My eyebrows rose, and I placed my hands on my hips…maybe pushing my chest out a little, finding myself enjoying his appreciative gaze. “I didn’t realize you were making my choices for me.” I glanced to the left, pointing vaguely. “Perhaps, I’ll dance with—”
“No, you won’t,” he whispered on a mere breath, bending directly to my level and staring me in the eyes. “Not in that outfit. Not tonight.” His Vampire growled softly, the barest noise, but it was enough to make me shiver at his dominance, the pure fortitude in his gaze, his imposing presence. “No, in that outfit, tonight, you’ll be dancing only with me.”
Nostrils flaring as I breathed in heavily, scenting him, I managed a decent scowl. “I actually did ask you first, so I’ll dance with you.”
Ezra’s lips lifted into the ultimate of confident smiles. “You would have anyway.”
No words. I had no words as I followed him into the dancing fray. And I did follow him.
I followed until my body was pressed against his, the silk of his black shirt gliding across my flesh. I pressed harder, his heat making me tremble. The waist-high slit of my black satin skirt allowed our legs to intertwine, his warmed thigh muscle pressing between my legs, his other thigh like protection against my leg that was bared. Breath hitching, I swallowed hard, tilting my head back to stare into his gaze that fanned the flame inside me just as much as his body did.
And we began to move.
It felt like coming home.
Ezra and I were uncannily in sync as the carnal melody directed our movements, instructed us to feel one another. Our bodies slid against one another as if they had known each other forever, a natural, soul-churning extension of the other. Biting the side of my bottom lip, I dared touch him with my hands, unable to stop the action, wanting, needing to feel him. Placing them hesitantly on his hard stomach, I watched as I ran them up his abdomen, over his ribs, up the strong curves of his pecs, feeling his muscles quiver and tighten from the strokes until I rested them against the curve of his nape. Breathing hard once, I held tight and peered up into his eyes, shivering as his hands landed on my hips, his fingers spreading wide to encompass more of me, his eyes taking the rest.
And we danced.
Free to touch each other under the moon and stars, firelight slipping over us. Allured by our passions and unhindered by our society to do as we wished.
We danced.
Chapter Thirteen
My soul actually felt…warm.
After hours — many hours — of dancing with Ezra, he had walked me to my tent, but when he had come inside he clearly read it on my face after he asked to stay the night. I hadn’t been ready to have another night with him yet. Although, I had explained to him when a look of barely banked frustration had passed over his features, I only wanted to think about it for the evening, think it through rationally and not make the decision when my hormones were raging. Because they had been. Practically howling for me to wrench the sexy-as-hell Vampire into my bedroom and let both of us ravish one another, do as we plainly wanted. Our eyes were damn near glowing with need. Ezra had stood frozen for a good minute after my explanation then, with the barest of nods, left my tent without having to be asked.
Now in the early morning light, my soul was warmed. That was not normal. No, I was in no way ‘normal’, but I had found a semblance of peace. My husband was making me…happy.
And I wasn’t going to let a bogus Law keep me from happiness. I wasn’t going to live in fear of it anymore. This time, I would do it right. Even if I was sticking my middle finger up at the Law, I wasn’t going to be clumsy enough to be caught again. So extreme secrecy, utter discretion as Ezra had stated, would be a must. I truly believed both of us to be jaded enough individuals to pull it off, no one better suited to do so.
Pouring two cups of coffee in to-go cups, I actually felt their warmth against my palms as I exited the red tent and headed toward Antonio’s. In fact, I felt the cool breeze whipping through my coat, reminding me that winter wasn’t too far off, although the wind didn’t currently bother me, Mysticals able to handle colder climates better than Coms. Hell, I even noticed the Mysticals around me rather than being completely oblivious to them when I knew no danger lurked close by.
A breeze brushed my hair forward, instead of backward as it had been doing on my trek, so I murmured, “Good morning, King Zeller.” Nostrils flaring, I grinned. “Are you stoned again, or is that the remnants of a bender?”
“Good morning to you, too, Queen Ruckler.” Ezra stepped up beside me, his dark silver robe billowing out behind him, his black and red hair spiked to perfection as he smoked a cigarette, attention forward to where we walked. “As for my sobriety, there was this most sensual woman I danced with all evening that teased and taunted me until she had me so worked up, it was either get stoned, have sex with someone else, or beat the living shit out of someone when she turned me down.” His lips quirked around his cigarette, taking a drag. “So, to answer your question, what you’re scenting is from last night since I chose option A, and I’m now sober.” He blew the smoke high above our heads as he paused for a long moment. “Now that I have answered your question, will you be so kind as to answer mine from last night?”
I stated simply, “The answer’s yes.”
He stilled for a moment, and I kept walking.
A few beats later, he was walking by my side again. “Of course it is.”
I chuckled quietly. “Your arrogance is astounding.”
He shrugged a shoulder, taking another drag. “If you had said no, I would have found a way to make you say yes.” His smoke blew up and away. “And you know it.”
Possibly, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. “The girls must have been falling all over themselves for you growing up. I bet all you had to say was,” I deepened my voice, “You, girl! Yes, you. Please me.” I grunted. “Now!” I paused. “Ahh, that’s nice. Now, be gone with you!”
Ezra choked on his inhale, coughing hard, then his laughter boomed loud and clear.
I watched him from the corner of my eye, a tiny smile gracing my features. “It’s a sad day when you know you’re right.”
Ezra continued chuckling, his eyes squinting at the corners as he peered down at me. “It was a bit longer than ‘ahh, that’s nice’.” He grinned. “I believe they said that a few times before I did.” He tilted his head back toward the sky, staring at it, quiet. “Life isn’t shit right now.”