My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 26

Then the color drained out of her face like someone had flipped a switch.

There it was.

That flash of panic.

Did she just give herself away?

"N-no," she said quickly. "I… I don't think so."

The stutter slipped out before she could stop it. Her fingers tightened on the front of my suit jacket, wrinkling the expensive fabric like she needed something solid to hold onto.

That was a lie.

I tilted my head slightly, watching her the same way I watched a man during an interrogation.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

The music moved around us, forcing our bodies to stay close as the dancers shifted in a lazy circle. She had no choice but to follow my lead.

She swallowed hard. I saw the movement in her throat. Then she nodded quickly, "Positive."

I hummed softly under my breath, sliding one hand a little higher along her waist to guide her into the next step of the dance. Her back went stiff immediately.

"I just feel like I’ve seen you somewhere," I said slowly, "I just… can't place it."

She shrugged, but the motion looked forced, like her shoulders had turned into stone, "You probably saw someone else," she said quickly, "Not me."

The way she said it was defensive. My hand tightened slightly on her waist when she tried to lean away, not enough to hurt her, but just enough to remind her she wasn’t going anywhere.

Vincenzo’s voice echoed in the back of my head. He never said I couldn’t make her talk.

I leaned down a little, lowering my voice so only she could hear me. The scent of her perfume drifted up.

"You’re nervous," I said quietly.

Her eyes flashed with irritation, but the nerves were still there, sitting just under the surface.

"I'm not nervous."

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