Her voice turned instantly cold and sharp under her breath as she buried her face in his neck. "You're late. My father has been pacing the study for forty minutes. Where the hell were you?"
Adrian gritted his teeth, his arms barely wrapping around her waist before he pulled back, maintaining the fake smile for any onlookers inside. The muscles along his jaw ached with the effort of holding the expression steady. "I had traffic on the bridge, Lydia. I apologize."
Lydia stepped back, her eyes instantly scanning his face with the practiced efficiency of someone who had learned long ago to catch every flaw, every inconsistency. Her gaze paused directly on his left cheekbone, lingering there a beat too long. Her perfect eyebrows knitted together, her eyes narrowing in immediate suspicion. She reached up, her manicured nail lightly tapping the edge of his jaw, a small, deliberate gesture meant to unsettle him.
