by Amy Miles
Sadie grabs Nicolae’s hand and yanks him out the door. “Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.” Roseline follows her out the door, grateful to be released from Nicolae’s stare. Is she the only one that noticed?
The cold night air feels amazing on her bare skin. She closes her eyes and allows William to guide her toward his Escalade. A door slams nearby and Roseline freezes. William nearly runs her over. “What’s wrong?” he asks, but quickly senses the problem.
Gabriel is rooted in place on the stone path leading to his car. He looks unbelievably handsome in his black tuxedo. His blond hair is spiked in the front and his face is cleanly shaven. Gabriel’s eyes shine brightly under the rising moon. Roseline watches as his jaw clenches tightly, his raw pain igniting flames in her belly.
Roseline’s head bows. They both feel betrayed. William reaches for Roseline, gently pulling her away. She doesn’t look back, doesn’t call out to him to explain the letter to Fane. She simply walks away.
As the Escalade backs out of the driveway, she can feel Gabriel’s gaze on her. She keeps her eyes fixed on her clenched fists in her lap until they round the corner. She sniffles and shifts so her hair covers her tears.
“You cold?” William asks as he reaches to adjust the heater. Cold air pumps from the vents but she can’t bring herself to care. She gives him a half-hearted shrug and turns to look out the window. What does she care about the temperature? Hot or cold? Does it really matter right now when all she feels is numb?
“Thanks for this,” William says a few minutes later. The taillights ahead of them cast a red glow on his face.
“For what?” Roseline questions, confused by his words. What on earth has she done to earn his gratitude?
“For going with me to the dance. I know you didn’t really want to go…”
“Oh. Yeah. No problem,” she replies pathetically.
William frowns at the tremor in her voice. His fingers tap the steering wheel as he darts cautious glances in her direction. His fingers slide over the radio dial and quickly settle on a head-banging Metallica song.
Roseline smiles as she is easily enticed by the rhythmic beats. Her foot taps out the bass. Slowly her funk fades and she shifts to speak to William. “I’m really sorry about all that back there. I just didn’t think I’d see him so soon.”
“He’s gonna be at the dance, you know.”
“I do.” Her sigh feels weighty. She mentally scolds herself for being such a terrible date. “But I’ll have you to cheer me up.”
“You bet.” William chuckles, ducking in and out of spaces in traffic. Traffic is heavy for a Saturday night as they head into Chicago.
Roseline glances out the window and struggles to get her bearings. “Where is the dance?”
“At one of the fancy hotels in the city. Sadie programmed the directions into the GPS before we left. I’m useless downtown.”
Roseline’s fingers grip the door tightly as they dart across two lanes of traffic to hit the on ramp. “You always drive like a maniac on the interstate?”
His chuckle fills the car, warming some of the ice coating Roseline’s heart. “Yeah, sorry about that. Am I scaring you?”
“Not at all. Just wondering.”
William zips to the outer lane and stamps down on the pedal. Roseline grins, thrilled by the deep throaty roar from the engine. She loves the gentle purr of a car when the key turns over, but her heart races at the growl of a throttle fully open.
Her laughter fuels William’s need to show off. Although his human reflexes are nowhere near as accurate as her own, Roseline finds herself truly enjoying the time with William. The minutes speed by as quickly as the white lines on the road that William chooses to ignore from time to time.
“I think that’s it,” William says. She follows his finger toward a glamorous hotel right in the heart of the city. A uniformed door attendant stands waiting for their approach. William jumps out, tosses his keys to the man before taking Roseline’s arm, and ushers her inside as if he owns the place.
The plush red carpet whispers under her shoes. “It’s gorgeous,” she whispers, staring at the high-vaulted ceilings, plush inviting couches, and fashionably dressed guests. Now this is more like it. She is used to splendor and has been sorely missing it. “This place must cost the school a fortune.”
“They have it here every year. And I’m sure every year the hotel manager wishes we’d go somewhere else.”
