Page 70 of Heart of a Rebel

I take a sip of my champagne and wish we could be careless. I wish we could stop worrying about the consequences and he’d take my stare as permission to walk straight over and kiss me. I wish he’d claim me as his in front of everyone.

I’d love to open Pandora’s box and all that it contains.

But I don’t.

Sebastian falls into conversation with Noah and Cassie, and Adrian casually makes his way to me in the circle, using the passing tray of champagne as an excuse to lean closer.

“You’re gorgeous,” Adrian whispers, low enough that no one can hear it, but it still manages to thunder through me.

I tip my chin up, smiling over the rim of my glass, but I avoid his gaze. “You’re not so shabby yourself.”

From the corner of my eye, I swear I see Merry smirking, so I walk away before she, or anyone else, starts to whisper. But I feel his eyes on me, and I realize that’s where they’ve always been.

25

Eloise

IpeekoveratAdrian and smile when I see him frowning at his phone. I can’t help it, even grumpy and working he looks so darn sexy. His grimace draws attention to his rigid jaw and dark eyes. His demeanor is completely out of place standing in the middle of this event, surrounded by champagne and diamonds.

I slide up beside him but keep my eyes averted as I take another sip of my drink. “You do know you can relax for a night, don’t you?”

It’s still only my first glass of champagne, but something about the bubbles sends it straight to my head.

“The media circus that surrounds the four of you doesn’t care how fancy the party is.” He tucks his phone in his pocket. “It never sleeps.”

“Like you.”

From the corner of my eye, I spot Adrian’s smirk.

When Adrian was sleeping on my couch, I didn’t realize how little sleep he was actually getting. But this past week we’ve been sharing a bed, and it’s become clear. He’s on his phone working well past when I fall asleep curled up next to him, and, more often than not, I wake up to an empty bed.

“This dress isn’t like you.” He shifts in closer, and I get a hit of his fresh scent—cool, calming like a snow-covered forest. “Can’t say I’m complaining though.”

Blood rushes to my cheeks, and I scan the crowd to see who might be watching. Luckily, no one is since they’re all distracted by alcohol and conversations. Even Sebastian and Noah, who no longer drink, seem like they’re enjoying themselves in whatever conversation they’re having at a far table.

“Maybe I wanted to make a statement.” I finally dare to face Adrian, and his eyes dip to my cheeks as I feel them flush.

“Mission accomplished.” Adrian steps in closer and tips his chin down to bring his face beside mine. “When the sky whispers, it brings the wind. You, Eloise, are a fucking hurricane.”

A shiver runs the full length of my spine as he takes a step back and reaches for his drink. His Adam’s apple bobbing with a hard swallow makes me want to run my tongue along the lines in his neck.

For a girl who spent years undistracted by sex, Adrian’s uncorked something within me, and my body can’t get enough of him.

“Eloise,” a voice coming up behind me makes me jump.

I spin on my heels and hope my smile hides my surprise.

A woman with curly red hair stands in front of me. She’s wearing a dress blouse and slacks, like most of the staff.

“They’re ready for you, if you’ll follow me.” She holds her clipboard against her chest with one arm and waves a path for me with the other.

I look over my shoulder at Adrian, and he’s staring at the low dip of the back of my dress. His gaze moves up to mine and he tips his glass in my direction.

“Good luck.” He winks as he takes a sip of champagne, and I hope the woman didn’t see it.

I follow her through the crowd, looking back as a group of record executives closes in around him. Some guy with blond hair and the coldest eyes I’ve ever seen says something, and Adrian already looks irritated. I’m not sure how Adrian does it, but I’m thankful he acts as a shield between the band and them. I couldn’t handle it.

As I make it to the stage area, I run through my speech once more in my head. The words are jumbled and don’t sound as good as when I wrote them down. If only this was pre-recorded, then it wouldn’t matter because they could edit out the rough parts.

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