“Your laugh… It’s melodic. More magnetic than my favorite song.”
I suddenly feel hot all over as I peer back into his eyes.
He’spretending.
We’repretending.
Fine. If this is all just a game, I’m going to pretendexceptionallywell.
Realizing we’ve spent far too long locked in each other’s eyes, I break away and mentally draw a thick line to block out the blurred lines. “To hell with it. Just one dance.”
His warm eyes brighten again, a mischievous glint entering his gaze. I walk to the center of the dance floor, holding his hand behind me and leading him. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it my way. I tuck my wings away, determining that it will make it easier for Kai to dance with me.
Once we reach the center, he pulls me into him playfully, clearly thinking he’ll be leading me through this. I smile with my eyes alone and part my lips, allowing my body to connect with the music the way his body’s connected with mine.
As the sound vibrates through my body, a surge of energy builds up inside me. My legs move on their own accord, following the song’s flow. I lift my feet and begin a routine I haven’t done in years, kicking out one leg high and wide and using the other to spin my body. My back presses against his stomach while I crane my neck and lean against him, raising my arms to wrap around his neck loosely and swaying my hips in perfect rhythm with the song.
He doesn’t seem to know how to react. I just feel his breath, hot and heavy, in my ear. At first, he rests his hands on my shoulders. Then he slowly drags them down to reach my waist. He pulls me into him, and in a shocking turn of events, he lifts my body and spins us. Instinctively, I tuck my legs in lightly for a carousel lift, the silk ribbon wrapped around my arms fluttering in the breeze.
I’m floating in the air without even using my wings.
I forgot how incredible it is to soar without wings.
He sets me down and spins me again as I do more footwork and extend my arms, twirling myself. I turn back to face him, clutching on to his neck and staring into his eyes, not missing the heat in his gaze. Then, when I least expect it, he dips me. I lift my toes to the sky and lean into the movement, entirely trusting in him.
Giving myself to him and the music, it’s as though I’m breathing again for the first time since dying.
Not a single soul could shatter this moment of serenity.
I don’t care who’s watching. I don’t care that we’re pretending. I don’t care about the closeness of our faces right now.
Our lips draw nearer and nearer to each other’s, and for a moment, the realm fades away into nothing.
The crowd fades.
The stress fades.
The music fades.
“My angel,” he murmurs, closing his eyes. His voice fades into a whisper. “You’re mesmerizing.”
His soft lips nearly brush against mine when the song ends.
“How’s that for pretend?” I breathe gently against his lips and lock my gaze onto his, chest heaving.
For a split second, an emotion I can’t quite decipher crosses his features, but then he schools his face. Then, he breaks into that lazy smile of his and leans away slowly, still towering over me.
“Okay, Miss ‘I’m-horrible-at-dancing.’ You’ve got some explaining to do. Also, I don’t know if you noticed during your dance number, but Stephen is seething.”
He turns me to face tonight’s victim, who is, indeed,seething. Stephen stalks toward us.
“What the hell are you doing here withhim?” he asks, stepping into my personal space. I open my mouth to respond when I’m interrupted by the man still holding me in his arms.
“I don’t think I like your tone, big guy,” Kai drawls, tightening his hold on my waist.
“You think I give a fuck what you like or don’t like?” He sneers, eyeing Kai.
“You may not care about what I think, but you and I both know you care a hell of a lot about what she thinks,” Kai speaks in a low, domineering voice. “So, why don’t you do us both a solid and stop being sodamndramatic. I’m growing tired ofyour theatrics.”
