“You didn't want to see me?” I growled, tightening my fingers meshed through hers. “Or you couldn't face the truth?”
“The truth is I'm married to Merrick,” she snapped, though she kept her voice low. We were alone on the balcony, though I doubted we would be for long. Many would seek the cool night air, a break from the heated press of bodies inside.
“And yet, here you are, quivering in my arms.” I tugged her away from the railing, taking her through the door and into the ballroom. “We're going to dance.”
She tried to pull away, but I held her hand firmly, leading her onto the dance floor like the polite, oh-so-debonair “king” everyone assumed me to be. I doubted anyone else would see past the mask to the fire that must be flaring in my eyes.
The music surged around us, and I pulled her into a fierce, fiery dance, my grip on her unyielding, my movements demanding something from Reyla only she could give.
“You stayed away from me,” I taunted again, my voice low and rough. “Because you crave me as much as I do you.”
“I don't crave you.” The heat in her eyes betrayed her. Wide, they flamed with the same heat burning inside me.
“Liar,” I rasped, spinning her out and pulling her back infast enough she stumbled against my body. “You're lying to yourself, and you're lying to me.”
“I'm not.” The hitch in her breath gave her away.
I smirked, thriving on the emotions blazing between us. “Keep telling yourself that, Wildfire. Your body doesn't lie.”
Every step, every turn was a clash, a battle of wills. But beneath it all, hunger rose, a need that neither of us could deny.
Her body moved fluidly against mine, each step of our dance displaying the rhythm that existed solely between us. Her heat and desire pounded through me like the beat of a drum, echoing the craving I felt for this woman alone. The scent of her pleasure lingered on her skin, a sweet torture driving me to the edge of madness.
“Did Merrick make you come, or did he leave you unsatisfied?” The words snarled out of me, my voice biting both of us with the jealousy clawing at my insides. I’d turned into the viper I’d been so aptly named. Relentless and too far gone to pull back. The thought of her with him had turned into an insidious poison, eating away at my sanity.
Reyla's chin lifted, her gaze meeting mine with a fire that mirrored the unspoken challenge between us. “He's my husband. I was crowned his queen today. The elder said I'll soon be carrying his child. You're nothing to me, Lore.”
The words raked through me, as sharp and deadly as she’d intended. I tightened my arm around her back as rage simmered in my veins. “A child?” My jaw ticked with fury, the words escaping like a whisper of death. “Has he fucked you yet?”
She faltered, her breath shuddering, but she recoveredquickly. “That's none of your business.” She could create ice with her voice, but I could see the heat in her eyes, feel the way her body leaned into mine.
I dipped her low, our forms pressed together, the sensual dance a reflection of the tension coiling between us. Her hand gripped mine tightly, her other arm wrapped around my neck, holding on as if I was all she'd ever need.
She kept glancing around.
“Looking for your husband, Wildfire?” I hissed, my voice low and dangerous. “He left you to my arms, to the fire I have ignited. Your body burns formenow.”
Her eyes flashed, but the truth could not be denied.
The area had emptied around us, the guests pressing to the sides to watch our dance, enthralled by our energy crackling through the air.
Her eyes met mine, her lips parting, and for one instant, I saw the truth that matched my own. She wanted this as much as me, and the knowledge intoxicated me, driving me feral.
“You can't deny us or what’s coming,” I growled, my voice a low rumble against her ear. “I'm more than capable of handling whatMerrickleft unfinished.”
“You . . .” The stark pain in her eyes, the confusion, gutted me as if she'd reached inside my abdomen and ripped out something vital. She wrenched free of me and fled back out onto the balcony.
I followed.
I'd always follow this woman.
But this time, I didn't wrap her up in me, didn't pin her to the railing or link our hands together. I stood beside her, notseeing the pretty view or the world around us. Everything inside me remained focused solely on her.
Mywildfire. If only I could find a way to tame her.
She fidgeted with the bracelet.
“You wear it always,” I said.
