Page 34 of Angel Eyes

“Forget about what’s going on over there. Just let the music take you.” I watched as she moved, her hips rocking in sync with the beat. I brushed a hand over the base of my throat, a weak laugh trickling past my lips.

“Um, Simone? I hate to tell you this, but I’m not the best dancer.” If her master plan depended on my ability to cut a rug, we were doomed.

“Nonsense. Everyone can dance. It’s just a matter of whether you’re willing to let yourself. Here, close your eyes.” I hesitated before complying. “Dancing is a sensory experience—sight, touch, sound. Just listen to the music.” I exhaled, focusing on the vibrations around me. The sultry sound of a voice rising over undulating notes, the steady thrum of the tempo, the electric pulse …

“Now, however the music makes you feel, lean into that. Let it take over your body.” Her hands coasted over my hips, moving them to the rhythm.

My eyes flew open. “Simone, I—”

“Trust me,” she said again, stepping back and leaving me like a kid without training wheels.

I pressed my eyelids shut as I focused on the music again. After a few moments, I realized I didn’t feel as self-conscious when my eyes were closed, and some of the anxiety loosened in my chest as I swayed, feeling the beat drumming in my body.

“Yeah, babe, now you’ve got it.”

I breathed a laugh, relaxing as Simone twirled me around, the strobe lights flashing in the darkness and reflecting off her pretty brown skin. I watched as she moved effortlessly, and I mimicked her movements, rocking my hips and swinging my hair.

Carter appeared at her side as the lights dipped low, bathing the room in a red hue. She winked at me as he pulled her back against his chest, his hands gliding over her slender frame. I tossed her a smile, squeezing her hand before retreating a few steps to give them space.

Lifting my arms overhead, I danced on, my fear giving way as I lost myself in the rhythm, my body moving freely as my inhibitions melted away. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d let loose like this or had this much fun. It was exhilarating.

“Hey, sexy, want to dance?”

A sweaty hand fastened around my wrist, and I whirled to find a guy with greasy hair leering at me, his open collar revealing a tangle of chest hair. Before I could protest, he dragged me against him, his warm palms slithering over my arms.

“Hey,” I shouted, shoving him as he banded an arm around my waist, his free hand coasting down my back before landing on my ass.

“Be easy, love. We’re just having a good time.” He yanked me closer, encasing me in a cloud of cheap cologne. My stomach turned. “Listen,” he said, the scent of whiskey filling my nose, “do you want to get out of here? I know a place we can go nearby—”

A firm hand clamped down on his shoulder, jerking him roughly away from me.

“Mind if I cut in?”

Like an apparition, Gabriel appeared at my side, the surface of his expression calm even as his eyes burned with hostility.

My sketchy dance partner’s mouth hinged open. “Hey, who do you think—”

Gabriel cut across him. “Walk away. Now.”

The guy clearly had no desire to comply. He stood his ground as he sized Gabriel up, no doubt weighing his odds should the situation descend into a physical altercation.

Gabriel glowered at him. “I won’t ask politely a second time.”

The guy threw me another glance, then scoffed and pushed his way through the crowd.

“Are you all right?” Gabriel turned to me, brushing my cheek lightly with his knuckles.

“I’m fine. That guy was just …” I shivered in disgust, batting away the lingering scent of his foul cologne. I peered up at Gabriel. “Did you come over here just to save me again?”

“What? No, I saw you with Simone, and I was working up the nerve to come and ask you to dance. I was headed this way when I saw that creep put his hands on you.” A muscle feathered in his jaw, a hint of his irritation resurfacing.

“Where’s Marlena?” I hated myself for asking, but the champagne had loosened my tongue.

A look of confusion darted across his features before slowly giving way to understanding. One corner of his mouth lifted. “I have no idea.”

The music changed to a slower tempo, and he held out a hand to me in silent question. I hesitated before placing my palm in his, my heartbeat scattering as his eyes flickered with heat. He drew me against him, his familiar scent rolling over me, the warm and earthy notes mixing with something subtler. Something uniquely Gabriel.

He slid my hands over the hard planes of his body, looping them around his neck before his own ventured to my waist. I watched him from beneath my lashes, letting my eyes trail over the sloping line of his straight nose, the sharp angles of his cheekbones, the sensuous curve of his mouth. His hands shifted lower, and my breath hitched as his fingertips drew a line of pure energy over my hips.

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