Page 55 of Erik's Salvation
Eventually, she got so caught up in conversations with locals, she lost Brigid and Henry in the crowd. With a frown, she walked around slowly, looking for her friends. She’d just stopped at the bar to get a drink before doing another lap of the room, when she felt heat press against her back.
“You look beautiful.”
A shudder ran down her spine at Erik’s voice, and she had to stop her eyes from closing.
“Thank you.” God, her voice was breathy. She didn’t turn, instead remaining still, pretending the man didn’t make every part of her want to fall into his arms.
There was a beat of silence. Then two words whispered close to her ear. “I’m sorry.”
His voice was full of gravel, deep and rough. It brushed over her skin, causing the fine hairs on her arms to stand on end.
“For what?” she asked quietly. She knew what, but a little bit of groveling wouldn’t go astray.
“I was an ass.”
Well, it was a consensus, then. “You were.”
“I was being reactive, but you’re right. You did nothing wrong. And you can’t stay away from him if he comes to your work. I just hate Marco being anywhere near you.”
Every word was spoken so quietly that it reached only her ears. Even though they stood in a room full of people, she could almost convince herself it was just the two of them.
Finally, she turned, and his proximity, in combination with his crisp pine scent and the heat in his eyes, was like an assault on her senses. “Has he done anything to make you think he would hurt me?”
“No. I just don’t like dangerous men being around you.”
She swallowed. “You’redangerous.”
“I would never physically hurt you.”
He’d told her that already. And just like the last time, his words seeped into her bones, creating new imprints.
When the burn in her lungs told her she wasn’t breathing, she forced herself to suck in air.
He moved even closer. “Dance with me,” he whispered.
Her mouth went dry. “You want to dance with me?”
“No. Ineedto. I’ve needed you in my arms since the second you stepped in here.”
Her heart rattled against her ribs. Then she breathed out a single word. “Yes.”
Relief slipped over his face. He slid a large, warm hand around her waist and led her to the dance floor. His touch seared her, made her skin blaze.
She finally caught sight of Henry and Brigid on one side of the room. They were standing in a small group with a few locals. Henry fist pumped the air while Brigid just stood there with a huge-ass grin on her face.
Erik stopped in the center of the dance floor, and the moment she was in his arms, her heart tripped and stumbled. There was barely any space between them. And, God, his arm was tight around her waist, his other hand firm around her own. She could almost convince herself he was holding her together.
“No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get you out of my head, Angel.”
Angel… Every time he called her that, she felt it everywhere. Across her skin. Deep in her chest. A spiraling low in her belly. “Is having me in your head such a bad thing?”
“Yes.”
She looked up, not even surprised he was staring straight at her. “Why? And don’t give me crap about you being a threat and me being twenty-three. You just said you would never hurt me.”
His gaze skittered between hers. “I’m damaged. And that, in combination with everything else, is a cocktail that could ruin you.”
Her brows tugged together. Damaged…that word didn’t sit well inside her. “I don’t believe people can become damaged. They just become different versions of themselves.”
