His other hand finds my waist, and he skims his hands up to the fitted bodice, his fingers trailing over the zipper.
“A knife,” he whispers. “Good to know.”
“I’m saving that one for you.” I manage to get out.
He laughs, but his hands continue their perusal of my dress, wrapping around my back. He yanks me against his chest, and I catch my breath.
“W-why are you holding me?”
“Why are you letting me?”
He’s right. This is not appropriate behavior and I’m as much to blame for not pushing him away sooner. I’m supposed to be capturing him, so I can gain the attention of my superior who is a good guy. A guy who wouldn’t hurt me, wouldn’t leave me, wouldn’t lie to me.
I place both hands on Liam’s chest to push him away, but they falter.
He swallows, tightening his body beneath my touch.
No.
I shove him away.
He steps back, ripping off the tie as he goes. His eyes land on me, something shifting in his expression. There’s no teasing in his eyes right now. There’s something much more dangerous.Want.I’ve been trying to deny it, but it’s written all over the rigid set of his jaw and darkening eyes.
“You put every beauty on this earth to shame, Serena Cruz. There’s never been a more remarkable creation than you.”
I can’t breathe again. My chest burns with the longing inside me, but it hurts even more knowing I can’t give in. The second I do, I’ll be lost to him.
Liam must sense my struggle. He pulls an obnoxious grin onto his face, covering the desire. “Tonight should be fun.”
“I’d prefer it wasn’t.” My weak legs practically stumble to the couch. I try to put on my shoes, but my dress, or rather the knife plastered to my side, isn’t allowing me to fully bend.
“Let me help.” Liam drops to his knees and steals a shoe.
“No, it’s fine.”
He looks at me. “It’s good to let people care for you, you know?”
Care for me? Or care about me? I never knew there was a difference. But now I realize how little I’ve had of either in my life. I don’t want to settle for less than both. The argument dies on my lips as he slips the shoe onto my foot. His finger trails over the arch of my foot as he works his hand to the strap around my ankle.
I’m aware of every tiny, insignificant touch like he’s drawing on my skin with a sparkler. When he’s finished with one foot, he goes to the next, and this one takes even longer. How complicated can it be? His hand slips up my calf, and I jump. “Okay. Thank you. It’s on there. Right foot and everything. Now let’s get you dressed.” I snatch his shirt from the couch and toss it at him before going to the kitchen. I need a drink.
Two minutes later, Liam comes into the kitchen fully clothed with a tie that perfectly matches my dress. When did he get that? He picks up the small satchel containing the jewelry box and places it over his shoulder. “Ready?”
Not in a million years. “Yep.”
Chapter 21
Serena
I’m shaking in myheels as we walk up the stone steps to the Lang Palace. The pure magnitude of the palace and the number of guests flooding in has already overwhelmed me.
In theory, performing a hostage exchange with Liam should be easy. It should be simple, not terrifying at all and were something to go wrong, I can take care of it because I’m a trained special agent. But my life as an agent feels like it was merely a dream. Liam stole me away from my home base, put me in a dress, and turned me into a different woman. There is an old me and a new me. In less than a week I’ve changed and I’m struggling to reconcile these versions of myself into the strong woman I am, capable of anything tonight.
“I can’t do it.” I grip Liam’s arm, and he flexes his bicep, probably to push my nails off.
“Yes, you can.” He smiles at the faces we pass. We aren’t even inside yet, and I feel like a walking imposter. Everyone is going to see through this pretty little façade Liam painted and I haven’t even made it through the door. “Just think of the treasure we’ll get to find after this is over.”
The last thing I’m thinking about right now is the treasure. Getting his grandfather back is the only thing I care about, and I fear everyone can see right through me.
