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His gaze moved up to her cropped hair, the piercings in her ears, her dramatic winged eyeliner and deep red lipstick that emphasized her full mouth.
She didn’t say a word. But when she caught sight of him in the mirror, she looked wary. He saw his own face, a little too hopeful, and quickly smoothed it out.
“You were incredible,” he said softly.
Sonia arched a dismissive eyebrow in the mirror. “Hope you enjoyed the show, because it might be the last one.”
“I’m sure the company will make it.”
“How many girls have you said that to?You were incredible.I’m curious.”
A lot, if Brendan was being honest. Too many to count. But what was Sonia’s deal? All her thorns were back out.
“I give credit where credit’s due, that’s all.” Flashing his dimples, he took a step closer.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Sonia said disgustedly. Taking a cotton pad from her makeup kit, she squirted oil on it and held it against her eyelids. Then she stripped off her fake lashes and dropped them onto a tray like dead butterflies. “You’ve got your mask back on. All that golden-boy charm, so slick and fake. Are you going to wink at me next?”
Brendan drummed his fingers against his thigh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no harm in being friendly.” The bouquet rustled as he took another step toward her. Sonia’s eyes flicked to his in the mirror, and he seized the opening. “I brought you flowers.”
Calmly, she wiped off her red lipstick and pitched the crimson-smudged wipe in the trash. “Why?”
His blood began to boil. Couldn’t Sonia just saythank youlike a civilized person? Who the fuck questioned flowers?
“Because I knew you’d give an amazing performance,” he said smoothly, “and you deserve them.”
“Oh, you knew? How’d you know that I’d be so amazing?”
He blinked. “Diana and Ian talk about you all the time. They’ve said the most incredible things about your dancing. You’ve got talent, vision—”
“I mean, why now?” She turned in her chair, looking straight at him for the first time. Her big brown eyes were still smudged with the remains of the eyeliner, and her short hair begged for his hands to sink into it and pull. “Why now, when you’ve been coming to my shows for the past year? I know you have, so stop pretending. You’ve never said a word, never shown yourself. You’ve beenwatchingme. Do you only have the courage to talk to me if Diana puts you up to it?”
Her bluntness hammered at him, tightening his balls and sending the blood rushing to his cock. He’d come in here hoping to seduce, but this situation was out of his control.
“What the fuck is your problem?” he burst out.
Sonia’s eyes widened, and he realized it was the first time he’d lost his temper in years.
“My problem,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain, “is you. Skulking in the shadows like a goddamn stalker, but still paying with a credit card, so I see your name on every ticket list and I’m reminded that you exist. Twelve shows! You’ve come to twelve shows and you’ve kept yourself hidden. What the hell is going on?”
Brendan blew out a breath. “You think Diana put me up to this? She sure as hell didn’t put you up to kissing me, or sucking me off, or me up to—”
Sonia froze him with a glare.
Forget it. He should have gone home when the show was over. Moving forward, he held out the bouquet. “Take the flowers. I’ll leave.”
Sonia blinked rapidly. Her hand lifted, then dropped to her lap. “I’m not taking them. There’s a whole universe of expectation that comes along with those lilies, and I don’t want it.”
Her words stung like a slap. He’d never been rejected like this. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his last resort.
“Do you want this?” Taking one more step toward her, he opened his palm to display the dented gold lipstick case.
Sonia took a quick breath. “Let me see that.” She snatched the lipstick, turning it upside down to peer at the interlocking Js on the bottom. “That’s my lucky lipstick. You’ve had it all this time?”
Brendan shrugged. “You dropped it on the Metro.”
“I thought I didn’t want it anymore.” Sonia’s voice was so low, he wasn’t sure she was talking to him. It twisted his gut. Who was this woman? Why the hell did she make himfeel?
Knock, knock.
