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I drop the towel and stand in front of him with my hands on my hips. Tyson’s gaze travels up and down my body before he shrugs.
“I’ve seen better.”
“That’s a lie, and we both know it,” I say, walking over to him.
I trail a finger up his chest and trace one of the tattoos on his neck. Tyson barely seems to breathe as I move closer to him.
“Get dressed, Aria,” he says, taking a step back before I can fully close the distance between us.
“What if I don’t want to?”
Tyson sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Aria, I don’t have time to deal with this today. You need to get your ass in the dress and get ready for the party.”
I laugh and roll my eyes before grabbing the towel from the floor and wrapping it back around my body. Tyson opens the door to the balcony and steps outside while I sit down at my vanity.
As I do my makeup, I watch through the window as he paces back and forth across the balcony. Every now and then he stops and talks to someone below him.
I wonder if he is making friends with some of the other guards.
There are a few different guards who all work my detail. Tyson spends time around the other men, but I’ve never seen him talking to any of them.
The more I watch him talk, the more I wonder if it is hard for him to turn against the people he works closely with for months. It can’t be easy to sit in a courtroom and look in the eyes of someone who considers you a friend while you condemn them to years in prison.
Does he ever regret his career choice?
We are both planning to turn against the people in the household. We have both made a choice that is leading us to condemning people we consider friends and family.
Though Tyson may not think it, he and I are more alike that he knows.
I sigh as I style my hair into loose curls that hang down my back. As I pin a few pieces away from my face, Tyson walks back into my bedroom. He shuts the balcony door behind him and pulls the curtains shut.
“Is there something going on outside?” I ask as I stare at his tense shoulders. “You look like something is happening.”
“Nothing is happening. One of the other guys said that they can see you naked in here when the curtains are open.”
My cheeks feel warm as I glance at the windows. I didn’t think that any of them could see me. Most mornings, I walk from the bathroom to my closet naked.
That is going to stop now that I know some of the men are watching me.
“Does that bother you?” I ask, hoping that it does.
“Don’t pretend that you don’t know the answer to that,” Tyson says, glaring at me as he crosses his arms. “You’re smarter than that.”
I shrug. “I may be smarter than that, but you run so hot and cold that I don’t know what to expect from you.”
Tyson sighs and shakes his head. “We’re not getting into this right now.”
“That’s fine with me,” I say, grabbing the hairspray and setting my hair. “But you can’t act like a possessive male one minute and then ice me out for a week after. I might be the younger one, but you are the one handling this like a child.”
“You’re right about that,” he says. “But I’m the one who is keeping both of us alive right now.”
“You’re the one who is holding back because you think it’s easier than facing anything. It’s fine if you don’t want to be with me, Tyson. I’m a big girl and I can handle that.”
“I don’t want to be with you.”
I swallow the lump that rises to my throat and stand up. As I cross the room back to my bed to grab the dress, I can feel his gaze burning a hole into my back. I drop the towel and grab the dress, stepping into it and sliding the thin straps up my arms. The cowl neck drapes low and the skirt hugs my body.
“Can you zip me up?” I ask, pulling my hair over one shoulder.
