I pulled myself casually away, but Marcus held on tight, eyes dancing as he threw back his head with another sparkling laugh. “Another lover? Rebecca, you liar,” he chided. He pulled me close enough to catch a faint whiff of sandalwood as he smiled down into my face. “We all know the only lover you have here is me.”
“Well, of course, that’s true.”
“Besides,” Snake-eyes just couldn’t leave it alone, “you still have to give Marcus your present.”
“Present?” I blanked. I’d completely forgotten. Goodness—did the lies ever stop?
“You got me a present?” Marcus smiled cheerfully, finally releasing me. “That was considerate of you, pumpkin.”
“Yes…” I faltered. “Wasn’t it?” A shaking hand brought the champagne back up to my lips, but when I finally lowered the glass, they were all still staring at me.
Marcus, in particular, looked like he was having a fantastic time.
“So what is it?” he prompted.
I almost choked on the bubbly. “What is what?”
“My present.” Those damn ocean eyes were laughing at me. “Can I have it?”
My brain recoiled in a fog of sheer panic, but in spite of it all, I emerged with a single moment of clarity. Go big or go home, right? I was already in this far.
“It’s actually not for you, per say.” I smiled sweetly. “I found a mate for Dolly.”
Marcus cocked his head curiously, pursing his lips.
“The peacock,” I clarified, surprising even myself with this burst of ingenuity.
The lips twitched, threatening to break character. “You mean Eduardo?”
“Who’s Eduardo?”
“The peacock.”
The smile froze on my face. “The peacock is a male?”
Marcus chuckled and caught me with th
at damned arm again. “Yes, darling. The male of the species is the one with the exaggerated decoration and plumage.”
I glanced casually around the ballroom. “Yet another example where life imitates art.”
There was a faint laugh from the snake lady, but Marcus’ impossible eyes stared down intensely into my own, searching for the secrets there. His arm tightened, pulling me closer, and he leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“Would you care to dance?”
I glanced up at the people ostentatiously waltzing past and stifled a shudder. “Dance like a Viennese cupcake? Um, no.”
His eyes sparkled as the corners of his mouth turned up in a wicked smile.
“Excellent.”
A second later, we were somehow transported to the middle of the dance floor, twirling around like deranged teacups.
“Shit,” I hissed, clinging onto his arms for dear life. We narrowly avoided colliding with a pair of swirling dresses. “Look, I’m sorry I lied, okay? But think about this rationally—it’s not worth my life.”
There was a low chuckle as he pulled me closer to his chest, somehow avoiding my flailing serrated heels. “Why did you do it, anyway?”
I gave a small sigh. “Honestly…I didn’t think you’d ever find out.”