Page 17 of Vows of Power
Amalia frowns at me as if I’ve suggested something insane. “What?”
I hold out my hand. “Everyone in here watches everyone else, and we’ve been whispering in a corner and we look like we’re plotting, which we are. So if we dance, we’ll look like a normal couple, and no one will think that’s weird.”
She studies my hand as if it might burn her, but then she takes my hand. “Fine.”
I draw her out onto the floor and rest my hand against her waist, and she sets hers on my shoulder. As we start moving, she keeps glancing around us.
“You’re allowed to look at me, you know,” I say. “We’re married.”
“I just don’t want to waste any time.”
“And that’s exactly what someone plotting would do.” I turn us a little so her back is to Dominic’s circle. “Look at me. Pretend you can stand me for one song.”
Her gaze meets mine, and her shoulders relax. “You’re enjoying this,” she says, eyeing me.
“It’s a job.”
“You’re smiling.”
“I’m playing my part.” I grin wider on purpose. “A devoted husband. Very convincing.”
“But did you enjoy every moment of it, or did you get jealous back there?” Her lips twitch. “You went all stiff when Dominic looked at my cleavage.”
“I wasn’t jealous,” I blurt out. “I was watching him for tells. That’s it.”
“Right.” She probably doesn’t believe me, and honestly, I’m not sure I believe myself either, but I’m not about to give her the satisfaction.
“I’m serious,” I say. “I don’t get jealous. I was doing my job, just like you.”
“Whatever you say,husband.” She grins at me, and I should be annoyed, but instead, I just want to hold her closer.
We turn again, and her hand slips a little on my shoulder, her gaze lowering to my mouth, and everything else in the room seems to fade away. I dip my head, gazing into her eyes. I want to kiss her, and judging by the look in her eyes, she would let me.
But as I try to close the distance, she pulls back, her hand coming up between us as she leans away.
“We should take a look around,” she says, her voice businesslike. “Separately. We’ll cover more ground that way. We don’t have to be together all the time. Someone might say something that they wouldn’t otherwise if we were both there.”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat and let my hand fall from her waist. “Good idea.”
She steps back, smooths her dress, and disappears into the crowd, and I stare after her with no clue what the fuck justhappened, or why it feels as if someone snatched a meal off the table before I got to finish it.
It would’ve been a good kiss. A good way to celebrate, since tonight went better than we hoped for. We got Dominic interested and we got out before he got too suspicious, and our plan is working just fine. A kiss would’ve been a nice way to end our night.
Wait, why the fuck am I even thinking about this? I have no reason to want to kiss her. Sure, it would’ve made our love more believable to everyone, but it bothers me for all the wrong reasons, so I grab a drink off a tray and gulp it down.
Chapter 12
AMALIA
AS SOON AS WE’RE BACKhome, I kick off my heels right there in the hallway. My feet are killing me after a whole night in those things. Matteo tugs his tie undone as he starts toward the kitchen, and I head after him because I’m too wired to go straight to bed.
“Dominic was right there,” I say. “Right in front of me all night, and I couldn’t just shoot him or rip his throat out. Maddening.”
“If you even looked at him wrong, his guards would’ve stopped you, and you wouldn’t have gotten another chance. We’d both be dead, and it wouldn’t have been quick.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it any easier.” I pour myself a glass of water. “It’s just... Tomasso’s dead because of him, and he doesn’t even...”
Matteo leans against the counter. “I get it, but you handled it great. He couldn’t tell how much you despise him. I’m sure of it.”
