Leading her into the middle of the room, directly under the largest chandelier, he lifted her hand and began to lead her in a basic box step. Once he was sure she could keep up, he moved about the room, keeping time with his steps.
“You can dance,” he said, admiration coating his words.
“My father taught me.” Bella’s smile was soft and intimate. “He said that any man worth his salt would know how to dance. I think he wanted to spoil me for junior high boys who thought shuffling was dancing.”
“And did he?” Adam found himself keenly interested in the answer and extremely grateful for his boring dance lessons.
“He did.” She chuckled, then giggled, and then laughed. Throwing her arms out to the sides, she let him hold her middle and spin her round.
Her happiness made him happy. He marveled at the idea, because never in his life had he craved a person’s laughter like he craved Bella’s.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
“What?” He wrinkled his brow in confusion.
“This. A ball. On a Wednesday night.” She spun out of his arms and stopped several feet away. Her chest heaved up and down as if she’d run a mile. They locked eyes, and her breaths became faster, matching his. Her cheeks glowed. “Have we gone mad?”
“Do you feel mad?”
Her chest quickly rose and fell. “I feel … daring.” She took a step closer to him.
He matched her stride. “How daring?” The words were hard to press out, like his heart was beating so quickly his body didn’t have time to react, to form a plan. He moved on instinct and passion.
She took two steps closer, giving him the rest of the distance to close. “The bravest I’ve ever felt.”
He moved slowly, as if on a cloud, his feet taking him within inches of her. “You’ve always been brave.” He reached out and brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek.
She hummed in response, her eyes drifting closed. “Not in love.”
“Not in love?” He repeated her words, caught up in the soft scent of her perfume. It wrapped his mind in a haze. He buried his face in her neck and breathed in her scent.
“Is this love?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. This was a part of Bella that the world didn’t get to see. She laid herself bare before him, and a surge of protectiveness swelled within his breast.
“It’s—”
The music came to a screeching halt, and Mrs. Poole, Ben, and Edward plowed into the room. Adam leaned back, glaring at the interruption. The trio stopped, looking like comical statues for several seconds as they took in the scene before them, their hands and arms splayed out and their legs bent.
Adam gathered Bella to his chest, cupping her cheek with his palm. Whatever catastrophe had them running into the room would not tear this woman from him. “Yes?” he asked, managing to veil his annoyance at their terrible timing.
“Sorry to interrupt,” started Ben.
Mrs. Poole stepped forward, her arms reaching for Bella. “It’s your father, sweetie. He’s in the hospital. It’s … bad.”
Bella’s hands flew to her mouth. “I have to—” She cut off when she realized she was still in Adam’s arms. He’d tightened his hold, thinking he needed to hold her up. “I have to go.”
“Go?” he repeated dumbly. She couldn’t go. She was his world.
Tears pooled on her lower lashes.
As much as Adam needed Bella here with him, his whole soul yearned to be near her, and separation was physically painful. What he really needed to do was get her to the hospital. “Edward, the chopper,” Adam commanded. They’d get clearance to land on the helipad on the roof of the hospital if he needed to build them a new wing.
“It’s ready.”
“Good man.” Adam didn’t miss the look of astonishment on Edward’s face. His head butler was all business. No compliments and no complaints. Ever.
He released his hold on Bella only to take her hand. She in turn threaded their fingers together and gave him a grateful look. The group rushed to the back lawn, where a helicopter waited. The blades twirled, making the grass lie down in submission and Bella’s skirts cling to her legs. She struggled to walk. Going with the fastest solution, Adam swooped her into his arms and ran to the chopper. He hardly had time to note the weight of her before they loaded. They were airborne within seconds of buckling their seatbelts. As they lifted off, Adam watched his home grow smaller and then fade into the distance, the feeling that things were undone following him into the sky. He tightened his hold on Bella’s hand. He’d lost the moment to reveal his heart.
The hospital came into view moments later. He listened as the pilot spoke to the tower. “The pad is for emergency transportation of patients only,” came the response to his plea to touch down.
