Page 46 of Rescued By The Dragon

The lure she had on me mimicked witchery. The crowd continued to part as I took a sharp left to where she stood, far in the back corner of the room, tucked away out of sight.

Standing with Sasha, her cheeks turned red as the crowd turned to look at her. Sasha giggled beside her, while I stepped closer.

I felt the eyes of the other girls on me. “Amara,” I said, my gaze traveling up and down her face and neckline. “You look beautiful tonight.”

Swiftly bending down, I pulled up the skirt of her dress and pulled the glass slipper from my pocket.

She smiled, and opened the bag around her shoulder, pulling out the other one. I slipped her sandals off, one by one, and slipped her glass slippers onto her feet. Sasha grabbed the sandals and tucked them under her arm.

Amara stepped into the slippers, growing only a smidge taller. She curtsied and angled her neck to look me in the eyes.

“Are you ready to dance?” I asked.

She nodded. “As soon as everyone stops staring at me,” she mumbled.

Looping my arm around her waist, I dragged her toward the center of the dance floor, loving the jealous stares.

The band started to play, other couples joined in while I pulled her close to me. “Dear God, Amara, I could take you up to my room and do ungodly things to you.”

There was a twinkle in her eye. “Haven’t you already?”

“There is always room for more, Little Mouse.”

Her gaze swept over the fuming faces of the other women, and I watched a shiver run down her spine. I followed her gaze to her stepmother's face.

It was envious, full of hatred but most of all set on Amara. They exchanged some type of unspoken conversation, and I didn't like it. I spun her around so that I faced her stepmother, and I watched as her face slowly changed.

She smiled, and my dragon grew pissed. There was something seriously wrong with that woman.

“Are you going to dance with anyone else?” she asked.

I glared down at her. “You’re serious?”

“I was hoping you’d say no.”

The music changed to a slower-paced song, and my hands drifted toward her hips, drawing her near. “I’d never give anyone in this room false hope, Amara.”

I felt a soft tap on my arm, sensing someone wanting to cut in, I held her close and turned to see one of her stepsisters, whichever one, smiling at me.

“Can I cut in?”

I wondered briefly if this was the stepsister that we used her bed for Amara's first kiss. It didn’t matter, because Amara’s days of being treated like scum were over. “No,” I said gracefully, smiling wide. “More men are looking for partners over there,” I said, nodding my head toward the closest wall where they stood.

Her mouth opened slightly, but she nodded respectfully and left in a hurry. Amara had her bottom lip tucked between her teeth when I looked back down. “Don’t worry, Little Mouse. We’re not entertaining them tonight.”

Before I knew it, we’d danced until sweat formed on Amara’s forehead, and she had a lightness about her. In the middle of a song change, Amara leaned in and said, “I need to run to the restroom. Can I meet you back here in five minutes?”

“Sure you can.”

Amara slipped through the crowd, as I watched her scurry toward the hallway.

“Dorran,” my brother said from behind me. I gave him a half-glance over my shoulder. “Mother wants to speak with you.”

Of course, she did.

Mother sat next to father, her fingernail wedged in the corner of her mouth, and her gaze settling over the crowd. She stood up when I approached. “Is she your mate, Dorran?”

“She is. I’ve known it since Dragon Reign.”

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