Chapter 65

Did Evelyn just offer to feed Liam with her own fork?

Her cheeks burned at the realization. She must be losing her mind.

Snapping back to reality, Evelyn forced a stiff smile. Her entire face screamed awkwardness as she began withdrawing her hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize—"

Before she could pull away, Liam caught her wrist and guided the watermelon piece to his lips.

Evelyn's breath hitched as she watched his mouth touch the fork she'd just used. Was this... an indirect kiss?

Heat flooded her face. Her pulse raced. Every muscle in her body tensed.

Liam chewed the fruit calmly, his expression unreadable. "Sweet. Though the portion was disappointingly small."

Evelyn pressed her lips together, staring at her lap. She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.

"I... forgot I'd used that fork," she murmured, fingers twisting in her lap.

The admission made Liam freeze. What had been an innocent act suddenly felt charged. Electricity crackled along his skin.

His throat went dry. Against his will, his gaze dropped to Evelyn's pink, parted lips.

She bit her lower lip, the blush spreading to her ears.

This reaction confused him. Evelyn had worked in the underground world. She'd been with countless men. Yet here she was, blushing like an untouched maiden.

The contradiction fascinated him.

Clearing his throat, Liam feigned nonchalance. "I don't mind. Unless... you're disgusted I used your fork?"

Evelyn's head snapped up. "No! Not at all!"

Flustered, she speared another fruit piece and offered it to him.

Watching her crimson cheeks, Liam was reminded of Victoria in her youth. These comparisons came more frequently lately.

The silence stretched uncomfortably.

Then Liam's expression darkened. "Evelyn," he said quietly, "did that pirate reveal anything else? Are you keeping secrets?"

Evelyn swallowed her bite of food and set down her fork. After sipping her tea, she leaned closer.

"He had one gram of hydronium," she whispered, glancing at the neighboring cabin. "Stolen from a chemical engineer. There's another gram aboard—with a second engineer."

Liam's jaw tightened but he remained silent.

Thinking he hadn't heard, Evelyn leaned in further. Her warm breath brushed his ear as she murmured, "He said surrendering it was pointless. Without the engineers, the hydronium's useless."

Liam's eyes fluttered shut. Not from the gravity of her words—but from her proximity. That whisper of breath ignited sparks across his skin.

An inconvenient heat pooled low in his abdomen.

Unaware of the fire she'd kindled, Evelyn frowned at his reaction. "What's wrong?"

The tension between them crackled like live wires.