“So you were stalking me.”
“I was unaware the woods belonged to you alone,” he said against my ear, his hands moving to the small of my back. “Is there anywhere else I shouldn’t already be when you get there, in the event you might continue with your accusations?”
“Jack’s Diner,” I said, fighting to hold onto the conversation instead of the arousal. “I work there, so you might want to stay away unless I invite you.”
“Then invite me.”
I bit my lip. Of course I wouldn’t have shared that gem of information with him if I didn’t want to see him again, but I hated that he realized this.
“Sure,” I said quietly, hoping he wouldn’t hear me over the music as easily as I could hear him.
“That night in the window…you looked so…strange.”
Was that supposed to be a compliment?
I started to pull back, but it only brought our faces closer together—so close our lips nearly touched.
“And in the woods?” I asked carefully. “Did I look strange there, too?”
“No,” he said, his voice cold now. “I hadn’t expected to see anyone else out there. I stayed only long enough to make sure you were all right.”
“Why?” I asked, like it was a bad thing.
“Why not?” He closed his eyes, tensing his jaw. “Do you always assume the worst of people? Or is it yourself you think so poorly of? Perhaps you might consider life is complicated enough without you helping things along.”
Damn him. Yes, I could be immature and even a little insecure sometimes. Okay, a lot of times.
His eyes flashed on mine, and he stepped away, his expression shifting to something apologetic and regretful. “You should go, Sophia.”
Chapter 5
“GO?” I ASKED.
“That’s what I said,” Charles replied.
His sudden mood swing left me bewildered. I searched his eyes for answers, but there were none.
“If you don’t want to dance anymore—”
“I didn’t say that,” he snapped. “I just said you should go. Now, please, get out of here.”
“I don’t under—”
His eyes flashed with the anger of a storm. “Leave!” he shouted. “Go. Home. Forget about this place. Back out of any agreements you have before it’s too late.”
He started off, but then backed up two steps, turned around, and grabbed my arm.
The cursed whispers invaded my thoughts all at once, scattering like marbles down a staircase, making it impossible to think…impossible to make out what they were saying. Just the shhhing and the fragments again—a word here and there…dangerous…too late. The rest of the words overlapped and tripped up my own thoughts. I couldn’t push the voices away—only press them into the background.
A pulsing sensation tapped against my mind, followed by a compelling voice: Come here, little mouse.
I stepped back, but Charles slipped his hand to my elbow and shouldered his way through the crowd, ushering me past my table. He snatched my purse and thrust it toward my chest. The room spun as I staggered beside him.
“What’s going on?”
He didn’t answer, and I didn’t get a chance to tug my arm free until after we were already outside, standing beside the forest with the club’s storm doors clanging shut behind us.
I glared at him. “What the hell are you doing? I’m not leaving without my friend. You can’t just tell me when to leave.”
He spun toward me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Sophia, listen. Whatever brought you here, I won’t judge you, but now—”
The club doors flew open again, and his grip tightened. A couple rushed out, stumbling for the parking lot in a cloud of drunken laughter. Lipstick smeared the woman’s flashing white teeth.
“Sophia,” Charles said, his voice gentle now.
“What?”
His eyes steadied on mine. “You’ve associated yourself with the wrong people.”
“Obviously,” I said, thinking mostly of him.
“We should get you out of here. Ivory will catch up.”
“Get out of here why?” I asked, unable to keep the edge from my voice.
His hold loosened. “You don’t know what you are involved in. I will pay you double just to leave.”
A fog settled over my mind. I blinked rapidly, bringing his face back into focus. My thoughts were muddy. “Huh?”
“Do you understand me?” he asked. His voice was far away, ominous.
“I’m drunk, not stupid.” I didn’t feel drunk though. I felt…confused.
His jaw tensed. “Why did you come here?”
“Me?” I raised my eyebrows. “You’re asking why I’m here?”
The doors opened again, and this time one of the guys from the lady-collector’s table stepped outside. He smoothed his dark, thick, shoulder-length hair away from his face and grinned with pale lips.
“Charles. Good and well to see you,” he said, but he was looking at me, not Charles. The man clasped his hands in front of him and leaned forward with a slight nod. “Marcus would love her company.”