Page 137 of Hide and Keep

My father’s voice invades my search.

“We’re standing in a home of the future…”

And all Mallory can talk about is a tradition from the fifteenth century.

“The floor we’ve been standing on, walking over, dancing across…” He pauses and I look up to find him, as well as dozens of others, staring directly at me.

I nod at Mallory, silently blaming him for the impromptu dance, which triggers knowing laughter.

“All while generating electricity,” my father finishes.

A surprised round of “oohs” and “aahs” rings out as people check under their feet, probably expecting to see sparks.

Father goes on to list other features of the smart home, from the presence detectors in each space to the AI companion robot.

“Growth takes courage and determination, both of which Munreaux Motorcycles was founded on…” He pauses for an enthusiastic round of applause, then lowers his voice ever so slightly. “And will continue to exude even in the darkest of times.” Another pause, this one to allow solemn murmurs. Agrin tugging at one side of his mouth, he says louder, “Which fortunately for us, are a thing of the past because like the movement-generated lights in this house, the future is looking bright. Very bright.” Amidst the cheers, he holds up his glass and shouts, “To new horizons, may we race toward them the way we always have—fearlessly!”

Amidst the cheers, corks begin popping from the very few human servers, one of which delivers flutes of champagne to me and Mallory.

“To new horizons,” he says to me.

“To new horizons.” I clink his glass with mine.

Chatter, as well as movement, commences around us, and for some reason, a solo stationary figure pulls my eyes past our glasses over to…Crue. Across the room, my bodyguard’s leaning against the wall, staring directly at me with a hand up to his mouth, his sleeve dropped a few inches to reveal my amethyst bracelet.

He didn’t leave.

He didn’t leaveme.

Some of the weight eases on my mouth, allowing a real smile to take shape.

“Can I get a picture of you two?” a photographer asks.

“You can get several,” Mallory replies before I can.

Lowering my glass, I lift my chin and press my tongue to the roof of my mouth, holding the pose.

Crue should look ridiculous with the purple beads against his all-black suit, but he doesn’t. He looks sexy. Sexier than before. Sexier than ever.

I let myself imagine walking over there, the crowd parting like the sea as I stroll right up to him, taking him by the back of the neck and kissing him full on the mouth, no regard for the repercussions whatsoever.

After a series of shutters, Mallory says, “If we don’t complete our toast, it won’t happen,” making me finally take my eyes off Crue.

It’s stupid. He probably wouldn’t even let me get close enough to kiss him.

And if he did, he might recognize me. I know I’d recognize him, even after kissing a lot of people since ours. I could pick Crue’s lips out of a thousand others. A hundred thousand. A million. I would know his from a single lick. I’ve memorized every detail of our mouths coming together. It was brief yet left the biggest impression.Heleft the biggest impression.

The hand at my hip pats once, twice, three times, each one a little harder than the last, but I don’t dare react. Not with Crue watching so intently.

When I glance up, Mallory’s gazing down at me through lashes blacker than mine.

“I toasted with you.”

“But you didn’t drink.”

“I didn’t?” I got distracted and forgot all about the champagne. And Mallory.

“You didn’t,” he says with a deep chuckle. “Shall we remedy that?”

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