Page 5

“It would be wise for you to agree,” Adrian finally answered. “How I see it, you need a bargaining chip.If you do something as ridiculous as getting into a relationship with me, then—”

“He may request I end it. And I could use that as leverage to make him listen to me,” I finished. And damn it, it was a good point.

But I wasn’t sure I wanted to agree yet. “You might be giving yourself a little too much credit. He might not even care.”

Adrian just looked at me with an expression that saidare you sure about that?

Of course, he could lift just one of his dark eyebrows. I wasn’t convinced Hephaestus or Vulcan didn’t make him in one of their forges, he was so perfect.

“Fine,” I acquiesced, practically growling the word. “His head is probably going to explode.”

Adrian let out a short breath of laughter, a long dimple appearing in his cheek. “Are you selling tickets to that show?”

He also had to be witty. Fucking criminal.

“No, but maybe I should.” I could picture it now. My father’s face would go red, the vein my brother and I used joke meant trouble popping into his forehead. Only my mother’s calming presence, seemingly a reminder to my father that there were more important things than his anger, could calm him.

“If you do,” Adrian said, pulling my focus back to him. I rolled my shoulders back, resetting my posture. “We should probably go together. Since we’re dating and all.”

There was a slight edge to his voice, like he was already attached to this plan and would kill anyone for trying to take it away from him.

“I don’t recall agreeing to this.”

“You were about to.”

“And you know everything?”

Adrian smirked. “Just about.”

“Is it because you’re the god of the skies? You live so high up so you can see everything that happens below you?”

Adrian laughed low again. I squashed the little trickle of pride that lit in my chest. Adrian was so stoic, so calm, making him laugh seemed like a bigger accomplishment than it was with anyone else. “No, I know everything because I have an incredibly thorough network of spies who tell me everything I want to know.”

I jerked back slightly, shocked by the brutal honesty of his admission. “You’re just admitting to spying on your people?”

Adrian nodded with one sharp dip of his chin. “I don’t invade anyone’s privacy. But it’s my job to keep this world spinning. I need spies to help me do that.”

“And why would you tell me that?”

Adrian’s tongue licked over his teeth. “You’re about to come into a lot more sensitive information through this arrangement. If I can’t trust you with the knowledge of my spies, I can’t trust you with anything.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. I was either delusional or Adrian’s eyes tracked the movement. “So this is a test, then? Any other auditions I should prep for before you deem me worthy enough to be your girlfriend?”

Adrian’s mouth curved into a grin. “Just the one. Although, there was never any doubt it was going to be you. It was always you.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“Why me?” I half croaked.

Adrian lifted an eyebrow. “Surely you know.”

“Indulge me,” I said, shrugging one of my shoulders.

“You’re perfect.”

I scoffed, clearing the lash of heat that whipped through my chest.

It wasn’t a false claim to modesty. I knew my worth, what I brought to the table. Butperfectwas a title I didn’t know if I was comfortable holding.