I jerk back, confused, and open my mouth before I feel the pressure of eyes on the side of my face. I glance over at Taranis. He’s staring at me in a way I don’t like. Not even a little bit.
His purple eyes blaze a little redder than usual, and his mouth is tight. “You don’t need to make chitchat with the help.”
Wow. “Iamthe help.”
His lips turn down at the corners, and he slides along the seat until he can reach the bottle of bubbles. He pours himself a glass. “Are you drunk? This is almost empty. Is that why you’re flirting in front of me?”
“What?” I glance down at my glass. “This is my second glass. And I’m not flirting,” I lie.
“Do I look blind?”
“You look like someone trying to get their teeth knocked in.” Oh my God. What the fuck did I just say to this sociopath?
Taranis’s left eyelid twitches. I gape at him. He glares right back. “I’m your date. You flirt with her again, I will fire her. You flirt with anyone at this event, I will electrocute you both. You will not embarrass me.”
Anyone might have thought he was jealous. I know Taranis better than that, and what he is, is a narcissist.
I roll my eyes and drain my glass, refilling it more out of petulance than my true desire for a third.
Time passes. This car ride is the longest of my life. Then, out of nowhere, Taranis says, “I didn’t know you were a lesbian.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
He glares, lightning crackling across the back of the hand holding his champagne flute. “My team did their due diligence. I knew you were single when I asked you out. I wouldn’t have asked to be your date if you were with someone.”
I smirk. “Of course not. I doubt you’d do very well being rejected.”
“You wouldn’t have rejected me. And I don’t care enough about you to ruin your relationship.”
“Wow,” I say aloud. “You are ...” I shake my head, chuckling a little bit. “You are a sensational actor. I can’t believe I fell for it.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. You’re human. Humans aren’t that smart.”
I scoff again, smiling this time. “Incredible.” I take a sip. “And I’m not a lesbian, by the way. I like boys too.” Not that I date ever anyway. “Aliens, though?” I suck in air between my teeth. “Not my type.”
He snorts, and out of the corner of my eye I swear I saw his mouth twitch just a little bit. “I’m everyone’s type.”
“Until you open your mouth.”
“If I open this mouth to tell you to drop your top, show me your tits, lift your hips, and show me that pussy, you wouldn’t hesitate.”
My body turns to fire. He might as well have electrocuted me.
Our gazes lock, and despite tugging and pulling at the crackling tension between us, I can’t look away. He isn’t smiling at me, either, and the lack of a smug smirk makes me nervous. A little more than nervous, I admit, and I can’t let him rile me likethat. I’m not wearing underwear and don’t need to leave the limo with a wet spot on my silk dress.
I clear my throat. “Fat chance.” I look away, but I can still feel every place his gaze canvases my profile, searching for clues, which is odd because I’m not a riddle.
I don’t plan on speaking to him again on the car ride, or at the event, or anywhere else outside of a professional setting if I can help it. But surprising me again, Taranis breaks the silence. “The pictures you took of me in that tunnel were good.”
Good.It’s not what I’m used to hearing about my photos, but I get the impression this isn’t an employer who doles out compliments to his employees easily. I take it with a grimace that I try to pass as a terse smile. “Thanks.”Ssi-bal.So much for not speaking to him.
“You got my email?” He’s frowning again. It’s a clipped, tight expression. I wonder for a moment what this guy looks like when he relaxes. If he ever even does that.
“Yes.”
His mouth pulls together, his full lips shriveling. “You didn’t reply.”
“Yes, I did. Did you not get it?”
