Page 61 of Ash and Roses
Her eyes flick to mine, as if she’d heard my mental curse. She may have, too. The blockades I’d built between us are little more than ash now. I should go to her, ask her to dance, but once again my legs refuse to work.
My heart thumps in my chest as she makes her way to me. There’s a faint blush on her cheeks that wasn’t there before, and for the briefest moment, I’m hopeful.
“I think I’ve danced with every man, woman and child here—except for you.”
Ask her, you coward.“People dance when they’re happy.”Idiot.
Her face falls, but only slightly. “You should be happy. You’re here. This is a celebration for you.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”Shut up before you ruin this night for her.
She touches a finger to my lips. “We’re not going to fight tonight. We’re going to dance.” She takes my hand in hers and I allow her to lead me. “Unless you’ve forgotten how,” she adds with a playful grin.
“Perhaps I have.” I stop, refusing to take another step until she meets my gaze. “Or perhapsyouhave. Every dance should start with a bow.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
ABBY
My heart beats a wild pace as he sinks low before me. This isn’t a normal princely half-bow that’s merely a show of casual respect. This is deep, and it carries with it a significance deeper still that’s not lost on the surrounding people. To sink so low is to show that my status is greater than his.
He’s not getting away with that.
I mirror his bow with a curtsy of my own, sinking as low as he did. We’re equals here. His lips twitch up slightly as he leads me to the center of the room, and couples part, relinquishing the dance floor to us. In Lunae this would be customary, but I get the sense that they just don’t want to miss this. For Quinn to be here at all is—
The music changes and I can’t finish the thought. It’s a song I don’t recognize, and with it will come a series of steps I couldn’t hope to imagine. “I don’t think I know this dance,” I say, my voice sounding far too breathy. Why am I suddenly so nervous? I’ve been dancing for what must have been hours without care, but now that it’s with Quinn…
He looks towards the musicians. Tess is with them, a knowing smile playing at her lips. Quinn nods once to her before turning his attention back to me. “This was my mother’s favourite. I haven’t heard this song since—”
I don’t want his mind going anywhere near there, so I cut him off. “Will you show me?”
He pulls me against him, so close that I can’t imagine how we’ll be able to dance like this. But we do. I let him lead me, giving myself over to his prompts as we move. He spins me outwards in time with the quickening music, and holds me close for the lulls. I may not know this song, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s my favourite too.
His eyes never leave mine, and I had no idea he was such a confident dancer. We could look like a disaster, but I’d never know it by the way he carries himself and the way he carries me.
The song ends, but he doesn’t let me go. When the music starts up again with a new song unknown to me, we don’t move with it. It’s as if this little bubble of us has frozen while the world flies by around us. We’re not alone on the dance floor now, and even with other couples spinning around us, neither of us dares break this moment.
Words that have become all too familiar of late pop into my mind without prompting.Fighting or fucking.
“What?” Confusion flashes across his features, and my heart all but stops. He couldn’t have heard me. Whatever this thing is between us, I definitely did not want him to hearthat!
“Please tell me you didn’t hear that.”
His lips twist into an unbearable smirk. “Please tell me that’s your mantra.”
“I’m not telling you anything.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but his smile widens. “Fighting or fucking,” he repeats, as if tasting the words. “Now that explains a lot. So every time you picked a fight with me, you were just turned on?”
I move to pull away from him, but realize we’re already moving. When did we start dancing again?
“I can still stab you.”
His eyes widen at the threat before he leans in closer to whisper in my ear. “Do you have a knife tucked away under all that fabric?”
“You’ll never know.” I push away from him this time, meaning to storm out. Why am I running from him?
“I always did like a challenge,” he says when his hand wraps around my wrist and he pulls me back into him as if this was just part of our dance. We’re not dancing, though. Not anymore. His eyes are serious as they bore into mine, but the evidence of a faint smile remains on his lips. “I need some air. Would you care to join me?” There’s no lust in his voice, so I’m confident that wasn’t an innuendo. Even if it was, I don’t think I’d mind.