Page 15 of Guarding the Singer

"Actually, I've been asked to stay for the ball. I hope that's okay."

Cali didn't answer him.

"Hey, Sel? Hotstuff is staying for the ball! Get a move on!"

The door shut behind him and he shook his head.

Cali sounded like a lot of fun, but he was kind of glad he wasn't guarding her as well. He was pretty sure she'd run him into the ground with her energy.

He smiled and waited for Selene to be ready to leave for the ball.

The band playing in the ballroom was really good, but she couldn't really identify the song they were playing. There were so many people in the room that she was fairly sure she couldn't be heard unless she shouted if someone wanted to talk to her.

"Here."

She felt a reassuring presence at her side and looked up to see William standing beside her. "Hey."

"I brought you some champagne."

She took the glass from him with a smile. "Thanks."

He leaned in again, speaking close to her ear. "I can barely hear you. How do you think straight at an event like this?"

Putting her hand on his arm, she rose up, nearly on the tips of her shoes and spoke as close to his ear as she could get. "I don't know. I've never been to an event like this. It's crazy, right?"

He laughed and while she could barely hear it, she could feel it.

That's how close they were.

"Do you want to dance?"

She turned her head to look at him with the huge crush of people in the room. "I had thought about it, but I doubt..."

The noise was so loud in the room, she winced. She could feel a headache starting in her temple.

Reaching her hand up, she tugged on his sleeve.

She was relieved when he leaned in almost immediately. "Would you think I was an absolute idiot if I asked to leave?"

Selene saw him frown and worried that she had made a mistake.

"I'm here for you, Selene." He smiled at her. "If you want to go. We go."

She took a sip of her champagne, and it was delicious, but she still felt hemmed in by the crowd.

Even if she felt like dancing there was hardly a free space on the dance floor and while people had stopped to talk to her, she hadn't fielded any offers of a dance. It seemed like everyone felt the same way she did.

And the room? She lifted her champagne glass and touched the cool glass to her cheek, leaning into the cool touch of the glass. The room was stifling.

She turned to talk to him and found him hovering close.

His closeness didn't bother her.

She felt protected. And she knew that he was showing his concern for her.

"I feel like I should stay. Getting an invite to this ball? It's the hottest ticket in town."

He smiled at her. "I bet."

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