Page 61 of The Darkest Chase

“Miss, this may help,” the valet standing by says, pouring a glass of ice water before setting it close to my plates.

There’s something almost knowing about the way he says it, deferential but understanding. I flash him a grateful smile and pick up the glass in both hands, taking a deep sip.

“Thank you,” I say over the rim.

He’s right, the cold water helps settle my nausea pretty fast.

Xavier looks weirdly displeased, and he flicks his fingers at the servant.

“You may go,” he snaps.

The man bows briefly, and I don’t think I’m imagining that he bows a little deeper to me than he does to Xavier before he excuses himself without a word, disappearing between the tall hedge paths.

Leaving me alone with Xavier Arrendell.

Crud.

I can’t help looking for exits, trying to remember the way we came through.

The man just watches me, that cold, canny look back in his eyes. I feel like he’s trying to figure out how to—how to break me?

I don’t even know, but it’s nothing good.

“Talia,” he rumbles, getting his voice all over my name again like a stain. “Is something bothering you?”

“Mmm,” I demur, stalling for a second with another sip of my water. “It really was just a little dizzy spell. It always passes quickly. I’m fine.”

“Are you?” Steepling his fingers, Xavier props his elbows on the table and leans closer. The sunlight shines off his blond hair until he looks like Lucifer’s son, striking and intimidating and damned. “You’re certain that’s all that’s making you uncomfortable? Surely, you aren’t intimidated by the Arrendell name. I promise you we’re fool’s gold. Worthless glitz and glamor.”

I blink in surprise.

“I, no, not at all. Mr. Arrendell, forgive me, but do you hate your family?”

“Not hate, no.” He smiles humorlessly. “At least, not my family itself. Our name, our legacy… I can’t say I’m fond of those.”

“Is that what you’re trying to erase with this renovation?”

His eyebrows shoot up. “What the hell makes you think I’m trying to erase anything?”

Oh, crap.

Me and my big mouth, just tripping off my tongue.

Swallowing thickly, I look around, taking in the looming house, the trees, the hedges.

“Well, it’s not hard to tell this house is a legacy. Many generations layered on top of each other. Everyone keeps adding to it, and while it all sort of fits, it doesn’t fit together well. And it feels like instead of trying to make it fit, you just want to erase it all and start over from scratch. Wipe all the history and the personal touches that went into it.”

Xavier remains silent.

His jade-green eyes are arctic, unchanging, and he looks at me for so long I start to squirm, looking away, biting my lip and lowering my eyes to my plate.

Just to give my restless hands something to do, I pluck at my scarf, picking at the knot and unwinding it from around my neck, then fretting it between my hands in my lap.

“…I’m sorry,” I murmur into the silence. “That was presumptuous of me.”

“No,” he says softly. “That was dead accurate. Are you really paying that much attention to me, Talia?”

Panic knifes through me.