead, I glared at him, making my eyes glow so he would take me seriously.

“You're the only one playing games!” I hissed quietly. “The one who doesn't know his limits.”

A slight red glow appeared in Miles' eyes as he stared at me, but I didn't let it distract me.