Page 171 of Scattered Glitter

I smile a genuine one that he returns with a look that’s almost shy. “I enjoy dancing,” I admit, letting my gaze wander over the grandeur of the ballroom. “And this… it’s the most beautiful setting I’ve ever danced in. And you’re definitely the best partner I’ve ever had.” I hold back the fact that he’s the only person I’ve ever danced with like this.

His gaze softens, and he pulls me a touch closer as if he doesn’t want to let go. “Sounds like you’re the perfect plus-one for every gala coming.”

“Oh?” I meet his gaze with a smile. “You want to repeat this?”

“For as long as you’ll let me.”

The way he says it sends a flutter through my chest I try my best to ignore. “Your mother wouldn’t be happy about you spending all your time with me.”

He lets out a sigh, a shadow passing over his face. “My mother, unfortunately, has a lot of say in my life,” he admits, his fingers pressing against the small of my back as he leads me into a slow turn. “But it’s been a long while since she managed to tell me who to want.”

His fingers slip up to my cheek, grazing the edge of my jaw. The warmth of his hand, the closeness, leaves my pulse racing.

Fuck. I can’t feel this.

Not for him.

Not for any of them.

“What do you mean?” I ask, searching his eyes.

“This isn’t the place to tell the story.” He hesitates, a vulnerability there I haven’t seen before. “But… let’s just say she once sent someone to lure me in, and I fell for it.”

His words land like a sucker punch. I’m standing here, wrapped in his arms, letting myself sink into the warmth and ease of his touch, and all the while… I’m exactly what he’s talking about.

I swallow thickly as the guilt lashes at me. “That sounds horrible.”

I amhorrible.

I shouldn’t care. That was the plan, wasn’t it? Get close to Nicholas. Win his trust. To play my part. I’d promised myself that, but my resolve slips further with every interaction with him.

BecauseI do care about him.

“I learned my lesson.” He shrugs, his gaze dropping tomy lips, then meeting my eyes again with a grin. “She hasn’t sentyou, has she?”

His expression is open, vulnerable, and it’s as though I’ve crossed a line I never meant to. I see him for who he is—a person trapped in a life he never chose, aching for something real.

And I know the feeling all too well.

“I don’t think she’d pick me for something like that.” I force myself to laugh, trying to cover my unease and the response that came a bit too late to be natural. “I’m a nobody with nothing to my name.”

I have to swallow the urge to tell him more, to pull back the mask, if only a little, but I can’t. I’m not here for honesty, confessions, or anything close to real. I’m here to do a job, one that will ultimately rip away whatever trust he’s offering me now.

Nicholas’s eyes darken, his hand drifting from my cheek to the nape of my neck as he leans close. “You have no idea how breathtaking you are. And you not being part of this circus makes you even more intriguing.”

I let myself sink into the moment, savoring the warmth of his hand and the quiet strength in the way he holds me, leading us smoothly across the dance floor. Unfortunately, reality quickly creeps back in, and I catch myself glancing around, scanning the crowd, searching for familiar faces, a hint of glitter from Levi’s suit, Koen’s sharp gaze, or Sylus’s knowing grin.

Nicholas’s hand shifts on my waist, pulling me closer. “Hey,” he whispers, bringing my gaze back to his. “Stay with me.” His thumb brushes over the back of my hand. “They’re not here. It’s only us.”

I nod, taking a breath and letting it settle between us. His touch, his calm, it’s a balm cutting through the noise in my head.

After a few moments, he asks. “What are you doing Tuesday night?”

His question catches me off guard, a slight jolt that sends a small thrill through me. “Nothing… why?”

“I thought… maybe I could pick you up. We could drive around a bit.”

Drive around?

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