And such an asexual gesture shouldn’t have dried out his throat leaving his voice hoarse, but it did.“What are you doing?”
“Checking…” was all she said.
And they stood like that.For a beat or four.Perhaps for the duration of an entire swirl from a waltz.The soft graze of her index finger along his forehead was featherlike in weight, yet it was burning as if a trail of lava were searing its heat across his brow.And he never wanted to leave.More so than anyone before her, he wanted to feel howshewould trace his skin.How she would explore his body.But not just his body.His mind.Women had never taken much interest in what he did outside the bedroom.Not that he had given them much reason to, but all the same it was more than a little pleasant to have Pru genuinely curious about him.Just as a person.
When a short cackle of laughter broke them apart, her hand fell back to her side.To say he was devastated would be overstating it, but not by much.
That god awful sound had come from the man with Lynette, laughing about something.
“I think they’re done,” Soren said, unable to understand the strains of disappointment in his tone.
“It sounds like they are,” Pru agreed and then tried to sneak a peek through the bushes.
“Wait,” he hissed softly in her ear as her body pressed against his in his effort to restrain her.“Not yet.”His hand had wrapped around her waist and one of hers rested on his chest, just shy of his shoulder.
“Why?”
Why?Because the trysting couple still needed to make their escape.Why?Because he didn’t want to be seen by either of them.Why?Really…because this conversation with her had felt so natural, despite taking place behind a bush.Why?Because, dammit, he wasn’t ready to leave yet.Wasn’t that reason enough?
But all he said was, “Let them go first.”
So they waited in their current position of a half embrace which was nowhere near the level of intimacy he’d experienced with women in the past.Yet…he’d never felt closer to someone.
He felt her speak before hearing the words.“I think they’re gone.”
“Yes.”He cleared his throat.“I’m sure you’re right.”
He stepped out of the bushes and looked back to lend her a hand.When she slipped her fingers into his, they entwined.Like those of lovers.Not of a genteel nature.His heart squeezed within his chest at the contact, but when he looked back to gauge her reaction, her head was down.
This was too much.Too deep.Too fast.To feel this quickly for a perfect stranger.For an innocent, at that.He needed to get inside and to the ballroom.To safety.He shuddered.Never in his life would he have thought himself to label a ballroom as safety.
“Let’s go,” he muttered gruffly, practically dragging her behind him.“Once we get close to the terrace, you go on ahead first so we don’t enter together.I’ll be watching you.Don’t fret.And then I’ll be right behind you.”
Rendered speechless for an unknown reason, she merely nodded at his instructions.
At the sight of the stairs leading inside, Soren took a deep inhale.They’d made it.Unscathed.
“Go,” he urged, pushing her ahead of him.And without a word, she took off toward the doors.
No goodbye.No affectionate wave.No closure.Just watching her leave felt like watching a heavy door swinging wide open.No one to pull it shut.
And then just as her feet touched the stairs only a few meters away, he heard a sultry voice call his name and his stomach slammed into his feet.
“Soren?”
Lynette.Dammit.
Just go inside, Pru.Just take those last few steps out of hearing distance.If ever he had prayed to a deity, tossed a coin into a well, or even wished upon a star in this moment he needed fate to be on his side.For some turn of the divine to intervene.
But he would not be so lucky.
“You were supposed to meet me at the spot an hour ago.”She patted his chest with the palm of her hand and dragged it up to his neck.As expected.
He pulled back, but she went with him.“Someone else beat you to it.Your loss.But so long as it’s dark, there’s still time.Shall we?”
In horror, he could practically feel himself watching her words carry into the night, over the light breeze, directly into Pru’s ears.
He met her gaze over Lynette’s shoulder.But this time when their eyes locked with each other across the distance, it wasn’t accompanied by an intense draw.
