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"Okay." I nodded.
Syn took my hand into his and I didn't miss the fleeting confused expression that passed his features as he glanced at our intertwined hands. It was almost like his hand moved on its own and his mind caught up afterward-and I almost let myself believe for a second that we were a normal couple holding hands together in an event.
But we weren't.
The stares from the people around us that had conceivably heard of my background and more importantly, his reputation were enough to snap me back into reality. With the harsh reminder, I subtly removed my hand from his and cleared my throat. "We should...go?" I pointed towards the door.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and I noticed the tick in his jaw as he glanced at the prying eyes around us. Please don't cause a scene," I thought to myself, somehow hoping he'd be able to hear me. Whatever words that would be exchanged between us were words that wouldn't remain between us. Everyone may have seemed like they were busy with their own tasks, but people like these were experts at snooping.
Syn's eyes landed down on mine and I switched the gift basket between hands, not satisfied with the way I was standing in the crowded room. Syn himself seemed to notice my discomfort as his eyes trailed over my form, but he didn't provide any help. Instead, he did the last thing I needed him to do when I was trying to hold onto my last string of control.
His tongue glided over his lips as he glanced down at me and I swallowed a lump in my throat as I tried to look anywhere else. "How many favors do you owe me?" he asked in a husky voice as he lowered his head.
His dark hair fell onto his forehead and I itched to move it away, but I plastered a smile on my face and fisted my palms around the handle of the wooden basket. "Syn, can we please leave?"
"You owe me three...give or take."
"Syn..." I warned. A warning that was more so directed towards myself considering that I was losing my mind with the way he was looking at me.
His eyes moved over my shoulder before looking back down at me. "Kiss me."
My head whipped around the room to see more attention on us and my eyes widened, my hair flying around my face as I shook my head. "What? No, I-"
"That's what I'd like to use one of my favors on, Princess," he whispered, his warm breath brushing against my cheek.
Anxiety began to crawl through my skin and for some odd reason my eyes landed on an elderly couple still sitting at a table near us even though the event was over. Their eyes were one of the many that seemed to be glued onto us.
