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“I see. That’s a fair viewpoint.”
The man made small talk, then excused himself. When he did, Nate was quick to navigate her away and turn her around, where he witnessed her graceful smile drop as she took in a huge gulp of air. He placed his hand on her neck to look like he was kissing it, masking his words.
“Be careful what you say to these people,” he said. “They might take you for a liar.”
“I wasn’t lying. Iaminvested in my safety. And I have encountered House Bronson’s security, not his.”
He detected the anxiety in her tone, but it was gone when she turned back around and faced the crowd. Because he hadn’t removed his mouth yet, it ended up brushing against her cheek, so soft that it startled him just a little bit. It caught her off guard, too, her lips parting. Instinct had him wanting to close in, but he recalled where they were and removed his face anywhere near her—just in time, too, as he glimpsed another figure approach them at the corner of his eye.
“Nathaniel.”
He recognized the voice and was no longer as relaxed. But Nate faced the woman with a polite smile.
“Sylvia.”
Sylvia smiled back, but her gaze immediately settled on Winter. Winter eyed her curiously, waiting for the introduction, but it didn’t come.
“Great dress,” Sylvia finally commented, though her tone indicated differently. “It’s so…subtle.”
“Subtle is what I’m going for,” was the prompt response, with Winter barely batting an eyelash. “I don’t like to stand out too much.”
“Right. Because you are vulnerable to our kind.”
“Because the point of the event is to socialize, not to draw too much attention with too much flash.”
Whatever smile Sylvia held faltered as her gaze turned sinister, but it was gone in an instant as the woman finally turned to Nate.
“I heard the news, but I didn’t want to believe it.”
“I don’t know what news you heard, Sylvia, or what you are talking about.”
“If you need a date, you could have called me. You didn’t have to…settle.”
Winter didn’t bristle, looking as serene as ever. But he noted the vibration on her back and realized she was more anxious than she let on. Instinct had him drawing her closer, his hand resting on her hip. Sylvia noticed, watching the move with a frown.
“I don’t know what you mean about settling, Sylvia, when she’s the prettiest in the room—and that’s without any flash.”
The frown turned ugly, but again, Sylvia was quick to recover as the woman pasted on a neutral expression. She nodded.
“For a human.” Sylvia gave Winter a sickly-sweet smile, every bit as unsubtle as the woman was. “I will see you around the palace, then, human.”
“Winter,” Winter called out in reminder when the woman glided away. They didn’t miss the bristle, but Sylvia didn’t look back. “Tell me where she resides, so I don’t pass those areas.”
“Maddox won’t let you go to that area, anyway.”
“Maddox doesn’t have a say in where I go,” she grumbled. “Ex-girlfriend?”
“Lover. It was purely physical.”
There was a pause as she puzzled over it, then shot him the same puzzled look. “Isn’t that what we are supposed to be?”
He didn’t answer right away, noting how soft her skin was where his thumb rested. Belatedly, it registered that they were still close, and she was leaning against him with such an unguarded posture that he couldn’t help swirling that thumb. She stilled but didn’t leave his side.
“I don’t bring lovers to events like this,” he confessed.
Blue eyes locked with his, widening. Something about her ethereal look got to him and he found himself unable to look away, devouring the sight and realizing he hadn’t lied about finding her the prettiest here. Maybe it was the innocence that just oozed out of her and made her appear so fresh. Maybe it was the confidence, wrestling with her nerves and winning every time, impressing the crowd that humans often bowed down to or tried to please too much—if they didn’t run away from fear first.
Winter would have faced these people squarely just as she had faced him.
