After a few songs went by someone became bold enough to snake a hand around her waist and pull her close against a leanly muscled body.
“Need a partner?” a husky voice asked in her ear to be heard over the music.
She opened her eyes and saw a cute cowboy-type guiding her hips into a bump and grind. “A partner for what?”
“Whatever you want, sweetness.”
“I just want to dance.”
He pulled her in tighter. “I can oblige. I like how you move.”
“Thanks.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and fell into the rhythm of his hips. “Keep your hands above the waist.”
“How about this?” His fingers curved around her ass.
“I will walk away.”
“Okay, okay. How about one hand? To keep us synchronized.”
Oh, the man was smooth. But his dimples were so cute she couldn’t resist. Plus, if he became too fresh her scream in this crowd would end his advances immediately. “One hand only. If you squeeze, I will take you out at the balls.”
“Understood.” He laughed with a wink.
Another song went by and her partner stayed true to his word and kept his hands in the authorized areas. But it wasn’t much longer until she felt the ridge of his arousal pressing into her belly and his lips began to travel in gentle brushes along her cheek.
She really should stop him and end the tease immediately, but it felt so good to be held, to feel the heartbeat of another against her sternum. To be wanted.
The entire altercation with Anthony had battered her psyche. He made her afraid to enjoy something as simple as flirting. To always be on her guard was exhausting. Would she forevermore be anxious and wary to trust another, to love again? For how long would she meet a potential partner and count the minutes until he broke her heart? She didn’t want to approach every relationship with a filter over her emotions. She wanted to be free to live for the day and say to hell with the rest.
Maybe the need to dance was about more than burning off steam. Maybe it was a tiny step toward reconnecting to another human being. Was it wrong to allude that she might be willing for more? Absolutely. Did she have the strength to walk away? Nope. In this she was a complete wuss. A weakling who was a slave to the desire to matter to someone, anyone, even if for the three and a half minutes it took to play the latest dance track.
Geez, she was such a—such a girl. And a needy teenage girl at that. She needed to run away from this stranger’s arms, especially when she kept wishing the one holding her was a certain giant with stunted emotions and not the cute cowboy with the killer dimples.
As she tightened her fingers in preparation for pulling away, her partner stepped back as if she had kicked him in the nuts.
“What…” she began to ask and the words died on her lips as she noticed the terror in his wide eyes.
His chin rose up and up as he stared over her shoulder. Actually, all the dancers in the nearby vicinity had taken several steps backward and were looking behind her as if being stared down by the Terminator.
Despite the heat caused by the collective mass of bodies, a cold chill brushed over the exposed skin of her back and the tiny hairs on her neck raised in alarm. Something big and scary was behind her, she just knew it. She didn’t want to look. Really, she didn’t.
“Fuck,” she sighed and turned around.
Uh-huh. Why wasn’t she surprised?
Bale stood like an avenging angel with his feet spaced apart and his hands fisted at his sides. The fringe of his hair hung in his eyes, but the blaze of fury burned from between the strands and matched the intensity in the firm set of his jaw. His nostrils flared and for half a second she thought he was going to barrel toward her like a bull seeing red.
“You will leave with me now,” he commanded in a low growl.
Ah, hell no. She struck her own Wonder Woman pose with her hands on her hips and straightened her shoulders. He dared to get bossy with her?
Taking a cue from his book, she kept her reply simple. “No.”
His nostrils flared again. “You do not belong here. Leave now.”
“No.”
He took a step forward and the crowd gasped. “I will not coddle you like a child.”
“Then stop treating me like one.”
“We go.” He dropped low, pitching his shoulder into her middle and carried her like a sack of potatoes off the dance floor.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she screeched. “Put me down. Bale, put me down, you domineering asshole.”
His brisk strides never faltered, so she reached between his legs and pinched at the soft underside of his testicles.
He barked in surprise and his knees buckled, pitching her to the side and dropping her to the ground.
“Why did you do that?” he shouted as he rounded on her.
“You have to ask? What the fuck are you doing?”
“You do not need to use such language with me.”
“Oh, I’ll use whatever language I want. I’m an adult and I am having adult fun. Who do you think you are, demanding I jump at your command?”
His nostrils flared again as his chest heaved. “It is for your protection that you do not remain here.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Or maybe it’s because you didn’t want me to stumble upon your supply of booty calls.”
His head snapped back. “I do not know what that means.”
“Right. Whatever. Look, your business is your business, and mine is mine. I’ll stay out of your way, you’ll stay out of mine, and right now my way is back on that dance floor where I was having a good time.”
“By letting men touch you in inappropriate places?” He grabbed her elbow as she turned. “Never. No man here shall touch you.”
“Why do you care what I do? If I wanted to fuck every guy in this joint, that is my right and my choice. You have no say.”
“I have every say.”
“Why?”
The fingers of his left hand bit into her hips as he hauled her up against his chest. “Because you are—”
Mine.
