The Luna Choosing Game

His gaze sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. Blushing slightly, I glanced away from him and toward the cameras instead. Their presence reminded me of where I was and what Julian had just asked me.

I cleared my throat. To Julian, I said, “You’ll have to wait and see.”

He laughed.

Ten minutes later, Julian held out his hand, “Will you dance with me, Piper?”

I knew he was up to something, but with the cameras watching, I couldn’t refuse.

I placed my hand in his. He closed his fingers around mine, and tugged me closer to the pianoforte.

Then he pulled me into his arms.

At the same time, Nicholas led Lilliana to dance as well. They held each other stiffly and at a

respectable distance. The moved with formal, stilted steps.

Julian placed my hand on his chest, and Nicholas nearly tripped over his own feet. Yet he immediately

righted himself and continued dancing.

but it wasn’t quite as cutting as it had earlier been. “This isn’t as fun as I’d

Nicholas. But I struggled to understand why it was working. Although Nicholas had made it clear from the start that he didn’t like the idea of Julian and me

still tethered to those

did not seem like the glare of a

of something,” Julian said

our circles, Julian led me closer to Nicholas and Lilliana. Before I could truly react, Julian abruptly disappeared, so when I came out of my spin,

partners.

looking Lilliana.

looked down at me, and I, up at him. I thought he

original partners.

his arms went

had led Lilliana – and the cameras –

if Nicholas wasn’t jealous, I didn’t want him to think that I was interested in Julian, so I told him, “If you wanted to know what costume I’d be wearing at

a little. “You wouldn’t need to

in costume or

heart pounded in my

could he be so

I

he might say, or if he might take the words

he said, just as