Page 46 of The Bratva's Forced Bride

“Grace!”

I whirled around at that familiar voice and found myself face-to-face with Raya. Behind her, the rest of the girls were gathered, all smiling at me.

She pulled me in for a hug without a second thought. “It’s so nice to see you here!”

“If I had known we were coming here, I would’ve put on something nicer,” I admitted sheepishly.

But the girls waved it off.

“You just look…mysterious, that’s all,” Violet said, giggling as she sipped from her drink.

Yaro dipped his head down to be level with my ear from behind. His voice sent a shiver down my spine. “I have business to attend to, but I’ll be back soon.” He directed his gaze to the girls. “I’m trusting her with you.”

“She’s perfectly safe with us,” Maria said, reaching an arm out for me. “Come dance with us.”

I took her arm and was immediately swept away. As we went, I glanced behind myself to find Yaro going into one of the back rooms and giving me a mutual second look. My heart skipped a beat at that.

We were meshed in with the rest of the dancing patrons, and soon enough, I didn’t seem any different from them, aside from the slight awkwardness I felt.

The girls were all smiles as they gathered around, swaying to the music and doing their best to integrate me into it. Still holding my hand, Maria danced with me, guiding me into the groove of it.

I mirrored her movements, quickly reminded that I hadn’t danced in a long time. It felt like forever since the last time I moved to fast music and let myself get lost in it.

“There you go, that’s more like it!” Maria said, beaming as we moved.

I couldn’t help but laugh, warmed by how welcomed I felt by them. We danced with one another smoothly, making the occasional face at each other and laughing whenever we had the chance to.

As I let go of the calculated side of my brain, the movements started to feel more natural, and those inhibitions started to slip away. Swaying my hips with the girls, I felt almost sexy despite being underdressed.

It felt so natural, and I started to regret not indulging myself in that kind of thing sooner. While I was at home saving for school, I never let myself go out and act like other people my age. I just went to work and stressed about not having enough money to achieve my dream. But in that moment, it felt like I was gaining that freedom back again. Like I was making up for lost time in a way.

We continued through a few songs before I felt eyes on me, and I turned to find Yaro standing there. His eyes raked up and down my body, meeting my gaze by the end of it. They were blown with lust, and something about it made chills scurry up my arms.

“I’ll take it from here,” Yaro said to the girls as he reached for me. He never even pulled his stare away from me.

As if the girls understood exactly, they wore their suggestive smiles and dispersed in the crowd.

Immediately, we were left alone, but there was no time to think about his proximity or to let those nerves flourish within me.

Yaro hooked a hand around my waist and pulled me closer, letting himself join in with my subtle dancing. With both hands wandering to my hips, I felt perfectly surrounded by him. His cologne smelled more reserved than most, but there was no doubting its luxury, and I had grown to appreciate it. It felt familiar then, and taking it in at that moment made me soften.

My mind went hazy between Yaro’s muscled form swaying with me and how his black tee hugged his body.

I focused on how his warmth felt from where he touched me, making me feel more alive than ever. It was rejuvenating, and I never wanted it to end.

Yaro tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, making me shiver again. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but your hips are hypnotizing. You should be careful with them.”

Immediately, my cheeks warmed, and I couldn’t find anything suitable to say in response. I felt like a blushing schoolgirl despite how he was legally my husband. It felt like we were in the dating stage we never got to experience.

The thought of being able to capture his attention so wholeheartedly was invigorating. It almost felt like I had a different kind of power in my hands.

Feeling braver then, I moved even closer until I was pressed against him, all while maintaining that unwavering eye contact.

While his gaze was hungry, I didn’t feel like a piece of meat to him. There was something reminiscent of worship in his eyes, and that gave me the boost I needed to dance on him.

Yaro seemed to eat it up as his eyes grew even darker, completely ringed with desire. Something about it made me feel hot all over.

With another surge of confidence, I turned myself around and backed up into him. His hands settled on my hips as he squeezed me. Grazing him, I felt as he stirred within his pants. The silent compliment I needed to keep going.

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