The unsaid word hung between them as thick and elusive as smoke. The anger in his eyes had deepened, turning the irises dark and decadent with a fire she felt lick her cheeks. His jaw was clenched so tight she swore she could hear his teeth grinding over the music. His body vibrated, his entire being shuddered as his hands clenched and unclenched and all the thoughts he refused to give voice to played out in his amazingly haunting eyes.
Hungered. He hungered for her. Here in the middle of this vibrant crowd the intensity of his need blinded her to their surroundings, stroking her from neck to clit and everywhere in between. They might as well have been naked, pressed breast-to-chest for he was already on her, in her, driving deep with a desperation that bordered insanity.
Her lungs burned as she gasped for air and clutched his biceps, struggling to remain upright. Had she lost her mind? What was this happening between them? “Bale?”
“Ari.” He groaned and lowered his forehead to hers. “Please.” His voice cracked and his breath shuttled in and out over her lips in a light kiss. “Please come with me. You do not need to go back to your room, but please leave. There are people here who will use you, hurt you. I cannot allow that. Please.”
As he begged he curled around her, protecting her from all the dangers he imagined were out to harm her, and at that moment she would do anything to soothe the anxiety creasing his handsome face. There was a time for every battle, and this moment was not it.
“Okay.”
He deflated in her arms and hugged her tight for a brief second before releasing her and turning them toward the main staircase. He kept his arm around her waist as they walked. The touch of his palm on the bare expanse of skin tightened her nipples and made her thighs clench. As they passed the playrooms on the second floor his arm tensed and his entire posture went ramrod stiff. He hurried them in the direction of the ele
vator and drew up short when Jax stepped from the shadows and blocked the doorway.
“Ari. Done so soon? I thought you were just getting started.”
“I guess I was more tired than I thought. But thank you for showing me around.”
“Believe me, doll face, it was my pleasure.”
Bale’s giant hand slid around to her front in an attempt to cover as much exposed flesh as possible. The motion drew Jax’s gaze, which narrowed with calculation.
The security man’s smile broadened. “Let me know if you ever want another tour. I’ll show you anything your little heart desires.”
She scowled and stuck her tongue out at him as Bale issued a warning growl deep in his throat. Was the man insane baiting the beast?
“I’ll keep that in mind. Good night, Jax.”
“Good night. Sweet dreams, pretty lady. Bale,” he acknowledged the other man with an icy nod.
Bale grunted in response and whisked her into the waiting elevator.
When they were ensconced within the little car, the silence was just as oppressive as the pounding dance tracks in the club. Of course, that might have been due to Bale’s harsh breathing and the overwhelming presence of his restrained emotions.
Damn, he was a volcano ready to blow. On the outside his expression was blank and he stood rock-still, but she could feel him, sense the tight leash he had coiled around his mental well-being. Was this why he was the way he was? Silent. Observant. Always watching with a quiet intensity because when he allowed himself to feel it overwhelmed his ability to remain in control?
She had the insane urge to push him as one would a bear with a sharp stick, just to see what would happen when the lid popped. Lucky for them all she wasn’t drunk enough to perform that little science experiment.
“So.” She licked her lips. “Where are we going?”
“Are you certain you do not wish to return to your room?”
“Ah, no. I don’t think Amaryllis and Lucian are aware that the walls of their home are rather thin, and it didn’t sound like they were finishing any time soon. Let’s leave it at that.”
His eyes widened, then he nodded. A red flush stole across his cheeks. “Then we shall go up.”
He pressed the button for the top floor. When the doors opened, he led her to the emergency exit and a short flight of stairs up to the roof. Amongst the ventilation shafts were several garden boxes growing a profusion of flowers and vegetables in an abundance of variety. An outdoor kitchen took up the center, complete with a pizza oven and a grill. Normally she would have found such luxury fascinating, but her entire focus was on Bale, who had come to a stop at the balcony’s edge. He gripped the iron railing with his eyes closed and took long, drawn-out breaths as he visibly struggled with whatever held him in its choking grasp.
“Bale, are you okay?” she asked from a respectful distance.
He shuddered and glanced at her from over his shoulder. “I apologize. I am sensitive to the emotions of others. I don’t—I have difficulty amongst large groups of people. Especially those whose sole purpose is to act contrary to how they would behave otherwise.”
“Then why were you inside the club?”
His eyes darted around. “Why was I inside?”
“Yes.” She planted her hands on her hips. “And don’t stall by repeating the question.”
“I…had to retrieve something from my motorcycle. I was exiting the elevator as you entered the club and I was surprised to see you out and awake. I followed to make certain you didn’t fall into any trouble.”
Really? It sure took him a long time to reveal his presence if he had been following on her heels. The tingle in her gut told her he was hiding something, but for now she’d let his secrets lie. She had more pressing questions she wanted answers to. “Why is everyone afraid of you?”
That snapped his spine straight. “They do not know me. Because they do not know me, they fear me.”
So he wasn’t oblivious to the others’ impressions of him. Interesting. “Why do I get the feeling you haven’t done much to make friends?”
