After speaking, Elena tried to pull her hand free from Caelir's grasp.
A fleeting shadow of surprise, quickly replaced by a glint of predatory interest, crossed Caelir's striking features. He released her hand with impeccable grace, his gaze lingering on her. Fascinating, he mused, his mind already calculating. She pulled away. Is this a display of modesty? Or a deliberate tactic to pique my interest further, to differentiate herself from the fawning masses?
A cunning faker, perhaps, playing coy to secure a higher bid. He offered her a disarmingly charming smile, a calculated curve of his lips that had disarmed countless before. "My apologies, my dear," he purred, his voice a silken caress, "I seem to have overestimated my own charm." He leaned in slightly, his eyes sparkling with
