Page 11 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

I rarely ate this well myself. I certainly didn’t need it fancy.

Leaning forward, I held her gaze solemnly. “I’m glad you like it,” I said, using the deepest, most sultry voice I could muster through my annoyance.

Allie’s smile remained reasonably pleasant. Her demeanor didn’t change whatsoever.

For god’s sake, wasn’t I having any effect on her at all?

I had the sudden urge to flip the table over.

Instead, I clenched my jaw and reached for the liquor.

“Oh, here, let me.” She jumped to offer, reaching over to pour two goblets of wine. Shifting in the padded, wrought-iron chair, she pursed her lips, remorse lacing her features. “I suppose I haven’t really thanked you yet for rescuing me from the frozen wasteland, saving me from an icy death.”

“I didn’t rescue you,” I corrected.

She flinched a little at my abruptness. “Alright. Then again I suppose you didn’t strike me as the type.”

Huffing, I reached for my wine to take a sip.

“I think I’ve hardly even seen you leave this tower in the last three weeks,” she mused, almost to herself. “Lounging about and drinking at your desk or cavorting with what I’m assuming is the local color. I guess you like to lead a dull, quiet, bachelor’s life.”

I turned a steely-eyed glare her way. She had no idea what the hell she was talking about. “For your information, I am the Queen of Hearts’s most notorious assassin.”

Her eyebrows rose, the look she gave me in response was nothing short of mocking. As if she was trying not to laugh.

I couldn’t help narrowing my eyes. “I’m not making a joke. I am the most powerful sorcerer in Wünder.”

She took a nonchalant bite of her food. “Sure.”

I checked my urge to seethe in frustration. It didn’t really matter what she believed. Why was I letting myself be bothered by it so much?

I took another big gulp of my wine.

Allie peered at the flaky pastry in her hand as if it piqued her interest more than I did.

Dammit.

The spell still wasn’t working.

I had to up the ante a bit more.

“Would you like some more wine?” I grabbed her half-filled goblet in a hurried manner, and sure enough, I spilled some on my white shirt. “Oh.”

Glancing up at me, Allie blinked in surprise, the spoonful of custard halfway up to her mouth.

“Sorry.” Feigning displeasure, I stood up and began to unbutton my shirt.

Catching sight of myself in the reflection of the glassed-in exposed clockwork mechanism that made up the wall panel across the way, I almost smirked in triumph.

As to be expected, the nature of my work kept me in shape. The toned, taut muscles on my arms rippled as I shrugged off my shirt altogether. The dim lighting in my loft cast shadows across the contours of my well-defined chest and abdomen. One of my regular companions often gushed over what she called my ‘sculpted physique’. I had a few scars here and there but certainly, the ladies had had no complaints.

Allie loaded a forkful of salad greens like absolutely nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

Was she totally blind?

Oh, for the love of—

Glaring at her, I sat back down, still shirtless.