“And why is that?”
He blew out the biting flame of the match and lifted the candle higher, casting flickering shadows above our heads.
“Because this is my territory.”
I sent him a glare, but kept searching.
“I suggest you go and look for another place to corrupt…poison.”
The corner of my eye twitched.
“What would you call yourself?” I asked, raising my eyes at him. His forehead creased.
“What?” he asked and I tipped my head, crossing my arms in front of my sweater.
“If I’mpoison, what are you?”
Preston’s brows knit even more.
“Something toxic, that’s certain,” I went on. “Annoying. Pathetic even?—”
“Oh.” He placed a hand over his chest, with an expression that was both bored and dramatic. “She bites,” he said. “And here I was waiting for my next slap.”
I looked away before he could see the flush creeping up my cheeks. I felt his stare burn into the back of my head, but I ignored it. I wasn’t here to be some silver-spooned boy’s entertainment when he was bored. And I definitely wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of an apology. He deserved what he got.
My skin prickled as he leaned closer, his scent—blooming meadow and pine forest—suffocating. “What’re we looking for?”
I shifted away. “Don’t you have anything better to do?” I asked.
“I’m not the intruder here,” he replied. “You are. So be glad I didn’t grab you and put you out the door.”
I clenched my jaw. “You wouldn’t.”
He didn’t answer, just watched me, his arms crossed over his chest. I turned away, my fingers pausing between the two books where I rememberedTales of Thornhillhad been yesterday. But there weren’t any spines titled asTome of Fatesaround it.
“And since when is a library someone’s territory?” I stepped around him. “I don’t suppose you bought this room from Lilian?”
“You don’t suppose,” he repeated mockingly. “But can you be sure?”
My eyes narrowed. “If you know this place so well, I’m looking for a book.” I bit out, and he cocked his blonde head.
“Do I look like a librarian?” he asked. “I told you to leave the room, I didn’t say I would help you in any way.”
Oh, he was infuriating. “Are you threatening me?”
“If you have to ask, then probably not.”
My nostrils flared. If he thought he could intimidate me, he was wrong.
Preston towered above me, the light gleaming on his round reading glasses. “Let me be clear, poison. You stay out of my way, and I’ll do the same for you.”
I lifted my chin. Oh, he was hellbent on making me hate him.
“Will you?” I asked, surveying him. “Because since I arrived, you always only appear when I’m alone. Let me be clear, Davenport,” I mimicked him. “If I wanted something to follow me around, I would’ve bought a dog.”
A flash of surprise crossed his face before he twisted it into a sneer. He leaned dangerously close, and my skin itched in response. “Careful, poison,” he lowered his voice, flashing his sharp canines. “I can bite too.”
I held his gaze, biting my tongue.
