Page 59

Any sign of weakness, even in the form of dark circles under my eyes or too pale a complexion, was an opening for a comment. A criticism, cloaked in the form of a helpful reminder.

Lukas took a second to respond, looking around to the mess I’d made of my desk, to the chair next to it, to me on the floor. He leaned over me, placing the powder down on the table before turning on his heel and walking purposefully out of the room.

Well, okay.

I went back to rifling through the pile in front of me again, even though I knew my blush wasn’t in there. On a groan, I picked up the collection of bottles and compacts, shoving them back in the drawer.

I shut it, collapsing in my chair.

My eyes collided with Lukas’s a second later, watching through the mirror as he walked back in with two glasses of wine in his hands. I could feel my jaw hanging loose but could do nothing but watch as he slid one of them in front of me and sat down in the chair next to my vanity.

In his chair. The one he’d occupied so often.

Lukas didn’t seem to acknowledge the weight of the moment, staring at me with a plain, observant expression as he took a long sip of his wine.

He nodded once at my own glass when he was done. I grabbed it, pleased that my hand wasn’t shaking, giving away the rapid gallop of my heart. After I took a sip, the tart, dry taste moving over my tongue and down my throat on a thick swallow, Lukas looked satisfied.

“Let’s kill two birds with one stone. You finish getting ready and I’ll share what Eleni suggested,” Lukas said, moving his ankle up to rest on his knee in a relaxed position. “Did you check the bathroom yet?”

I stared at him for a second, my brain slow to process his words.

Once I got my head on straight, I pushed away from the desk and got up, trudging over to the bathroom. Because, no, I hadn’t checked there yet.

When I walked in, sure enough, my blush was sitting on the marble countertop, the rosy powder blending in with the soft pinks and corals of the marble.

I didn’t look at Lukas for the entire walk back to my vanity or while I grabbed a brush to apply the blush. I didn’t hate that he was right. But I hated the reminder that he knew me.

Because it sliced through the anxiety, replacing it with a bone deep ache.

“Okay.” I had to swallow to dispel the tingles building in my throat. “What did she say?”

I opened the blush, focusing on the mirror in front of me while Lukas spoke.

“There’s a couple things,” he began. I had to fight against the urge to look at him. Especially when I could feel his stare on me like a scorching brand. “We can have Sebastian run a diagnostic on you. Or have either Hera or Juno do the same for our engagement bond.”

My hand tightened on the brush. “I thought you wanted to keep things between us.”

“I do.” A little itch of awareness was tickling the left side of my body, drawn out by Lukas’s voice and attention. “But if it's something with your health, I’d rather let Sebastian make sure you’re okay.”

My mind was blocking that idea, categorizing it as a firmnoinstead of giving it some consideration. “I don’t think we should go there yet. You said it yourself, the more people that know about this, the greater the chance this gets leaked to the papers. And with Claudia and Andor…I’m still not convinced they aren’t involved. The maiden imagery is too strong to disregard the Juno or Hera lines.”

I broke, looking over at Lukas. He dragged a hand over his beard, his bicep flexing with the movement. I reached for my glass to wash down the knot in my throat.

“There was a third option.”

“What is it?”

“We have to spend more time together.”

My glass hit the table, narrowly splashing wine onto the wood. I glanced quickly at the mirror and was satisfied enough with my makeup that I stood. If not to put some distance between us.

“Why did she say that?” I asked. Speaking to my closet door rather than Lukas.

If the soft scrape of fabric was to be believed, Lukas had turned in his chair to keep his eyes on me. It certainly still felt like he was looking at me, a weight pressing into my shoulders.

“If the physical distance is what caused it, then we need to eliminate as much of it as possible.”

“I see how that makes sense,” I said. I walked into my closet, needing tomoveto do something with the blood pumping through my veins.