Page 75 of Blindside Sinner

His eyes swivel around. My breath catches in my chest. They’re searching, searching, searching…

And then they find me.

He clocks everything at once. Dix’s hands on my hips—at a respectful height, but there nonetheless. The song playing. The sudden tautness in the air.

He shakes Viv off and strides in our direction. I stop moving but I can’t stop watching him. Our gazes are locked and his eyes are dark.

Dix laughs at something, but I don’t know what, because nothing exists right now except the smolder in Beck’s gaze. It’s potent. Hot enough I can feel it in the marrow of my bones.

He doesn’t even ask Dix to move, but suddenly, he is gone and Beck is wrapped around me instead. He doesn’t speak and Icouldn’t if my life depended on it. I can’t think of a single word that makes sense.

Instead, I soak up the warmth of his body, the heat in his gaze.

He smells good. Mint, and cold forests, and the crackle of a fireplace. He’s strong and solid, so unbelievably solid.

I don’t know how long the song lasts. It could be a minute or it could be a century. But at some point, it ends, and I’m left staring at his chest, my hand curled around the back of his neck, finger still caressing up and down into his hair and out.

I can breathe again. Barely.

I dare myself to look up into his eyes. There it is again: that same flash of fury I saw in the valet line.

You’re mine. Never forget it.

Then he turns and storms away.

I’m left all alone in the middle of the dance floor, the crowd parting around me as if I’m radioactive. From the perimeter, Vivian shoots me a glare that is as physical as a slap.

Before I can puzzle that part out, Dix is back at my side, as chipper as ever. “Dragon lady hates you all the sudden,” he remarks. He thrusts his chin toward Vivian to make his point clear.

I nod. No point in denying the obvious. “So long as she keeps my paychecks coming, she can hate me all she wants.”

“Atta girl. Up hers and get yours.”

Right then, they ring a bell and announce dinner is about to be served. But I’m not even halfway to the nearest table before I feel a hand clamp down hard on my elbow.

“We’re leaving now.”

It’s Beck’s voice in my ear, growly and possessive.

“But they’re about to?—”

“It wasn’t a question.”

Gulping, I let him steer me to the valet and wait while his car is brought around. When we climb in, he sighs and speeds out of the circle drive where a few photographers and reporters are still waiting for the right shot, the perfect soundbite.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” His tone is snide, as if he’s baiting me. I won’t be falling for that.

I snort. “Not really.” I don’t add that without Dix, it would’ve been wholly and completely unbearable. Beck doesn’t seem like he’s in the mood for that sort of feedback.

“Me neither.” I glance at him as he looks at me for a short second before he turns back to the windshield. “I spent the whole night with my ex-girlfriend. Not my kind of fun.”

I’m tempted to play coy, to ask him what exactly he considers as his kind of fun, but I don’t. “You seemed to enjoy it.” I hadn’t seen him frown much at Vivian. He’d seemed to save the scowls exclusively for me.

“Are you jealous?”

“Not even a little bit.” I bite my lip.Don’t say it, Sloan. Don’t bring it up. Don’t you dare even think about—“What did you ever see in her?”

The interior of the car is silent for a moment. I can hear my own pulse in my ears.

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