Page 35 of Deadmen's Captive

"Tonight, we're free," she shouted over the noise, her smile fierce.

"Free," I echoed, laughing at myself. I was drunk, but I didn’t care. The music was reverberating through the floor, the coloured lights flashed and my costume made me feel incredible. I was so grateful to Kate. I had almost chickened out when I'd realised how low the neckline fell, and had found the slits up both legs, but Kate had talked me into wearing it and now I felt incredible. Beautiful, free, even sexy.

The night wore on, but Tristan still hadn't shown yet. I was disappointed, but at the same time, the alcohol had cheered me up and I was having a great time. The drinks continued to flow and the dance floor became a wild sea of whirling bodies and flickering lights. Every now and then, Kate would disappear into the crowd, only to reappear moments later with more drinks. She was in her element, and her confidence was infectious. I let myself get caught up in the rhythm, dancing and laughing without a care in the world. An attractive man dressed as a gladiator moved up next to Kate, smiling at her, and extending his hand. She took it and he pulled her closer to dance. I smiled at them, moving a little further away, and closing my eyes, swaying to the music.

A pair of hands settled on my waist, and for a moment, I flashed back to the nightclub two weeks ago and my sexy rescuer, but when I looked down, my partner’s slender arms were covered in black shirt sleeves and there was no sign of any tattoos.

"I was already upset I was late, but had I known you looked like this, I would have definitely left sooner."

I spun around and looked up at Tristan. Blue eyes sparkled behind a plain black bandana tied around his head and pulled down over his face, with eye holes cut so he could see out. He pulled me close against his chest, arms sliding around me as we started to sway to the music.

"Where have you been?" I asked. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Zorro, obviously," he said, with mock hurt in his voice. "And I am sorry again for not being able to pick up you and Kate tonight, Paige. I meant to be here an hour ago, but I needed to talk to the police, and they took ages."

"The police? Why?"

"Come with me." He took my hand and pulled me off the dancefloor, heading through one of the doors and into a deserted corridor. We could still hear the music from the ballroom, but I could hear him speak much better too.

"So, when I said the car wouldn't start, I was actually telling a little white lie. I got into the car to come and pick you and Kate up, cause I figured she could sit on your lap or something seeing as it wasn't far to come, but as I got near the end of my street I noticed that there was something wrong with the brakes. Luckily I wasn't going too fast and the roads were quiet, so I let it drift to a stop and called a mechanic friend I have." Tristan sighed. "Someone had interfered with the brakes, Paige. They'd cut the cables."

"Oh my God," I said. "Tristan, you could have been killed. Are you ok?" I slipped my arms around his waist, scenes of tangled metal filling my mind.

He pressed his lips to my hair. "I'm fine, Paige. I just called the police so they could look into it. Someone was trying to hurt me tonight, and I knew I had enemies, but I never thought they'd go this far. I could have had you and Kate in the car, and lost control. You both could have been hurt."

I shivered, the reality sinking in. The thought of what could have happened chilled me to the bone, but the fact that Tristan was here, safe and sound, brought a comforting warmth.

"But we're okay," I said, pulling away from him slightly to look into his eyes. "We're all okay."

His eyes bore into mine, a swirl of emotions that mirrored my own. He pulled me back into his arms and kissed me. Tender at first, like it always was, but then I felt his tongue slip between my lips, dancing with mine. I opened my mouth, allowing him deeper and he sighed. His hand slid up to cup the back of my head as he deepened the kiss, the heat between us building.

His lips moved against mine with a desperate urgency that I returned with equal fervour. I could feel his heart hammering against my chest and knew mine matched beat for beat. His hand moved to the small of my back and pulled me closer, our bodies pressed flush against each other.

“Tristan,” I sighed, as his mouth left mine, and travelled along my jaw and down the side of my throat. A thrill ran through me as he guided me back a step, pressing me against the wall. His hand ran down my side then round and over my ass, pulling me against him.

“Paige,” he murmured, his teeth grazing over my skin. He kissed me again, harder this time, his breath unsteady and I gasped for breath as his hand moved down my leg, scooping underneath and wrapping it around his waist. He pressed himself against me and I felt heat pool between my legs at the feel of his hard cock pressing against me through my skirt. Unable to fight this desire that had suddenly taken hold of me, I reached up, my hands tangling in his hair pulling him closer as desire raged within me like a wildfire. He thrust against me in a rhythm my own hips matched, pushing back against him as his kiss left me breathless. My heart pounded in my chest, but it wasn't fear. It was anticipation.

This was what my mother had kept me from. This is what I had been missing, and this taste had simply left me craving more. Heat spread through me, my body responding to his touch in ways I had never imagined possible. My legs felt weak as I clung onto him, his strong arms holding me up.

Suddenly, the music outside swelled louder, the beat pounding like a seductive call. Tristan broke our kiss, his lips leaving mine with a soft gasp.

"Tristan..." I whispered his name, my voice shaky. He looked at me, his eyes dark with desire. He cupped my cheeks, his thumbs caressing my skin.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern washing over him. I nodded, slightly breathless.

"I'm more than okay," I replied. His lips curled into a smile and he pulled me closer, his hands resting on the small of my back.

"You're amazing," he whispered against my lips before pulling back. “And I want you so damn much, but we can’t do this. Not here, and not now.”

"Let's go back inside," he suggested smoothly, offering me his hand which I took hesitantly.

Back at the party, the music was still loud and everyone seemed as oblivious as ever to our absence. Kate was still dancing expertly with the gladiator man, both of them laughing wildly.

"Paige," Tristan began, stroking a lock of my hair behind my ear with a small smile on his face. "Tonight has been... unpredictable, but I'd still like to enjoy what's left of it with you. Will you dance with me?"

“I’d love to,” I said, smiling shyly up at him. My body still ached for him, but he’d been right. If I was going to lose my virginity to him, I didn’t want to do it in a university hallway.

He pulled me back onto the dancefloor and wrapped his arms around my waist, his body fitting against me as though it was made to. His fingers slid into my hair, and I leaned into him, my heart pounding in my chest.

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