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Evie’s eyes followed Sitri as he stood and took several steps from us before snapping back to me. She didn’t move closer, didn’t give away a single thought.
Pinned to the cushion by her stare, I waited for an accusation or for her to start to piece together how staged our meetings had been.
“Are you here with anyone?” she asked, her tone flat.
“Just my brothers.” I crossed my ankle over my knee and sipped at my whiskey, hoping for any semblance of calm.
“Why?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re handsome, rich, connected, and seem to be everywhere. Why are you here alone?” She seemed to be examining me as if I were an anomaly to be dissected.
“You didn’t come with anyone,” I tossed back casually.
“But I ran into your brother.”
“Are you saying you came here with the intention of hooking up and have succeeded?”
“No, I—that’s not what I said.”
“Because perhaps I had the same intention but am not as charming or approachable.” I cocked my head and smiled, watching the ice in her posture melt away.
“I doubt that.” Her lips tightened, restricting the smile she wanted to return.
She looked around the lounge. The luxury of the VIP booths had spared no expense, and she was meant to be surrounded by lavishness. To be doted upon and never have to ask for anything. Her father had always provided for her, but somehow she had retained an innocence that didn’t often come with being raised in the public eye.
I’d been staring too long when her eyes caught on mine then pulled away.
She recoiled with surprise and a small bit of fear when she finally discovered the see-through floor beneath us. “Is that safe?”
“Entirely.” I stood and crossed over the pane of glass to demonstrate.
“Can they see us?” Her eyes were fixated on my feet and the party below.
“No.” I sat down next to her. “No one can see us.”
The weight of my body on the cushion pulled her closer, but she didn’t reposition herself. Her eyes had marked my movements then settled where our hips touched before trailing up to my face.
“You look beautiful tonight,” I said, settling my arm across the back of the booth behind her. “It’s a shame they can’t see you. Or maybe it is my great fortune that only I can.”
“Is that your attempt at hitting on me?” she quipped. The smirk she’d been holding back surfaced with a giggle that sent my heart racing.
“Not at all.” I scoffed and moved in closer.
Her eyes fell to my lips.
“I don’t need childish pickup lines or cheesy compliments to show someone I’m interested.”
“Is that why you’re here alone?” Her cheeks flushed at her own derisiveness.
“I was here alone because no one interested me. Until I went downstairs.”
Her lips parted and closed. The quick or witty comeback was lost to the electricity flowing between us. The slow build to a thunderstorm weighed down my chest, making my lungs feel heavy.
I laid my hand on her knee and drew in closer.
“Is this okay?” I asked, catching the notes of rose from her perfume and the musk of the sweat that had dried on her skin.