Roseline’s eyebrows rise. William laughs and tugs her toward the ballroom. Loud bass seeps from under the door, a sharp contrast to the elegance they have left behind. “You sound like you know this from experience.”
William shrugs, unable to hide his grin. “It was only one little fire. Honest.”
Her laughter is muffled as the doors open. The room beyond is dark. Bright strobe lights twirl around the room, leaving just enough light for the dancers to see. “This is insane,” she shouts into William’s ear.
Not pausing to respond, William grabs her hand and pulls her onto the crowded dance floor. They have arrived late, thanks to the impromptu photo shoot back at Sadie’s house, so they have to fight for position.
“What are you waiting for?” William shouts, twisting and turning in time with the music. Roseline is shocked to find that William is actually a talented dancer. She wants to let go and enjoy herself but she has no clue how to make her body move like his.
“You act like this is your first dance,” William says, placing his lips next to her ear.
“It is,” she shouts back. At the clubs back home she was required to sit in the private room and watch. No touching and certainly no dancing. Her role was to look ravishing and that was it, but tonight she has every intention of letting go.
William pulls her up against his body. “Just move with me. Don’t think about what you are doing. Just let your body move with the beat.”
Roseline nods, blushing furiously at his nearness. His firm body presses against her, warm and inviting. He frowns, glancing down at her dress. “Why did you wear something so long? You’ll never be able to move in that?”
He is right. As much as she loves the look of the dress, it has got to go. She grabs a fistful of the dress and yanks a new hem. William eyes up the new length. “Yeah, that will work.”
She laughs as she tosses the fabric off the dance floor. William pulls her close again and she quickly finds herself wrapped around him, grinding in ways that feel completely inappropriate but she is starting to get the hang of it. The music rises to ear-splitting levels as a new song replaces the old. Hands rise into the air and the tempo increases.
She opens her eyes to see Sadie on the outer ring of the dance floor. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes alight with excitement. “Is that Nicolae?”
William whips his head around. His mouth drops open as he stares at his sister grinding against Nicolae. “He drugged her. That little bastard.”
Roseline places a restraining hand on his arm. “No. Look at her. She’s actually having fun.”
Never in a million years would she have guessed it, but the evidence was before her. She narrowed her eyes on Nicolae and noticed the slight changes. His hair is tousled, as if he rubbed a towel vigorously over his oil-slicked hair. His shirt is slightly unbuttoned and Sadie’s hands are roaming his chest with amazed delight.
“Where are his glasses? I thought the guy can’t see without them,” William grumbles.
“Apparently he can,” Roseline mutters as she stares at his vivid green eyes. His gaze rises from Sadie to meet hers. His pupils dilate as the smile vanishes from his face.
Watch yourself, she mouths silently. He grits his teeth but nods. Message received.
The crowd closes in around them as more and more people arrive. The dance floor is jam-packed and it is getting harder to move. Roseline closes her eyes again and allows herself to be carried away by the bass thumping in her chest. She begins to sway her hips, dipping and grinding. Roseline tosses back her head and laughs, feeling
more liberated in this moment than she has ever been before.
She is free of Vladimir. Free of his rules and restrictions. She can finally be herself.
The more she dances the more attention she attracts. Hormones leak from her skin, drawing in the males around her. Their fuming dates gather at the sidelines to watch their guys paw over an oblivious Roseline.
“You’re getting it,” William shouts as he knocks another guy off her. He glances around, confused by the wall of bodies. “What the heck is going on?” he asks, ramming his shoulder into his chemistry lab partner.
Roseline opens her eyes and gasps, immediately realizing the problem. Even Nicolae has approached but is keeping his distance at the back of the crowd. Sadie glares at him from the deserted edge of the dance floor. Hurt pinches her eyes as she turns to stare at Roseline.
“Oh, crap,” she mutters. She had been so lost to the music, to the ecstasy of her careless abandon, that she failed to pay attention to her surroundings. “Let’s grab a drink and cool off. All this dancing has worn me out.”
