Page 31 of Colton

“Oh, trust me,” I whisper, my voice darkening slightly. “You’ve already become someone memorable to me.”

“Oh?” She asks, surprise lacing her features. “How so?”

I smirk. “I’ll tell you the next time we see each other.”

A million emotions flash behind her eyes, and the one I take notice of is anger. My, my, she looks adorable when she’s pouting. I take a couple of steps back, and Avalon seems to finally realize how much the proximity was compromising.

She clears her throat, her cheeks darkening, the burning shade telling me everything I need to know. Not only would she never reject my touch, but she’s becoming desperate for it, too.

How fun.

“So, I can take the books?”

She’s changing the topic, and it’s adorable seeing her squirm under my gaze. A small smirk tugs on the corner of my lips, and I step back further, letting her pass, then nod.

“Feel free to choose anything else you might find interesting,” I motion toward rows, and rows of books. “There’s plenty of books for you to pick from.”

“Thank you,” she smiles. “I do appreciate it.”

“I’ll have Emiliano wrap these up for you,” I gather the five books on the history of Saint Valley, and head toward the door. There’s a small button, which I press, then wait for Emiliano to show up.

It takes him less than two minutes, and once the door opens, he glances between the stacks of books in my hand, then to my face. His brow lifts, ever so slightly, though he doesn’t comment on it.

“Pack these for Ms. Evans to take home,” I instruct. “Oh, and add some of the Gyokuro, too.”

He blinks, taken aback. “I’ll have everything prepared shortly. Will Ms. Evans be staying for dinner?”

I look at Avalon over my shoulder, only to find her roaming the books yet again. With a chuckle, I turn back to Emiliano, ignoring the look of pure interest on his face. As soon as Avalon leaves, this man will bombard me with questions that I’m not sure I want to answer.

“Yes. Make sure the dinner is light, since she’ll be traveling back to her hotel later.”

“The dinner will be done in an hour. Where would you like to have it served?” He replies.

“The dining room will do. Make sure all the staff is retired for the day, I do not want any prying ears around.”

11

I don’t think I have ever seen a dining room this size.

It’s bigger than the cafeteria back at the Academy, and I thought that room was massive. Everything is dark, from the decorations, to the paint on the walls and the furniture. The shades vary from green, brown, grey, and black, all in the darkest, yet richest shades in color.

The dinner is rather simple and easy, though filling. It’s pasta, with some salad on the side, and a glass of wine that I had to exchange for some orange juice. I do enjoy alcohol from time to time, but tonight isn’t one of those days.

The scene from the library is replaying in my mind constantly, and it’s been hard to follow the conversation. He was too close to me and yet, all I wanted was for him to close the distance and get even closer.

The books that I have chosen, aside from the historical ones, are some of the newest fictional books that I’m yet to read. Emiliano packed them all neatly in a box, and it’s sitting in the drawing room.

The only reason I even know what a drawing room is because I’m friends with Sophia. My first experience of seeing one is when I visited her home for the first time, her mansion is a studio apartment compared to this castle.

“Have you given any thought as to what you might do once you graduate?” Colton’s voice snaps me out of the thoughts. I take a small sip of the juice, then clear my throat, lowering the glass down.

“Not really,” I shrug. “I came here on a scholarship. Someone like me getting in was a dream come true on its own. I never truly thought of what I could do after.”

“You have good grades,” Colton remarks. “I have no doubt you’ll succeed in whatever you choose to do.”

“What should I do, though? I know that just by going to Saint Valley, many doors will automatically open for me, and I’m beyond grateful for that. On one hand, I’m thinking of going into oils, since, judging by Sophia’s family, it seems to work.”

Colton chuckles. “Yes, that is correct. However, the Sloane’s have been oil moguls for a very long time. If you wished to get even a fraction of their wealth, it would mean the next seven generations of your family would have to go down the same path.”