“My mission is not to make friends.”
“Your mission? What is your mission? Protect Amaryllis and nothing else?”
“I…I also watch out for those who cannot protect themselves.”
“What does that mean?”
He sighed and looked around as if the line of questioning were uncomfortable. “I keep my eyes and ears open. For anyone. Who may have need. Of. My strength,” he answered in halting sentences.
“Like how?”
“There is no how, I just do. Much as you would help someone pick up a dropped item or open a door for another.”
The swirl of disquietude continued in her stomach as she folded her arms across her chest. “Are you telling me you’re like a Boy Scout on steroids?”
His eyes danced again as he sorted out his thoughts before he responded with a solid, “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why with all the questions? I am certain you help others as well, and without anyone asking about your motivation.”
“Sorry, I’m just trying to understand why you’ve shut yourself away from people. It sounds so lonely.”
He shrugged. “It is who I am.”
The conviction and acceptance of his solitary existence evaporated the last of her anger. Not five minutes earlier she had craved the touch of another, and here stood a man who purposefully cut himself off from contact even though it hurt him. Bale might have fooled himself into thinking he wanted to be left alone, but his actions of the night screamed otherwise. The man was adrift and in need. Why else would he have dragged her out of the club and up to the roof if he wasn’t seeking some form of connection?
What was it about Bale that made her want to crawl inside his skin and smooth the frown from his brow? They were strangers, yet she felt a connection as if they were on a similar journey, two pieces of the same puzzle she wasn’t allowed to put together.
All night long she had seen the signs and recognized him as one who had lost the ability to trust in others. In this regard they were the same, yet they couldn’t have been more different. She ached for him, felt his isolation to her core and wanted to weep for the man who thought he couldn’t belong.
The muscles in her arms and legs bunched, ready to run and wrap him in a hug, which instinct told her was not his style. To do so would probably make him shut down and place mental and physical distance between them, a possibility that made her heart hurt.
Bale closed his eyes and his hand went to the center of his chest. His lips pinched together and he shook his head as if to refuse the unspoken compassion she knew shined in her eyes.
He cleared his throat. “We should go below. You need some rest.”
“Why are you constantly trying to get me into bed?” She winked with a teasing smile to break the tension as a breeze stirred the nearby tree branches.
The corner of his mouth kicked up into the closest thing she’d seen him do to a smile and she wanted to give a victorious fist-pump in honor of progress.
“Perhaps it’s because of the lines of strain I see on your face. I think you need your beauty rest.”
Her brows lowered with mock anger. “Do you want to get your ass kicked? You may have everyone shaking in their shoes, but I can take you on.”
This time he smiled for real and the breath whooshed from her lungs at the transformation of his features. Had she thought him merely handsome before? With that smile he was panty-dropping gorgeous.
Her chills turned into shivers as she imagined planting kisses along his chiseled jaw. She better change the subject before she did something stupid like drool. “So, how long have you known Lucian and Amaryllis?”
“Since I was a youth.”
“He called you brother. I think. At least, that’s what it sounded like.”
Was that a wince? “Lucian was once my commander in our military unit. You are cold.”
Another sore subject?
The man had more landmines than the beach at Normandy during World War II. “It’s nothing. I don’t want to go back yet. Talk to me. Tell me a story, anything.”
He arched a brow and his shoulders went back. “Why?”
Because I don’t want either of us to be alone. “Because I like the sound of your voice. Please?”
He was silent for so long she thought he was going to refuse, but then he motioned for her to join him on one of the reclining lounge chairs. “Sit by me. I’ll keep you warm.”
Nestle herself next to his hard body? Like he’d have to ask twice.
She bit her lip to stop the victorious grin from spoiling the moment and settled into place along his side on the wide chair. This idea was either brilliant or going to be a huge mistake.
Her head rested against the perfect pillow of his chest as he wrapped his arm around her back. Dear Lord, she was going to melt right there. “Ooo, you’re warm. You’re always warm.”
Was that a chuckle that made his chest bounce? When he spoke, his steady voice rumbled under her ear. “Look up at the sky, Ari. See that bright-blue star over that skyscraper?”
She nodded and forced her eyelids to stay open as drowsiness swept over her. Pharmaceutical companies could make a fortune in sleeping aids if they could bottle what Bale provided with his embrace.
“That is Saturn. Two-thirds the size of Earth and the center of six moons. A planet consisting of an enormous compilation of gases and rock, yet if I hold up my finger, I can cover its light and pretend it doesn’t exist. But it does exist, and its place in this universe is important, whether you recognize its existence or not.” He looked down at her and she fell into the fathomless pool of his eyes. “Do you want to know what my mission is, Ari?”
She nodded, hypnotized by all that was Bale.
“It is my job to ensure that all life is given a chance to shine. Whether their existence is recognized or not, because you never know if one tiny spot of life is the center of the universe for an entire race of people.”
“Why does that job fall on you?”
He reached up and trailed his fingertips over her cheek. “Because I said so. Now, good night, Ari.”
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