CHAPTER 13
Amelia’s laughter died in her throat. The genuine, unguarded smile instantly vanished from her face, replaced by a stunned, guarded expression. The light in her eyes went out as her usual walls came crashing back up.
She stared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line, trying to decipher his words. She had expected another joke, another snide remark, but not this.
The silence between them stretched, thick and uncomfortable, as Sterling watched her, his own vulnerable sincerity still lingering in his gaze.
Amelia finally broke the quiet with a dry, skeptical tone. “Is that how you try to woo girls?” she asked, her voice low and wary, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
He smiled, the usual glint in his pretty green eyes, and asked, “Am I charming you yet?”
“You’re not even c
