Silas chuckled under his breath, the sound warm and husky. He lifted his hands in mock surrender, still fighting a grin. "Okay, okay," he said smoothly, his eyes glinting with mischief. "I promise I won't tease you anymore."
Avery narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
He continued, completely unbothered by her glare. "If you think I'm charming, then so be it. Why dwell on the matter?"
Her mouth fell open. She could practically feel her jaw unhinging in disbelief.
"Silas, you—" She pressed a hand to her forehead, exhaling sharply. "You're unbelievable! No matter how old you get, you're still the same, infuriating Silas who never misses a chance to make me angry!"
Silas didn't even pretend to deny it. Instead, he gave her a lopsided grin, tilting his head slightly. His gaze softened as he looked at her at the fiery way she spoke, the way her hands moved expressively when she was mad, and how her voice trembled with both anger and something sweeter she didn't realize was there.
