“Don’t let Alina Volkov make you not feel like dancing.” Magnus grabbed Clementine’s hand and spun her around and pulled so that her thin body crashed into his front.
It might’ve been borderline too aggressive, but her hand in his did not pull away, and her other hand landed on his shoulder.
As his arm slid around her waist, she melted against him, even resting her forehead on his shoulder.
Poor Clemmy. Shewasdistraught.
He held her a minute, stroking her back, and then murmured into her hair, “See? You want to dance.”
Her feet shuffled closer to his, and his tux jacket and white vest underneath muffled her voice. “No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do,” he whispered fondly, and moved one confident step forward, pressing against her hand at the same time.
Clementine liked someone who used a little physical authority. Magnus had figured that out quickly enough during the few times they’ve been dating in high school, in college, and afterward.
On again and off again, and on again and off again.
Each time they ended up together, Magnus got a little smarter, a little quicker, but not quite smart enough for Clementine Kaas.
Clementine responded as he led, and he steered her through a very slow, shuffling waltz to the strains of the faraway orchestra. The water lapping at the edges of the pool was louder, a calming white noise that seemed to gentle his sweet friend Clementine in his arms.
“You were right, you know,” he told her. “You have many, many friends, and you shouldn’t let her in. She’s a snake.”
“Even if she has changed,” Clementine sniffled. “Even if that was a genuine apology and not a propaganda tactic, I don’t want to always be waiting for the knife in my back.”
“That’s my Clemmy.”
“And I swear to God, Magnus, if Alina Volkov and her rotten father are trying to trap or use Nicolai somehow, I swear toGodI will pull every string I have to make sure no one everspeaksto her again.”
“You are a formidable opponent. I would be terrified if you said that about me.”
“As well you should be,” Clementine muttered.
He lengthened his strides a little, dancing her farther away from the pool lest she fall in because Clementine would never forgive him for dumping her in the water at a ball like this. He side-stepped her into one of the darker lanes leading away and around the balcony, and she followed his lead.
“I heard Nico is winging his new bride away to Verona for a few days,” Magnus said.
“Ungrateful bellend, and after I came to his rescue with Lexi’s wardrobe for the week.”
“Supposedly, they’ll be back for Friday night.”
“I should hope so, with the dress I got her. Do you know what it takes to get a custom Oscar de la Renta these days? He’d better not fuck it up for her. She’ll be magnificent.”
“You’re always magnificent, Clementine. I would have expected nothing less.”
They waltzed well together, and Magnus stepped them through a quick spin to make her smile.
It worked, a little.
But the spin veered them off the path, and Clementine’s high heels sank into the grass and soft loam the Skyview casino maintained despite the arid desert surrounding the resort.
Clementine flailed, and her hand that had been on his shoulder windmilled.
Magnus dipped and caught Clementine’s legs over his other arm and picked her up like he was easily carrying her through a doorway for whatever reason.
“Magnus!Put me down. I don’t need you to pick me up.”
“Of course not, Clemmy. I’ll just walk a few more steps this way so you can steady yourself against that wall when I put you down.”
