Page 64 of Crazy Thing

And he called me ‘stunning’. No, not just stunning.Absolutely stunning.

That was at least an hour ago.But seriously, I don’t think I’ve even blinked since that moment.

I’m thinking too hard, not paying attention to my movements. That’s how I trip over my own feet.

Darius’s arm loops around my back, his fingers flexing on the curve of my hip. “You okay?” he asks, his brow crinkled with concern.

Unwilling to admit that he’s the one who’s got me tangled up in knots, I glance around at the elegant ballroom and the crowd of wealthy people. “I think I’m a little out of place here. I feel like an awkward alien, trying to learn the ways of the humans.” I chuckle softly.

On second thought, ‘out of place’ is a huge understatement.With my colorful hair and my second-hand dress, I clearly don’t belong in this crowd of sleek classic chignons and designer evening gowns. And they’re staring. All these people are staring.

Darius’s brown-eyed gaze searches my body again and it feels like honey dripping down my skin. “Fuck them all. You’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”

He gazes at me for so long, I’m afraid he’s going to kiss me again. And somehow, at the same time, I’m hoping he’ll do exactly that. Which makes absolutely no freaking sense. How can I be scared of somethingandwant it so badly it hurts?

“Stop saying things you don’t mean,” I hear myself whisper, lost in his honey irises.

His voice is a low, intimate rasp. “I mean it, Ziggy.”

My shaky palm leaps to my diaphragm. I’m finding it hard to breathe.

He wraps his fingers around mine. “Come on, pretty alien. Let’s go find Robert Ross.”

Hands locked together, I trail alongside Darius in a haze.

What the heck?! Isn’t this the same guy who basically turned up his nose at me sixteen years ago? The same guy who was embarrassed to be seen in public with me less than twenty-four hours after the first time he kissed me? The same guy whoseems borderline offended by my free-spirited lifestyle?

This makes zero sense.

Because he’s also the same man who took it upon himself to pay off my rent even after I chased him off with a witch’s broom. The man who got jealous just because someone else flirted with me at a pool party. The man who is currently holding my hand in a room full of bonafide socialites and business tycoons.

Even still, I’ve decided that this all means nothing. I’m still having a hard time trusting Darius’s intentions.

It’s not until I hear someone call his name that I finally snap back to attention.

This isn’t a date. This is a work event.Despite the handsome devil at my side, holding my hand.

“Brighton. Over here.” I glance up and notice a group of attractive couples forming a tight circle at the bottom of the sweeping staircase. A tall, striking man with dark wavy hair motions Darius over.

I try to release his hand and slink off into the crowd, but he maintains his grip as he takes me along with him.What is happening here?

My anxiety eases slightly when I catch sight of a familiar face in the group. Meghan is waving excitedly at me from where she’s tucked against Cash’s side.

Darius greets all of the couples in turn. Then he makes sure to introduce me to them all. There’s Liam Kline and his wife, Eliza. Then, I meet Cannon and Lexi Kingston. Also, Reuben and Isla Barre. And then I meet a king and queen—an actual king and queen. King Xavier and his wife, Sadie, are the real life monarchs of the island of Ridgeland. What the actual fuck?

Darius turns to me, his confident smile prouder than I’ve ever seen it before. “This is my assistant, Ziggy.”

“Your assistant?” Liam Kline asks, inclining his chin to motion to our joined hands.

I try to slip out of Darius’s grip but he only holds on tighter, causing his friends to laugh.

“I know that look,” Liam leans close to Darius, speaking low but not low enough. “That’s how it starts. One day, she’s your assistant. Then before you know it, you’ve put a ring on her finger and she’s blessed you with two kids.”

My stomach flutters at that.

“Oh, stop it.” Eliza elbows him in the ribs, speaking out the side of her mouth. “You’re making the poor girl blush.”

She gently loops her arm through mine and pulls me away from the group. Her girlfriends swoop in, turning their backs on their husbands.

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