Page 12 of Captain's Claim

The rookie freezes, I see his jaw move. His mouth has opened behind his mask like he's about to say something.

I shoot him a glare that stops him cold.

Sophia exhales with a long, unsteady breath as my fingers curl around hers, pulling her towards the center of the dance floor before she has the chance to realize what’s happening. Her mask tilts up, sharp hazel eyes flashing behind it.

I don’t let go. My grip only tightens, the heat of her hand sparking something primal in my chest.

Mine.

I slide my hand around her waist, drawing her closer as the music picks up. I'm close enough to hear the sharp breath she takes in as my fingers press into the silk at her lower back. Close enough to know she’s just as affected by this as I am.

She sways against me, her body warm through the silk of her dress. I let her settle, my grip firm. Just enough to remind her that she’s in my arms now.

A new song starts. Slow. Intimate.

Her other hand finds my shoulder, but she hesitates - her fingers hovering before pressing lightly against my suit.

For a moment, I think she might say something. But she doesn’t.

Shecan’t.

Not with the rules. She's not a rule-breaker.

But I am.

I dip my head slightly, my lips near her ear. “Who are you supposed to be tonight?”

She exhales a soft laugh, something unsteady in it. “Someone who doesn’t take orders from a stranger.”

My grip on her waist tightens.Fuck.

She doesn’t even know who she’s taunting.

I slide my thumb against the silk at her lower back, just barely there, but enough to make her shiver.

She feels that. She feels me.

“Strange,” I murmur, voice low, gravelly. “You follow my lead just fine.”

She tilts her head, just enough for me to catch the faintest hint of a smirk beneath her mask. Cheeky. I like that.

“That’s because I don’t know who you are.”

I chuckle, dark and low. “You could always take a guess."

“And spoil the mystery?” Her nails dig into my shoulder.

I let the silence stretch, let the heat coil between us, slow and dangerous.

Then I lean in, just enough that my lips almost skim her jaw.

“Let me guess then.” My lips linger near her temple, the scent of her skin filling my lungs. “You’re the woman who thinks she can walk into my world and change everything.”

Her fingers tighten slightly on my arm. “And you’re the man who thinks he owns it.”

My lips curve. “I do.”

She exhales, her fingers tightening slightly. “You thinkyou do.”

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