Page 81 of Ruthless Scoundrel
“Yes, only don’t abduct me this time.”
“I already have you,” I say.
“Do you?” she asks with mock surprise. “Well, what if I danced with someone else, then?”
I lean back and throw my arm out wide. “Be my guest. I’ll be right here, watching what’s mine enjoy herself.”
Her eyes go half-lidded and she lifts her chin with a smirk. “I’ll enjoy myself more without you, anyway.”
With that, she pushes off the seat and sashays away from me. Damn Meianha for this salacious dress and its stupid flowing fabric that hugs the curves of her hips. She’s gained weight since being with me, muscle and some much-needed fat, making herever more alluring. Still, I’m determined to sit here and watch no matter how tempting.
She’s not going to win this.
Reina is the first to start dancing, so regal and refined she’s going to give us away, but it’s mesmerizing to watch. She twists and dips, bows and hops, making her dress feather in the wind of her swift movements. Two men and another woman join in, and Reina changes her dance to accommodate more people. They twirl and slide between one another, hands almost touching—until another mandoestouch her.
Her movements stutter when the other man grabs ahold of her and I note the fear in her eyes. She’s not allowed to be touched and hasn’t been touched most of her life. There’s a tug in the pit of my stomach, a flare of heat in my veins and a demand to claim, but I clamp down on it as I watch.
Reina gets comfortable quickly, resuming the dance. Her gaze darts to where I am shrouded in darkness, and I can see the taunt in her face. “Are you going to stand for this?” she asks silently with nothing but her eyes.
The dance shifts to something less formal, and the man, a tall creature with dark hair and skin, wraps his arm around her waist until his hand is splayed across her back. She holds his other hand in hers and they bounce around the fire, all smiles and laughter.
My teeth grinding alerts me to how hard my jaw is clenched, and I try to relax. My heart is pounding in my ears so loudly I can barely hear the music. Energy surges through my body, demanding that I move, that I stake my claim and dance.
Why am I denying myself?
To not get too close? To safeguard my heart and my mission?
But what’s just one dance? A show to let the others know she will not be wandering off with them this evening. I don’t want anyone to have any ideas.
I’m already moving, stalking around the fire and staying just outside the light. Reina looks for me on the log and a flitter of fear moves across her features when she doesn’t find me there. Her feet keep dancing, but her head swivels, searching for me.
They take another turn around the fire and her hunting becomes harried. Finally she finds me, her eyes locking onto mine. Like Nol’Ther pulls the sea, she drags me in. I cut through the crowds of Men stomping their feet and clapping their hands, drawn directly to her.
She stops in her tracks. The man holding her startles as he looks my way—and then he slinks back. My steps hasten the closer I get to her. She’s struck still, both petrified and yearning.
I wonder if she feels the same fear of heartache.
I wonder if she knows it’s already too late to back out.
Chapter twenty-four
Reina
My baser instinct screamsrun, a predator is hunting you!
But it’s not a thirst for blood in Jasper’s glowing gaze. It’s a hunger for my flesh, for every part of me—body and spirit. His steps quicken and I hold up my arms, ready to be swept away by him with the song.
We fold together seamlessly as we come chest to chest. Electricity crackles down my limbs, moving my legs. His eyes have captured me and won’t let go. Despite not knowing the dance, he’s leading now. He twirls us, my feet barely touching the ground, and I feel as though I might be floating away.
“Is this what you wanted?” he asks in a deep, silky voice.
“I told you as much,” I say.
“Not this dance.”
“What then?”
“You want me mindless, on the brink of making mistakes. Why?”
