"I'll excuse myself so you could chat with your friends," Belle told Luiz softly. Stepping away, she strategically remained within his line of sight, her instincts whispering to stay close in case something unexpected happened. As her eyes scanned the elegant crowd, they suddenly collided with Nikolai's. For some unknown reason, intense goosebumps erupted across her arms the moment she met his piercing, unreadable gaze.
Belle suddenly got conscious with the way she looked right now. Her hand instinctively smoothed down her outfit under the weight of his attention. (Didn't I tell him to be casual with me? Why is he looking at me like that?)
[He probably finds you pretty.]
(An idea that he should not entertain since I am Eli's girlfriend.)
[Why? Is it wrong to admire someone as pretty as you?]
