Page 151 of The Addict

He smiled and my heart thumped.

His hand extended for mine. “Let’s go inside.”

I sucked in another breath of air, taking hold of his hand and allowing him to lead me inside.

The place was packed; hundreds of people were dancing in disguise. I couldn’t recognize anyone, which made me feel a thousand times better. Because that meant they couldn’t recognize me either.

Noah had immediately pulled me to the dance floor, without notice.

And five minutes in and I had already stepped on his foot.

“Ow.”

“I’m so sorry!” I mouthed in horror. I was so embarrassed, I wanted to shrink into the floorboards.

He laughed quietly. “It’s fine, Delane.”

I covered my face with my hands, forgetting that it was technically already covered with my mask. “Really, this is mortifying. I promise you can just leave me at a table. I can’t dance!”

He smirked at me. “Calm down.” He reached forward. “Come here, closer to me.”

I moved forward tentatively.

“Closer,” he coaxed, lightly brushing my elbows with the palms of his hands.

I took another step, my hands pressing to his chest. We were closer than ever, and I was feeling hot. “Is this…good?”

He let his hand glide to my waist, pulling my body flush into his in one swift movement. His hand stayed at my hip.

“That’s better,” he said with a wink.

I blushed.

“Now Delane,” he started softly, taking my arm and guiding it upwards so that my hand could rest on his shoulder, almost wrapping around his neck. “You keep this hand here.”

Our free hands intertwined. “And this hand is mine.”

Was I breathing?

“Y-Yours?”

“For the dance of course,” Noah smiled. “Unless you want me to keep it.”

He chuckled deeply at whatever look came across my face. I was so glad for the mask at this moment. I was surely red from my forehead down.

“It’s a joke, Delane.”

“I knew that…” I suggested with a nervous shake of my voice.

“I believe you,” he murmured, taking a step to the right as the slow ballet music began to harmonize through the room. “Now, follow my lead.”

I lurched in the direction of his step, like a giraffe on stilts.

“Slowly,” he reminded. “We’re not in a race. Look—” He stopped abruptly to show me the steps. “When I lead with my right foot, you’ll step with your left, see? If I want you to take a step back, I’ll lightly push your hand in that direction, so you know which way to go.”

I observed intently. I wanted to get this right. Noah was so eager to teach me, and that excited me. I wasn’t used to that. I spent a good majority of my time helping people, and I hadn’t had many experiences when someone showed me something new. I was the novice now, and he was the expert.

“We’re going to do a right step, then a left, left. You’ll mirror me. But–” His hand squeezed my hip, and he pressed me closer. “Let me lead you. Feel the direction of my body, and where I want to take you.”