“You all right?” he whispers.
“Mm-hmm.” Her arms close a little tighter around his neck, until their chests bump. The feel of her body against his alerts every part of William, awakening a different hunger.
He needs to think of something else to retain his self-control, and he tunes in to the conversations around him to calm down.
“They’re definitely together.”
“They’re pretty fucking hot.”
“Have you seen her cleavage?”
“Did you know she’s not allowed to date?”
His attention comes back to Lorena when he hears her voice, louder than all the others. “What happens when you get the answers you’re searching for?”
He tries not to look at her painted lips, which are the color of blood. “I will… find my family.”
“But you won’t need me anymore,” she says, as if that is her point. “You’ll have to make a new Familiar.”
Even with the loud music, he can hear her swallow.
“What happens to me?”
He was not expecting this line of questioning. Particularly because it would be too risky to leave Lorena alive now that she knows so much. Even if she is trustworthy, the Legion could threaten her family—or they could hurt her to get to him.
“You could leave with me,” he proposes, then immediately regrets it.
What is he saying?
He hears the way her heart stumbles before she says, “Or you could stay.”
The song ends, and a more upbeat melody begins.
Salma, Tiffany, Zach, and Trevor maneuver to Lorena and William’s side. Trevor is too focused on Salma to pay the vampire any attention, but Zach’s gaze is practically glued to William. There is an intense curiosity in his gaze tonight that seems new—or maybe the glasses concealed it before.
As Lorena’s friends start to dance around them, William is not sure what to do, so he mimics their movements. He used to enjoy dancing in his day, and soon he gets so lost in the music that he only catches himself when Salma says, “All right, Will! Boy’s got moves!”
Lorena is laughing, and there is so much light brimming in her eyes that he can barely see the color of her irises. The dimple in her right cheek is on full display, and he has to resist reaching over to trace its indentation with his fingertip. As she spins around in her gown, William takes her hand and twirls her. When she settles, she seems a little unstable on her heels and loses her balance, falling right into William’s arms. It looks to the others like he is dipping her, so they cheer.
“Want some water?” he asks, leaning close to Lorena’s ear so she can hear him over the blasting music.
She nods in assent before telling her friends, “We’ll be back. Getting a drink.”
On their way off the dance floor, they run into Fran, who looks at William and says, “Lorena’s the belle of the ball, isn’t she?”
“She is,” he says, unable to disagree.
“You two look like you could be royalty that lived in this castle centuries ago. I wonder if I could spotlight you for next year’s Valentine’s Day edition of the paper. I’m already thinking of filling the spread with Huntington couples—”
“Thanks, Fran,” says Lorena with a tight smile. “We’ll let you know!”
As soon as they get to the buffet table, William pours Lorena a glass of cold water. “Would you like some dinner?” he offers her, picking up a plate and preparing to fill it.
She watches him as she sips the water, and when she sets down the glass, she asks, “Would you like a drink of your own?”
“Yes,” he answers without hesitation.
“Then take me back to that garden.”
