Page 81 of Reckless Seduction
His eyes aren’t.
“As much as one can,” I reply, offering a faint smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes.
There’s a brief pause, just long enough for him to decide whether to dismiss me or not.
“I need a moment,” I add quietly.
Something shifts behind his gaze.
“Walk with me.”
He turns without waiting, moving toward a quieter stretch along the wall where the noise dulls just enough to give us a sliver of privacy. I fall into step beside him, my posture composed, my expression neutral.
To anyone watching, it’s nothing.
Just polite conversation.
“What is it?” he asks once we’re out of immediate earshot.
I glance around, making sure no one is close enough to overhear, then lower my voice.
“One of my father’s guards.”
That’s all it takes.
His attention sharpens instantly.
“What about them?”
“I saw one of them,” I say, choosing each word carefully. “Inside. Not posted like the others. Blending in, but he is rougher than the usual kind my father employs. Large beard. Less put together. Uncomfortable like he isn’t used to wearing a suit.”
Liam’s stride slows just slightly.
“And?”
“There was a tattoo,” I continue, my brow furrowing as I try to pull the image back into focus. “On his neck. Black ink. It looked… familiar.”
“How familiar?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, frustration threading through my voice. “That’s what’s bothering me. I’ve seen it before. I just can’t place where.”
He studies me for a long moment, his silence heavy with thought.
“Can you describe it?”
“A curve,” I say slowly, picturing it again. “Something sharp woven through it. Not random. It felt… intentional.”
Liam’s gaze flicks briefly toward the room, then back to me.
“Show me if you see him again,” he says quietly.
“I will.”
A faint shift of footsteps echoes from the main room, voices carrying closer, brushing along the edges of our conversation.
Too close.
Liam steps away first, putting space between us with practiced ease, his expression smoothing back into something neutral, unremarkable.
