Page 68 of Secrets & Lies

“All for one, and one for all? What does that mean?” My voice shook.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe with me. You’re not blond. But just so you know, in our house, we always save the best for last.” His voice was low and deep, with a commanding baritone that made my stomach flip-flop.

“You arenotthe best dancer, Brother,” Alek argued, standing and taking my hand.

Leading me away, he said, “Come on, kotyonok, they just want to give you a hard time, is all. Tease you because they have nothing better to do with their lives.”

He gave them a look as if to say,stop fucking this up for me, and I tossed my head back in laughter. They were obviously close and cared deeply for one another. It made me both happy and sad. Happy because that type of comradery existed for them. Then sad, wondering if Autumn, Winter, Summer, and I had been allowed to live together with Owen, if we would have been similar?

As we walked onto the dance floor, I noticed his parents were nearby. He and his father nodded at one another. His mother flashed me a small smile, but her green eyes, so much like Nik’s, fired question after question my way.

“Tell me something, have your parents not seen you on a date before?”

“Very rarely, and only a few times here in the States.” His voice was mellow and soft.

“How long have you been here?”

“About a year and a half.” He twirled me close to his body as I gasped. “Why the shocked look?”

“Well, now it makes sense the way your mother keeps looking at me.”

“And how is she looking at you?”

I lost myself in his teasing banter and light-heartedness. “Like I’m stealing her firstborn.”

After the final notes of the previous song played, there was a brief interlude, and it enveloped the dance floor, leaving behind a hushed anticipation. Looking at Aleksandr, I was hit with the sudden feeling of all the air leaving my lungs.

His hand, warm and reassuring, found its place on the small of my back, pulling me closer. A charged silence rippled through the air, and I couldn’t stand the intensity of his gaze, so I looked down.

“When you do that, it does things to me. And it makes me want to do delicious things to you,” he growled, his fingers running along the back of my neck in the most sensual way.

“When I do what?” I asked, looking up once more.

“Bow your head so prettily, your eyes lowered, and the way you tremble so.” As he said each phrase, my body reacted as if he were asking me to do it.

The music started, and I froze.Not this song.

“The Power of Love” trilled from the speakers. It was one of my mother’s favorites. I wanted to run until he lifted my head. His eyes bored into mine, and he cocked his head to the side, reading my emotions.

He stepped back and circled me slowly, giving me space to think. His eyes never left mine, and he looked so primal. As he came around, he brushed one of my hands. His eyes were so intense.

Then he was behind me, and his lips hovered over my pulse point. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. Goose bumps erupted as he lifted my arms and pulled me backward against his body. Then, gently, he guided me back up.

My heart pounded, and a current, hot and white, ran through me. Dancing with him felt electric. The sensation slithered its way down deep in my stomach. My pussy clenched, and before I could comprehend how my body was responding to the seductive way he was handling me, he had me in frame position.

We moved like we’d done this exact dance before, but I was simply following his lead. Desperately, I scrambled for mental equilibrium, trying to reconcile my feelings for this man. Then his lips brushed mine ever so slightly, jolting me. His eyes held mine, commanding my attention. It was too much.

“Eyes on me, kitten.”

Shivers ran up and down my spine, and he was very aware of his effect on me. As we glided along, I gained a little more control. That was, until he placed his hand on the back of my neck and tilted my face toward his. He began nuzzling my neck on both sides like he was trying to find which side he preferred.

A low growl emanated from his throat. My fingers gripped the soft material of his jacket, and I held on for dear life when his lips grazed my cheek. It was when they found my ear and I heard him whisper “So fucking beautiful” that I shuddered in his arms.

He pushed his nose into my hair and held me for a split second before bending me backward. His powerful arms balanced me as his lips trailed down the front of my dress. A small moan found its way out of my mouth, embarrassing me. My face flushed, and I could barely breathe as he pulled me upright again.

Not realizing the song had ended, I let him hold me longer than I should have. His fingers lingered on the bare skin on my sides, almost tickling me. The tension was thick, and I only then remembered his parents were here before I stepped back from him.

Chapter 25

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