"I don’t dance—not like that anyways," I mumbled looking around the faces, stopping when I realized I was looking for Ryder.
I stepped forward into the room and everyone stopped as the music halted. Zahruk herded me towards a set of chairs that had been set up. I was told to take a seat and watch. Easier said than done as Claire and Ryder came in smiling together from where I had just entered the room myself.
Ryder was dressed in the casual clothes he normally preferred, white long sleeve shirt with low slung jeans. His hair was wet as if he'd just come from a shower, his eyes flickered to me briefly before going back to Claire's perfect chocolate depths.
Claire gave me a haughty look before she said something to Ryder as he allowed her to curl up against him and the music started up. I swallowed down the foreign feelings that rushed up and fought to control my mind. Why should I feel anything if Ryder had his mistress in his arms and they were currently dancing slowly to music?
I bit my lip and looked away from the happy couple to the door as more of Ryder's men walked in wearing white T-shirts and jeans. Muscles and tattoos pulsing against their bulging bronzed perfection showing through them. I almost bit my lip off as Adrian and Vlad walked in close behind them.
What the hell were they doing here? I sunk lower in my chair trying to become one with it. No such luck. Adrian walked over and sat beside me as Ryder detangled himself from Claire's clutches, leveling a glare on us.
"We need to talk Fancy Face," Adrian said without looking at me, as he watched the couples still dancing.
"No we don’t."
"I need to explain why I did this, so you can make peace with it," he continued.
I watched as Ryder's men gathered in a corner pulling out folding chairs and sitting in them, some were straddling them while others pulled out two and sat in one while kicking their feet up. Were they expecting a show? Great, more people to witness my disgrace.
I watched as Ryder came over and held out his hand while Claire did the same to Adrian. I stood meeting Adrian's turquoise gaze while I accepted Ryder's hand and allowed him to pull me across the floor to stand between some of the couples that had paused for us to join in. He placed his hand on the small of my back. His other held my hand as we waited for the song start. We didn’t have long to wait.
The music started even as the butterflies played with my insides, his eyes locked with mine as the song started up slowly. David Cook's The Time Of My Life came on, the music filling the room around us. I stumbled when he moved and apologized until I caught the smile on his lips. "I can't dance Ryder. You never said anything about dancing when I signed the contract."
"Take off your shoes," he countered, already releasing me and bending over to take his own footwear off. I watched him as others did the same and eventually I ignored the brilliant blush that crept up to my cheeks and did the same, stepping out of the borrowed strappy heels.
Ryder smiled and I stared at him, he was shockingly beautiful and ethereal. Like a lion, you wanted to touch him but knew by doing so he'd consume you, body and soul. I swallowed and held my hand up for him to take it.
"Put your feet on mine Synthia," he said quietly, aware that everyone was watching us.
I exhaled and obeyed him, knowing his men were watching us, as well as my coven. When the song restarted he carried us both, his hand once again on the small of my back. Rubbing it softly as his fingers settled against it. My heart raced from his touch, the deep desire in his eyes made it flip-flop as he swept me around the room until everyone else faded away, leaving us alone inside the room.
I smiled as I looked down to see our feet together. Nervous at being so close to him and doing something I had only ever done with my father. It had been the last thing we’d ever done together. But with Ryder, it was intimate, sending heat flooding through me. I looked back up with the smile still in place to catch him staring openly in wonder at me. "What?" I asked growing self-conscious.
"You’re very beautiful Syn," he whispered tenderly.
I swallowed and tried to repay the compliment but thought better of it and lowered my eyes. The butterflies had left, but in their place were a million reasons screaming that I should be running, that I was treading on dangerous ground with him. When I looked back up he was frowning softly as he watched the emotions playing upon my face.
"Not used to getting compliments, are you?" He said moving us closer together until my body was completely flushed with his.
"No," I replied honestly.
"I scare you Syn, make you feel things you're afraid of admitting to yourself."
I met his eyes and refused to answer him. He already knew I was turned on by his touch and I wasn’t going to draw it out for him. I lowered my eyes and then turned them over to where Adrian was dancing with Claire. "Why is he here?"