He turned to her and reached for her hand.
Harper covered his hand with his and stopped him. “Do you want to let your enemies know what your weakness is?”
His hand retreated slowly. His eyes told her he was sorry.
“Grayson,” Harper said in a low voice, but loud enough for Aria to hear. “You shouldn’t touch her, and especially not so intimately. Don’t let Cavendish or Harry Gable know how you feel about her. It puts her at risk. Remember they hate you. Hurting her is just as good as hurting you.”
What? A wave of confusion went through Aria. Hurt her?
“And don’t think you can touch her in private and remember to catch yourself from doing it in public,” Harper continued. “Your enemies would jump at the chance to do something that will make you lose your title. What would you do if she’s found dead, Grayson?”
His gaze turned deadly in an instant as it slipped to Mr. Cavendish across the room.
Aria’s stomach flipped—and not in a good way. She felt sick. Would Mr. Cavendish really try to kill her to hurt Gray? She turned her diamond-hard gaze on him. Let him try.
“Grayson,” Harper pressed, “Keep your cool. Stay calm.”
He took a breath through his nose and blew it out like a dragon getting ready to burn a kingdom—or his most hated enemy.
Almost instinctively, Aria spoke his name softly. “Gray.”
He turned away from Cavendish and returned his attention to Aria. “I’ll be more vigilant.”
“You too, Miss Darling,” Harper warned. “Whatever you feel for him must wait.”
How long? Aria didn’t ask. She didn’t want to know. She didn’t have the luxury of time. She nodded, and brought her spoon to her lips, though she felt as if she were going to be sick.
She understood. No touching. It was different when the choice was her own. Now, she had felt his heart beating against her cheek. When she’d been held within the circle of his arms and danced around a forest clearing. No touching. They couldn’t even pretend. Harper was correct. They would forget in public. One small mistake and she could be in danger.
It was a good thing, really. They couldn’t touch. That included kissing, or just reaching for a feather in his hair. It was for the best. Soon as she found that key—
“Also,” Harper went on, “take care of yourself. You’re not an infant, Grayson. If the doctor says no dancing, then no dancing.”
At that moment the castle physician walked by the table and paused upon seeing Gray. “You can dance, young man. Enough time has passed for me to observe that you’re well.”
Gray brightened considerably. “Thank you.”
When they were finished, he asked Aria and Harper to meet him in his dance hall above stairs. “And Harper, please bring your violin.”
Aria smiled behind her fingers when Harper grumbled under her breath and set about her task.
Aria walked with her to her chambers, where she retrieved her beautiful violin. Aria wished she knew how to play an instrument. She’d like to play for Gray while he danced.
“I really am sorry I let him dance earlier,” Aria said as they went to Gray’s dance hall. “Even though it was okay, I didn’t know that, and I should have stopped him.”
Harper glanced at her and nodded with an exhaustive sigh. “He’s hard to tame, that one.”
“Hasn’t he been tamed enough?” Aria asked her quietly.
Harper stopped walking. Aria stopped with her and looked at her shoes. “Yes. I guess he has.”
“Maybe instead of trying to get even more control over him,” Aria went on gently. “Help him cut the strings.”
Harper leaned in closer. “That’s not what you’re here for.”
Aria shrugged and smiled. “I’m not so easy to tame either.”
“What will you be able to do if you’re sent back, no longer useful. Back to the future while he’s here making Sarah fat with his children?”