She grabs William’s hand and pushes her way through the chorus of heartbeats pounding around her. But the harder she pushes, the harder they push back. William clenches his fist and punches Oliver West in the gut as his hand comes to rest on Roseline’s backside.
And then it all stops. Her body jolts as if she were stuck by a bolt of lightning. She is nearly knocked off her feet as her hormones snap back into her like a rubber band. Her mind feels fuzzy, her knees weak, as William scoops her into his arm and carries her out of the crowd. This time they are not followed.
“Rose? Are you okay?” he questions, brushing back the sweaty strands of hair from her face after setting her on a chair.
She nods, craning her neck to see around William. She knows Gabriel is there. Somewhere. She can feel him. It’s not hard to do when there is a blast of fury aimed right at her. “Oh no.”
“What’s wrong—” William’s question cuts off as Gabriel yanks him backward. He sprawls to the floor, his forehead connecting with the tile.
“Get your hands off her,” Gabriel growls, placing himself between Roseline and William.
William rebounds and leaps back to his feet, a bit unsteady but very determined. “Hey! She’s with me tonight. Leave her alone.”
Roseline clenches her eyes tightly shut. Too many hormones. Too many frantic heartbeats. Too much pumping blood. The smells are nearly impossible to cope with. Roseline feels her control beginning to slip and panics.
“Stop it,” she screams, halting both guys in their tracks.
“Rose?” Gabriel questions, shocked by the crazed look in her eyes.
The memory of Gabriel’s betrayal winds tightly with the revelation of his ancestry. Gabriel is Lucien’s son. No wonder he is special…and extremely dangerous. Fane was right all along. She was too foolish to listen to him. Her heart made her weak and foolish but not anymore.
Roseline turns an icy glare on Gabriel. “You have no right to attack him.” She advances, poking him in the chest hard enough to make him wince and to remind him of her brute strength. “I’m with William because you chose Claire, not me, remember?”
Gabriel’s jaw clenches. “Your date is waiting for you,” she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest. A part of her silently cries out at the raw pain in his eyes, but another part feels vindicated because of his betrayal. No doubt she will hate herself for speaking to him like this later, but right now, it feels good.
Without waiting for him to turn his back on her, she grabs William’s arm and leads him away.
“What just happened?” he stammers, fighting to remain upright.
“Nothing,” she snaps, carving a path back onto the dance floor. “Let’s just dance and forget about him.”
“Sounds good to me.” He grins and places his hands on her waist to pull her close.
Thirty-One
Not even the pull of the bass can help Roseline forget the look in Gabriel’s eyes when she reared on him. She can still feel his pain, even from across the room. It mirrors her own perfectly but she can’t give in. She has to prove to Gabriel, and to herself, that she can function without him.
Determined, she slides her arms down William’s neck until she is pressed intimately against him. Roseline tries to tune everything out except William’s racing heartbeat. As she moves against him, she can smell his mounting desire; she feels his faltering self-control as he struggles to find a place to rest his hands. She wraps herself around his leg and bumps her hips against him. William’s heart races like a prize stallion bursting out of the starting gate.
“Oh man,” he groans, closing his eyes as he tries to fight off his body’s reaction. “What are you doing to me, Rose?”
“Shh,” she whispers, placing her finger over his lips as she continues to writhe. She glances across the dance floor, watching as Claire rubs herself up against an uninterested Gabriel. His eyes are locked onto Roseline, face blotchy with anger as he watches her body move against William. She can feel his jealousy and smiles at him coyly. He is getting the hint loud and clear.
Claire follows his gaze. She shoots icy daggers toward Roseline before she pulls the hem of her dress higher to mount Gabriel’s leg. Her skimpy dress does little to hide the assets she is trying to pawn off on Gabriel but he doesn’t even glance at her.
Just as William’s hand moves a bit too close to her cleavage, a hand grabs Roseline’s arm and spins her around. William cries out as he tumbles backward. The granite grip instantly sets her nerves on edge. “I told you to leave me alone—” she cuts off as she comes to face to face with someone other than Gabriel.
