“Am I following you, or the tune?” Her voice softened as I pulled her close, her smile playing at the edges of her lips. Her gaze drifted, skipping across my face and halting just shy of my mouth.
“Both.”
“But there’s no music.”
“Then follow me.”
“Are you going to command me,King Kallias?” she teased, her breath brushing my neck as she leaned closer.
“Do you want me to?”
Her lips parted, and sanity frayed at the edges of my control. I spun her away, her fingers still clasped in mine. She extended her arm in a dramatic flare, her movements precise yet fluid. A subtle tug drew her back to me, and I pressed a palm against her stomach.
“The dance… it’s intimate,” I cautioned, the words heavy with meaning.
Her head dipped in acknowledgment. “Most dances are.”
The rhythm of my pulse thundered as I tugged her closer, angling my body. She bit her lip, surrendering to my pull.
“Tell me to stop.” I whispered. It was a plea and a prayer, and one only she could answer.
“Never.” She pressed her chest flush against me, her heart beating a frantic rhythm. Her legs slid around mine, cradling my thigh between hers. The warmth of her core seared at my skin like a damning brand. Guilt and lust throttled through me.
“Our chests never part,” I murmured, the words more breath than sound. “Our hearts move as one.”
She nodded, wide-eyed, as I guided her hand to rest on my shoulder, the other held firm in mine.
“It’s the legs,” I explained, my voice rasping. “That’s where the dance lives. The only mistake is stepping on your partner’s toes.”
“Do you have steel on your boots this time?” she quipped, her smirk as sharp as a blade.
“You couldn’t hurt me.”
“No?”
Her breath fanned against my ear as she lifted her leg, her boot dragging a slow, deliberate line up my calf. Her knee hooked around my thigh, pulling us even closer until the pressure of her against me wrung a hiss from my throat.
“You sound pained,” she murmured, tilting her head to expose her neck, all but begging for my lips.
“There are different kinds of torture—”
I pressed my thigh between hers, her gasp shattering the silence. She stumbled back a step, her body trembling with the tension between us.
“—Some are laced with pleasure.”
Her gaze dropped to my feet as we moved through the next steps. I backed her two paces, then shifted the momentum, pulling her toward me. She didn’t falter, sliding forward to straddle my thigh once more, her heat igniting a spark within me.
She wanted to be there—pressed against me, letting her body speak louder than words. The realization struck hard. Her desire mirrored mine, raw and unguarded, a sensation that left me dizzy.
I knew the hollow hunger of noblewomen, their eyes devouring power rather than the man behind it. They wanted Radaan’s throne, the weight of its crown, not me. Nienna was different. She saw past the title. Without our titles, I would only have to ask and she would have me. Take me not as a burden or with distaste but with vigor.
She adapted quickly, catching my cues and testing boundaries with a confidence that stole my breath. Encouraged by her boldness, I quickened the tempo, leading her across the stage. Her hips dipped with deliberate intent, and I shifted, guiding her to the side. She took the lead for a heartbeat, brushing against me before weaving through my legs. A twirl spun her into position, her thigh pressing firmly against mine.
A grin tugged at my lips as her chest heaved, caught between the mental effort of matching my steps and the physical pull of our closeness. Her body told one story, her mind fought to tell another, and both unraveled beautifully before me.
The ballroom swallowed all other sounds. Only our labored breaths and the occasional scrape of boots on stone broke the stillness. Her foot snagged against mine, and I steadied her, but her other boot betrayed her, sending her sliding between my legs. Her weight threw me off balance, forcing me to stagger as I caught her. In a single movement, I lifted her against my chest. Her hands flew to my shoulders, her breath a shaky gasp against my ear.
“Too quick on your feet,” I murmured, her gaze searing into mine. “Slow down. Relish it.”
