“Dance with me, Princess.”
“I can’t dance,” I breathe, holding on to his hand because I never want to let go of him.
His lips tip up into a grin. “Neither can I. Dance with me anyway.”
“I’ll step on your toes.”
The apples of his cheeks catch the light. “Then I’ll say thank you.”
“They’ll bruise.”
“You won’t see me complain about having your mark on me.”
“Bruises aren’t love marks.”
He leans forward until his hot breath feathers against my ear. “Do you want to test that theory? Give me thirty seconds, and everyone will take one look at your neck and how irrevocably mine you are.”
“I’m not yours.” I am his. Wholly and completely.
“Liar,” he whispers.
“I’m not a liar either.”Lie.
“You’re right. You’re Isabella, my sweet, sweet Bella.”
“I’m not.”
Leaning his forehead against mine, he says, “You can think that, but just know I’m yours.”
“Liar.” Biting the inside of my lip, I smile.
“I am. But not to you. Never to you,” he promises. “Dance with me, Isabella. Let me hold you.”
“I’ll trip.”
With each excuse, his eyes darken. “When have I ever let you fall? If you did, I’d be right there beside you. We’re Romeo and Juliet.”
Frowning, I chuckle. “They killed themselves, Mickey.”
“Do you doubt what I’d do for you, Isabella? If you’re in a grave, I’m in one. I promised you forever. We won’t end in death.”
“That’s so morbid.” My smile spreads until I can’t take it anymore. There’s nothing that could bring me down from this high.
“You make me crazy.” Warm hands wrap around my wrists to bring them up around the back of his neck. “Now, Princess, make me the luckiest man in the world and dance with me.”
“I—”
“The next word out of your mouth better be yes. I’ll repeat myself a third time for you. But there will be repercussions if I have to say it a fourth time.”
I pinch the back of his neck as his arms wrap around my waist. “If you had let me finish, you’d know I was about to agree.”
The last thing I see is his grin before his lips meet mine, languidly moving as we sway out of time with the music.
At this moment, the world around us ceases to exist. There’s no darkness hidden within our pasts or people surrounding our present. There’s only us, standing together in the light, ready for whatever we might face.
Wants and needs are usually two separate things, but they’re the same thing when I’m with Mickey. Mamá was right; I would be part of a family. I just didn’t realize that my childhood tears of yearning for one were for nothing, because my family is right here in front of me, in my arms.
“You’ll never feel alone again,” Mickey whispers against my lips, bringing a smile across mine.
