Page 50 of An Empress of Air & Chaos

And Gideon. Maybe.

Emara met his stare, forcing herself not to look away.

Was she overthinking it?

She had never felt so small in comparison to someone’s height or strength before. And maybe she felt intimidated by his striking attractiveness as she stood in front of him. His face was so ruggedly handsome. But she would never admit that.

Daring and inviting, yet off limits.

Emara vowed to herself, in that moment, that she would never admit her thoughts to another living soul. He knew how handsome he was, and he was the kind of guy that used that to his advantage. Torin Blacksteel did not need to hear from one more girl that he was attractive.

His head was big enough.

“Emara, we were just dancing. It didn’t mean anything.” Torin’s voice was firm.

“Yeah, it didn’t mean anything. You’ve said that already.” She swallowed as she shook her head and looked in the opposite direction. “It didn’t mean anything to me either.”

Torin’s eyes darted around the markets, assessing if anyone was watching. “It’s not like I kissed you.”

He folded his arms over his chest and relaxed, his mouth turning into a buoyant smile.

Cocky!

He wanted a reaction from her. She knew his game before he even started playing. He wanted to know how she felt about that, if he had kissed her.

Smug ass! Clearly, he liked to test his limits.

Abruptly, she wanted to test her limits by punching him in the face. Maybe that would wipe that smart ass grin off his face.

“I didn’t even try to kiss you, did I?” he said with a smile that was antagonistic. It was so antagonistically charming, she couldn’t help but bite.

“I don’t know why you are so smug when all you have is two lines of seduction,” she mocked. “It’s boring.” She pushed her jaw out. “I have never met anyone so cocky in all my life. And can I just add that I don’t think it’s attractive or clever to be acting the way you do? I told you not to mess my friend around, but you can’t help yourself, can you?” She ground her teeth and balled her hands into fists at her side. “You didn’t have to dance with me. You could have danced with her.”

Torin stepped into her space, his head bowing down close to hers.

She gulped as he pressed his lips into a thin smile and then rolled them like he was toying with a terribly naughty thought in his mind.

Maybe she just pushed her limit…

“I have told you this before, I didn’t want to pick her. I picked you.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want you to pick me.”

He tried to hide his smile. “And here I was, thinking we were becoming friends. You wound me.” He placed a hand over his heart.

She snarled back at it, rolling her eyes.

“Has anyone ever told you that you are so sexy when you’re feisty?”

She could have punched him in the face, there and then. She should have punched him. He was pushing her buttons and he knew it. His face was so impeccably masculine with his tight jawline and his stupidly perfect hair. Why did he get under her skin so much?

“Do you realise how much of a dick you are or, are you just oblivious to everything else around you?” She flung her hand out. “I bet you think you can just buy a girl a drink and she will jump straight into bed with you.” Her face twisted.

“I don’t normally have to buy them a drink,” Torin casually replied.

“Ugh, you are such a pig. It’s disgusting. I don’t even want to be around you!” Her hand gestured up to him.

“Then don’t be. Go! Walk around the markets yourself this close to the Blood Moon and see what becomes of you.” His tone was so flat it haunted her, and she swallowed down the fear of being truly alone out here. “Or you could stop being dramatic and just come back to the tavern with me.”

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