Page 29 of Colton

“Let us go, Ms. Evans,” Colton says.

Without a word, I follow him like a lost puppy, unable to take my eyes off these walls. Everything is decorated to perfection, with original Renaissance paintings around, some I have never seen or heard of before.

This entire place screams money.

God, what did I get myself into?

I’ll come out of this place either regretting all of this or uncovering all the secrets of this family. Quite frankly, I’m not sure which one would end up being better for me.

10

Ms. Evans is sitting across from me, clearly fiddling with her fingers on her lap. Her eyes are wandering around, and she’s in a state of awe. Not to toot my own horn, but this library is one of the prettiest places in my home, and I take excellent care of it, along with the books inside.

“How many books do you have in here?” She asks, her voice breathless. Something about that makes a single spark ignite in my chest. It’s small, and not something I should ever feel, or pay attention to and yet, I cannot seem to grab a decent hold of myself.

Quite frankly, after Artemis told me Avalon was here, I looked to see what she’d been up to. Running into her at the town square was an accident; however, I won’t deny that I walked down that street in the hopes of seeing her.

Why? I’m not quite sure myself.

“Last time I checked, there were over four thousand books. Although, that was ages ago. I’m certain more titles have been added since.”

Her eyes snap to mine quickly, widening a fraction.

Ah, that’s why.

I would never deny that Avalon is a very attractive woman. Would she fit my type? Not necessarily. But that doesn’t mean she’s anything less than gorgeous. Now, that she’s looking at me, her brown eyes growing wider as the number registers in her head, I get it.

It’s her eyes that are luring me in.

It’s my first time seeing eyes so wide. I’ve never seen such pretty eyes before. They say that eyes are the mirror to the soul and until now, I’d never believed it. But hers are a perfect reflection of who she truly is: kind, expressive and utterly mesmerizing.

“Four thousand?” She repeats, the surprise evident on her tongue. “And, what kind of books do you have in here?”

“Books of every genre,” I shrug. “From school books, history texts, and everything non-fictional, to the newest romantasy books.”

Avalon laughs, then tries to cover her laughter with a cough. She clears her throat, those pretty eyes twinkling with amusement, and dare I say, excitement. A smile is playing on her lips, despite her best attempts to hide it.

“Romantasy? You read that?”

“No,” I drawl out. “I barely have the time to read anything these days. That would be attributed to my younger sister, Dahlia.”

“You have a sister?”

There’s a knock on the door, and Avalon straightens up. I call out, allowing Emiliano to enter. I’ve known the man since I was a young boy, and I learned to recognize his footsteps, or the lack there of, a long time ago. He’s as composed as usual, carrying a tray with one hand.

He lowers the two cups onto their saucers in front of us, then pours tea in each, leaving the pot behind. He brought us some cookies that pair well with the tea, too. Smart man — no wonder he’s being paid more than any butler I’ve ever heard of.

“Enjoy,” he says, his thick British accent bouncing off the walls, before he takes his leave. Avalon’s eyes follow his retreating steps, until the door closes behind him, and the silence stretches.

“No sugar, or milk?”

Avalon’s voice holds a tinge of sarcasm, though I can’t be too sure. I shake my head, a low chuckle slipping past me. I reach for the cup, the sugary scent filling my nose. There’s a reason Emiliano had this tea served, and it’s something I’ll have to speak to him about later.

Avalon follows suit, slowly taking a sip. Her brows narrow a little, then she takes another sip. My upper lip quivers, and I suppress a smile. She looks adorable like this, concentrated on the taste.

“It’s savory,” she murmurs, lowering the cup back onto the saucer, “with a sweet finish.”

I nod. “It’s Gyokuro. The origin of the tea is from Japan, and clearly, it’s one of Emiliano’s favorites.”