Chapter 253

“No,” Ivan responds, turning to look down at me and shifting his weight to knock his shoulder against mine. “Fifty bucks to the band leader to start playing the tango, which I know she can’t resist. Playing on a lonely girl’s teenage crush on the guy that her dad wants her to marry?” Ivan’s eyes crinkle with humor as he looks down at me. “That was free.”

“Cruel,” I accuse, shaking my head at him a little but impressed despite myself. Ivan is, if anything, quite good at reading weaknesses before using them to move people around like pawns on his chess board.

“Worth it,” he says, slipping a hand out of his pocket and, unseen, dragging his fingers down the length of my spine until his hand comes to rest at the small of my back. “I’d have paid much more, after all, for the chance to chat with my best girl when she won’t return my calls.”

“Oh, you called?” I reply, coy. “I’m sorry, I must have missed it.”

“Lies,” he whispers to me, but then he laughs a little. “I missed you, Fay.”

old butterfly fleeing

to myself – I

Chapter 253

hand on my back to my elbow and tugging me with him as he

I gasp, glancing around anxiously as he pulls me with him out of sight. “Stop! We can’t

we can,” he replics, grinning back at me, a little danger dancing in his

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digging in my feet and trying to pull out of his grasp. “You’re going to get me – and everyone in big trouble!”

trust me for a second, Fay?” he asks, a little exasperated. “I organized all of this – I’m the

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