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Then, he grabbed my hand without asking, dragging me back to the dance floor before I could saymargarita. I could practically feel Dallas’ smile warming the back of my neck as the crowd parted for him.
He placed us in the middle of the floor and spun me to face him. His fingers pressed against my upper back, warm and strong.
In another world, in another time, I would enjoy them.
In reality, however, all I cared about was survival.
The orchestra began playing. We took position—him with flawless posture and me with unpracticed rigidness—and danced.
“Mr. Sun…” Oliver twirled me. “…is broken. I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now.”
He held me closer. It occurred to me that this looked like an intimate, clandestine moment by design.
I didn’t know how, but I knew Zach watched us like a hawk—and that Oliver had intended this.
I didn’t respond.
“All sharp-edged shards.” Oliver spun me again. “He doesn’t letanyone get too close, so they don’t bleed out.”
Still, I said nothing, letting him spin me like a rag doll. With the whirl, I noted a sea of women watching in envy as I clung to Oliver von Bismarck’s shoulders.
I ignored them, trying and failing to find Zach.
“Now, I don’t know who you are…” Oliver guided each of my steps, moving just slow enough for me to concentrate on his words. “…and the way you wormed yourself into his life is questionable to say the least.” That crisp, businesslike tone surprised me. Not at all like the ditzy party boy his reputation claimed him to be. “But if you hurt my best friend, who seems downright obsessed with you, I will personally drag you into the pits of hell and toss you into the fire. He’s been through enough. You hear me?”
I threw my head back and laughed. It must’ve seemed like we were having a splendid time.
“I will crush him into dust if I so wish to, von Bismarck. I don’t take to being threatened very well.”
I didn’t tell him the truth—that I had no power over Zachary Sun. No one did. I was simply the only person he somehow found bearable enough to touch.
I was a shiny new toy.
Something to pass the time with.
“You have a smart mouth.” He gave me an appreciative once-over. “I can see why he likes you.”
“Wait till you see me with a sword.”
His eyes flared, a gleam of curiosity lurking within them. Weirdly enough, his beauty did nothing to me.
He reminded me of a statue.
Perfectly polished, yet completely dead inside.
You once described Zach that way. What changed?
I swallowed the question, focusing on Oliver. “How do you know he likes me?”
“For starters, he no longer looks like life is pushing lemons into his rectum, two at a time, twenty-four hours a day.” I stumbled over his feet. He caught me by the waist, a chuckle rolling from his throat. “God, you’re adorable. All rough edges, just like him.”
“It’s my first waltz.”
“For the sake of every pair of feet in the state, I hope it will be your last.”
“Do you always find people not in your class so amusing?”
“Not at all. I usually find them completely insignificant.”
