Page 14 of Bound By Dance and Desire

“It is what it is.”

I’d endure the discomfort because that's what dancers did. Sacrifice. Endure. Shrug off any pain that didn't rip you away from the dance floor.

But he'd protected me from Larry, even if that would only worsen the situation, and so far he hadn't done more than hold me and criticize my eating habits—behavior I'd seen from my father and married brothers.

And now he was angry on my behalf. No one had been angry for or protective of me since I'd left home.

“Have you ever seen any of the District warriors harass the mortals in this building?” he asked.

I thought about his question, blinking. I hadn't. “No.”

Andrei turned me to face him, staring down at me with a lifted brow. “Then how do you know it's the truth? That this Larry isn't extracting money from you all for his own purposes?”

I opened my mouth, shut it, feeling fresh off a farm. “I don't know. I guess I took his word for it. And everyone else said. . .”

Andrei closed his eyes for a second, then muttered something in the Cassanian language. He opened those Swan Lake eyes and rolled them. “You’re too naive to be let outside of a House.”

“I'm not really that naive, or I wouldn't have made it this far.”

The bristling aggression softened, and he drew me back into the circle of his arms.

“That's true, little mortal. You've done well, I won't deny you that. But let me take over from here.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to? And nothing I want is denied me.”

“Well, that’s not spoiled or anything.” I chewed on my bottom lip, shifting in his arms. “Who are you? You're a House Casakraine warrior?” If his former companion's green armor didn't give it away, his demeanor did.

“Hmm. Yes, I belong to Casakraine.”

“I see.”

That was too bad. I couldn't get involved with a warrior. He was handsome, and kind enough so far. Maybe if he'd been an ordinary Low Fae. . .I pulled away from him. Even if he had been ordinary, it still wouldn’t have been worth all the other problems.

His jaw ticced, but after a moment he sighed, releasing me. “You need food, and I need something strong and sweet to drink.”

That struck me as funny. Or maybe it was the sour note in his tone.

I laughed. “I don't drink. Sorry.”

“Of course you don't. Is there a market that serves House warriors in the vicinity?”

“There's a market-ish.” Didn't he realize what section of the city we were in?

Andrei pulled a face. “Yes, stupid question. I forget what District this is. Another matter I'll have to see to.”

“Andrei, you aren't my boyfriend. Where I shop or how I eat isn't any of your?—”

The ambient glow behind his irises brightened, flashing. “We will procure food, then we will eat,” he said with slow, deliberate calm. “And I'll address the omissions in your orientation that weren't applicable until now.”

A long beat of silence passed between us. “You're not a low rank House warrior, are you?”

He said nothing, inclining his head as if inviting me to come to my own conclusions.

I looked down at the worn wooden floor. “I don't want to know. I. . .I need to focus on the showcase.” Maybe if he became bored, he’d go away.

A hand cupped my cheek, tilting my head back up as his fingertips caressed the line of my jaw as he held my gaze. The touch might be objectively innocent—but there was nothing innocent about the look in his eyes or the slow stroke of heat the caress aroused.

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