Page 48 of An Alien for Her Heart

She makes a strange sound that makes her entire body jerk. “Hiccups.” She smiles. “But yes, I am enjoying it. I’m glad—” A Kalgonite bearing another tray of brew passes and she gestures at him for one. He obliges, leaning low so she can take her pick. “Thank you.” She does another of those hick-ups, another smile coming to her lips.

Does she know how beautiful she is? Right now? As the lights and the shadows play across her face?

“You’re glad?”

She dips her head. “I’m glad I came.”

I dip my head, chin to chest as I lean back on my arms, my gaze forced on the crowd before us. I can just barely see the top of my siblingkin’s head as he dances with hiskahl.

“You dislike dancing?”

“On the contrary,” Catherine chuckles and another shiver goes through my scales at the delicious sound. “Iloveto dance. I just…don’t know how to dance like Donna and Eleanor. They have a rhythm I don’t have.”

Those words pique my interest and my gaze shifts to hers.

“How do you dance?”

Her cheeks grow even redder in the dim light and she shakes her head. “I haven’t in a long, long time.”

“Show me.” I probably shouldn’t push but the words tumble from my mouth anyway. Catherine’s gaze snags on mine and, for a moment, I think she will reject my request. But then her gaze shifts to a passing Kalgonite and she gestures him over. I’m stunned, somewhat concerned, too, as she takes another bulb of brew.

“Liquid courage,” she whispers to me, smiling again. When she abruptly stands, one arm outstretched to me, I resist the urge to grab hold of it and pull her into me. Instead, I look from her arm to her.

She giggles. “Come on.”

Standing, I’m not sure what I must do. I’m as stiff as a tree, both my bones and that thing at the center of my groin as Catherine holds my claw and steps into me. I don’t move. I don’t even breathe.

Catherine begins to guide me, her movements graceful and fluid. She places one of my claws on her waist, and with her other hand, she takes hold of my other claw, positioning it just so. Her touch is gentle but firm, and I can feel the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of her garment.

“Follow my lead,” she whispers, her breath tickling my ear as I lean in. Her voice is a melody, and I am utterly entranced.

She takes a step back, and instinctively, I follow. Her movements are smooth and elegant, and despite my initial stiffness, I find myself moving with her. She glides across the ground, and I am amazed at how effortlessly she moves, like a river flowing over stones. Her grace is mesmerizing, and I am falling harder for her with each step.

Catherine’s eyes sparkle with joy as she dances, and I can’t take my eyes off her. Her beauty is captivating, her every movement a testament to her elegance and poise. The way she moves, the way she looks at me—it’s as if she’s casting a spell, and I am powerless to resist.

But as we continue to dance, I become more aware of the attention we are drawing. Every unmated male in the vicinity has their eyes on her, their gazes filled with admiration and longing. But she is mine. The thought ignites a fierce possessiveness within me, and I tighten my hold on her, pulling her closer.

Catherine doesn’t seem to notice the attention. Her focus is entirely on me, her eyes locked on mine. She smiles, a radiant smile that takes my breath away, and I know that I am lost. I am falling deeper and deeper into her, and there is no escape.

She twirls, and I spin her effortlessly, the skirts of her garment flaring out like a radiant bloom. She laughs, a sound so pure and joyful that it sends another shiver through me. When she comes back to me, I catch her, holding her close, our bodies pressed together.

“Goodness,” she whispers, her eyes shining. “You’re a natural.”

The only thing natural is the way she fits in my arms. The way this feels.

I can’t find the words to respond. I am too caught up in the moment. Too captivated by her. Instead, I pull her even closer, my core-beat pounding in my chest. She rests her head against my shoulder, and we continue to move together, our bodies in perfect harmony.

In this moment, she is mine, and I am hers. The world fades away, and it is just the two of us, lost in the dance. We dance for what feels like hors, lost in the rhythm and each other’s arms. And when the music finally fades and we come to a stop, both of us breathless and flushed, I can’t help but pull her closer.

Catherine tilts her head back, looking up at me, a strange thing passing in her eyes. I swallow hard, staring back, not wanting to break the moment. Her lips part slightly, and I cansee the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she catches her breath. The air between us is charged, crackling again.

“Catherine,” I whisper, my voice rough with emotion. Her name on my lips feels like a prayer, a plea for something more. But what?

Everything.

I want everything.

She doesn’t respond, but her eyes say it all. They are filled with a longing that mirrors my own, a silent invitation that I can’t ignore. My core-beat goes raging in my chest, each beat echoing the urgency of the moment.

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