I gulp loudly, feeling him tense and grow against my lower belly. His arousal triggers my own, like being connected to a power source. My eyes snap up to his, and the weight of his stare is crushing.
I lick my lips nervously.
“That right there,” Dessin says, voice like melted chocolate and eyes transfixed on my mouth. “That, and the way your back arches at the touch of my hand is very distracting.”
The air is suddenly charged with violent, sexual energy. I react out of instinct, arching my back and pushing my hips harder against him.
He releases a strangled sigh. The sensation of his breath in my ear causes heat to pool between my legs. I shouldn’t react this way.Change the subject!
“You like the way I feel against you,” he whispers. I could melt into a puddle at his feet at the rugged deepness of his voice.
“I don’t.” But my breath hitches in my throat as his hand trails past my lower back, fingers grazing the roundness of my bottom. I don’t want him to stop. I want to feel his hands squeeze my backside.
What is wrong with me?
“I guess it’s finally time for Aurick and me to get acquainted, hmm?” he suggests, scanning the people in the ballroom and snapping me out of the spell.
“Nooooo, absolutely not,” I respond, swiveling my head to block his view.
“Why? Are you afraid I won’t approve of him?”
“I know how you feel about him, and I’m not willing to see how you’ll act if you were to meet him in person.”
Dessin twirls me around his pointer finger, guiding me back to his body. “You think I’m going to cause a scene?” He scrunches his nose in a menacing smile.
I look away from him, trying to hide my nerves.
“I’m shocked. Skylenna, this is a ball. What kind of animal do you think I am?” Smugness overrides any genuine honesty.
“I know you,” I scold, flashing him a momentary glare. “You always have your reasons. You’re here for something.” A concern pops into my mind. “What are you going to do if someone recognizes you?” I whisper.
“Well, Suseas isn’t here tonight, neither is Martin. Every other council member who is here hasn’t seen me in years. Trust me, they would have blocked out the mere memory of my face,” he reminisces.
The music slows to an end, and our movements do as well. I stare into his eyes and beg. “Please don’t hurt anyone. If you act out…Here,of all places, then there is no talking the council out of executing you.” I look down at his lips and then back up warily. “I can’t lose you,” I utter, and then instantly, my stomach fills up with burning regret. I don’t know how I formed those words, but they came out and sounded like I see him as more than just my patient… More than just myfriend.
A solemn look of despair falls over his face.
Dessin closes his eyes and then opens them slowly, now focused on something behind me. The corner of his mouth tips upward.
“Aurick,” Dessin says with purpose, conviction, and a threatening tone.
I turn around to see him greeting us with a smile.
I. Want. To. Die.
I’d prefer death just to escape this moment.
“Glad you could join us,” Dessin adds behind me.
“Sorry, have we met?” Aurick folds his hands into his pockets with an overly happy smile on his face. I glance back at Dessin.
“No.” He steps to the side of me. “I met Skylenna at the asylum. Your name is quite famous around there.”
“Well,” Aurick laughs. “It’s always nice to meet an admirer.”
Dessin looks down and chuckles to himself. “I’m sorry, did I come across as a fan?” He presses his fist into his mouth. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to mislead anyone. I must say for myself that I most certainly amnota fan of that violent, nasty bruise that radiates under that expensive makeup you gave her.”
Silence. Underneath the chatter and music, we are in a bubble of stillness. It’s as if the room was emptied for this. “What do you have to say for yourself?” Dessin steps toward him.