The man pins her close to his chest. A deep chuckle rumbles in his chest. “Nice to see you too, Roseline.”
All fight goes out of her as her mouth gapes open. “Fane? Is it really you?”
“Boy, you sure look pleased to see me,” Fane laughs, pulling Roseline into a hug. He molds himself around her, leaving barely an inch of breathing room. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Roseline wants to return the sentiment but her tongue is tied in knots, much like her stomach. “How did you…why are you here?”
Fane frowns. “You knew I’d come.”
“But how did you track me?”
Fane holds up his cell phone. “You shouldn’t have stayed on so long, Roseline. You know better than that.” He turns and stares down at William. “Who’s this guy?”
She turns to give William a hand up from the floor. His shirt is rumpled, his hair matted with sweat. The disgruntled look on his face matches the fire in his eyes. “I could ask you the same thing,” William bristles. “You know this guy, Rose?”
“I’m sorry, William. This is Fane. He’s a friend from back home.”
“Yeah.” Fane grins, pinching her side. “Roseline and I go way back.”
“Roseline?” William glances between them. “What’s he talking about?”
Roseline shoves Fane away, turning her attention back to William. “I’m so sorry. He’s not normally like this. Can you give us a minute? I really need to catch up with him.”
William shoots a wary glance at the stunning man standing before him. Although his face appears to be that of a nineteen-year-old, his muscular physique is that of someone much older. The guy looks like he personally modeled for one of the Roman statues!
Roseline winces at William’s critical stare, knowing exactly what he must be thinking. “Sure,” he mutters, finally tearing away his gaze to look at Roseline. “I’ll just go grab us something to drink.”
“Yeah, you do that.” Fane grins, tucking his arm around her waist.
Her smile fades the instant William turns to leave. “Why are you here?” she hisses, shoving Fane into a more secluded section of the ballroom. The shadows are a perfect hiding space for them since human eyes will be hampered by the dark.
“I came for you, of course. I couldn’t just leave you with that guy.” Fane’s head ducks to the side in se
arch of William. His nostrils flare. “I gotta tell you, Roseline, I think your taste in men has really fallen over the last few years. Please tell me he’s not the guy.”
Roseline rolls her eyes. “Of course he’s not. He’s just a friend.”
“Is that how you treat all your friends?” Fane asks. Roseline flushes, embarrassed by the show she put on for him.
“You were spying on me?”
Fane rolls his eyes. “Oh come on, Roseline. Every male in this room was glued to your little dress.” The jealously in his tone is unmistakable.
“Whatever,” Roseline snaps. This is exactly what she was afraid of. Fane isn’t taking their separation well at all.
“Where’s the other guy? The one you called me crying over?” Fane raises his head to scan the room. “I figured he’d be the one you were plastered to.”
“We are not talking about this here. You can’t just burst into my life and assume I’ll be happy to see you.”
His eyes soften as his hand gently rises to brush along her jaw. She closes her eyes and her heart to the memories of his touch. “But you are happy to see me.”
She sighs, amazed at how odd her native language feels rolling off her tongue. She has spent far too long among the Americans. “Of course I am, but you can be so infuriating at times.”
“Of course.” Fane grins. “It’s one of my better qualities.”
She stares up into his eyes, as green as a spring meadow. So beautiful. So tranquil. She used to spend hours staring into them, reading every thought before he could say it. They were inseparable for the first hundred years of her life. He taught her how to protect herself, how to heal, and eventually how to love. She knows him better than anyone else. He has never been able to keep anything from her…and right now he’s fighting to hide something from her.
His fingers flicker on her arm, tensing and releasing. His black pupils dilate. The muscle along his jaw twitches. “You’re not here to rescue me, are you?” Roseline whispers. She averts her gaze, unable to endure his discomfort. She should have known his shift in mood was a bad sign.