I realized Gabriel was still waiting for a response. My desire to get away from Nathan’s distracting scent and spend a little more time basking in Gabriel’s glow made my decision for me.
“Sorry in advance if I step all over your feet,” I said, placing my hand in his and my empty glass on the ledge behind me. He led me toward the dance floor. “I’ll be honest. I’ve never danced with anyone. So don’t judge.”
Gabriel smiled again, this time with a mischievous edge. “Oh carrissima, I am honored to be your first.”
I laughed, blushing at the careless innuendo. Luckily, he had no idea how close to the mark he’d hit.
He placed my left hand on his shoulder and gripped my right hand loosely in his. His free hand slid to my upper back, his fingers brushing my spine through the fabric of my dress. He was warm and solid and strangely comforting.
I’d bought the dress online and was pleasantly surprised with how it fit; I’d only had to pad the bust a little.
Gabriel guided me around the dancefloor with the grace of an old Hollywood leading man.
“You have been lying. You are a superb dancer,” he said, his eyes glinting.
“I did take some ballet lessons as a kid,” I admitted. “Something must have stuck.”
I had loved ballet class. When my fathers made me quit at eight, I’d refused to speak for two days. It didn’t change anyone’s mind. A small pang at little Bridget’s disappointment struck my heart, but I pushed it away before it could ruin my mood.
The song changed to something slower: La Vie en Rose. The trumpeter took up the melody.
Gabriel slowly pulled me closer, in time with the song. He guided my other hand up so my arms draped around his neck. His hand slid down to frame my waist, his pinky fingers resting just above my hipbones, his thumbs brushing my ribs.
I couldn’t help myself. I leaned into the warmth of his body, and the comforting cedar of his scent, intertwined with Andrew’s spicier notes. His breath ghosted against my temple. It was so cruel of me to do this to myself. He was gay, bonded, and clearly just being nice to me after my breakdown the first time we’d met. But it felt so good to pretend.
“I feel like I’m at prom,” I blurted. Oh god, the champagne had really gotten to me. Or maybe the empty stomach was the real problem. I hadn’t been able to face eatingin front of a bunch of strangers, so I’d escaped outside for the dinner portion.
Gabriel leaned back to look down at me. “Is that a good thing, fiore mio?”
I didn’t know what fiore mio meant, but I liked hearing him say it in his melodic voice. “Yes. I was homeschooled, so I never got to go to prom,” I said and stuck out my lower lip in a fake pout.
What the hell was wrong with me? I needed to never, ever drink champagne again.
Luckily, Gabriel laughed, then drew me in closer again. His hands on my waist felt as hot as brands. “Then I am glad to hear it.”
As the song came to a close, I pulled away. I needed to escape before I made a total fool of myself.
“Thank you for the dance,” I said, curtsying as they’d taught us to do after ballet class. Gabriel bowed just as formally. “And thank you for checking on me.”
“Il piacere é tutto mio. It is my pleasure, carissima. But I have another favor to ask.”
I would have promised him just about anything at that moment, “Of course.”
He pulled a business card out of his pocket, and for a second I could only stare at it.
“If this woman, or anyone else, bothers you again, please call me,” he said, gesturing again for me to take the card. Our fingers brushed when I took it.
“But… why?”
“Because you deserve to feel safe, carissima,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Oh,” I said, because I couldn’t come up with anything else. My stupid heart was contracting at the tenderness I imagined in his gaze, even as I berated myself. He probablywould have said that to any Omega he saw reduced to a whimpering mess. “Thank you.”
“We will see you soon?”
I nodded and walked blindly back to my post on the side of the room, the card burning against my skin.
Before I could make it there, Andrew stepped into my trajectory.
