CHAPTER 22
People danced and mingled beneath the massive oak, while musicians played songs of revelry for the entire courtyard. It filled me with energy. Every sway of my hips, every spin of my body, chipped away at the bindings that kept me stiff, until I was weightless, unhindered.
Reagan was behind me, his hands sliding up and down my arms, his chest a breath away from my back.
He crossed my arms over my chest, tugging me closer. My smile broke free as I sensed his intentions, just as he stepped back and spun me out. He released one hand, leaving the other clasped. Our arms arched as I twirled away, the air rushing past me, only to be reeled back at a moment’s notice. It was a good thing he was paying attention to our surroundings because, with the amount of caution I had, I might have bowled right over someone.
My momentum carried me straight into his embrace, his arm wrapping tightly around me.
Reagan leaned me back until my hair grazed the ground. Cheers erupted from the other dancers, and he leaned me an inch further.
When he pulled me upright again, the movement was so swift that I couldn’t help but laugh. Reagan grinned as he rose with me, pulling me into him and swaying us around.
As the final notes faded, he stepped back with a theatrical bow and brushed a dramatic kiss across the back of my hand. I dipped into a mock curtsey, lifting the hem of my dress with exaggerated grace. The two of us straightened at the same moment, breathless from the whirl of it all, and he drew me in again until my cheek rested against his shoulder and his hands settled at my waist.
“Is this...” Reagan began, his voice so low and raw that I had to look up at him. “Where you want to be?”
A smile unfurled of its own accord, and I nodded. His gaze drifted to my mouth, his chest rising and falling against mine. I lifted my chin, and he leaned in.
“Don’t you look good dancing,” a voice interrupted, shattering the moment like a stone thrown into still waters.
We turned our heads to find Varian a few steps away, his face set in a look of haughty disdain, his eyes flicking to Reagan’s hands on my waist.
Reagan didn’t let go, his grip tightening ever so slightly, pulling me a fraction closer to him as Varian approached.
“You’ve got a knack for drawing a crowd, cousin,” Varian said, his voice carrying that usual condescending tone. “If only ruling an estate were as simple as hosting parties.”
Reagan gave him a half-grin. “You speak as if you have vast experience with either.”
A subtle twitch passed over Varian’s dark brows before his insufferable gaze found me. “Jane Darling, isn’t it?” he asked, as though the name was too trivial to remember. “You look trulystunning tonight. Who would have thought a human could be so magnetic dancing?”
His gaze swept over me, yet it looked far from admiration. I straightened, refusing to wilt beneath eyes that saw me as less.
“I think you’re confused,” I said coolly. “No one needs power to dance. Perhaps I could explain to you how it works.”
He smirked, seeming very sure of himself, chin held high and brows straight, his black embroidered blazer impossibly neat.
“I’d prefer a demonstration,” he said, side-eyeing Reagan. “Like the one you just showed my cousin. Would you mind, cousin? I think you need to summon the lights anyway.”
Varian extended a hand toward me, and I stared at it as if it were poison. “I’m spent. Perhaps next time.”
He lowered his hand, the indifference in his expression making it clear that the gesture had nothing to do with me.
“Another time, then,” he said smoothly.
Before I could respond, Reagan’s hand pressed against the small of my back. “Why don’t we get you something to drink?” he said, steering me toward the banquet table. “Enjoy the Rite, Varian.”
As we walked away, Reagan’s voice dropped low. “I thought that mouth of yours couldn’t tempt me any further. Seems I was wrong.”
I glanced at him. “For such a tempting mouth, I expected you to have kissed me by now.”
His eyes peered down at me, smouldering, his voice near a growl. “Don’t test me, Jan. I’m one word away from forgetting what I said and having you right here.”
My bottom lip caught between my teeth, thighs tightening with the rush of heat.
Even as he fetched our drinks, Reagan’s gaze lingered on the motion beneath my dress before snapping back to mine, as if he were daring me to speak again.
Maybe I would speak just to see if he would be true to his word.
