Page 81 of Heart of Night and Fire

“Some things never change,” he said by way of apology. “So, he moved on to Jasmine, who finally gave him two boys—she is Vikram’s mother.”

“I had assumed Diya was Vikram’s mother. She seems so fond of you both.”

Yasen’s mouth tipped up at the corner. “Diya thinks she’s everyone’s mother.” He said the words wryly, though there was a definite warmth in them.

At that moment, Gopal Ravana’s gaze found both Zarya and Yasen, his expression darkening into menace.

“Well, he seems like a barrel of laughs,” Zarya said dryly as she crossed her arms.

Yasen laughed darkly. “Oh, you have no idea.” He said it softly, this time with something uncomfortable shadowing his voice.

Vikram and Amrita finished their dance and more couples moved out to join them. Zarya turned to Yasen, giving him a hopeful smile.

“Don’t even think about it.” He raised both his hands. “I don’t dance.”

“I wasn’t,” she said, her face falling.

“Don’t pout. There are plenty of rakshasas who would be more than happy to indulge you.” He pressed his hands together. “Enjoy yourself, my lady. Try to behave.” At that, he grinned and walked away.

Sure enough, as soon as Yasen left her standing alone, a rakshasa male with cropped silver hair and crystal blue eyes that perfectly matched his form-fitting jacket asked her to dance.

Zarya glanced around the room, feeling Gopal Ravana’s eyes on her again. She threw him a bland smile and then nodded to the handsome blue-eyed rakshasa.

“I’m Arjun,” he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist, splaying a large, warm hand against her back.

“I’m Zarya,” she replied, grinning like a fool. What did she need Vikram for, anyway?

“Has anyone told you that you are the most beautiful woman in the room tonight, Zarya?”

She barked out a laugh. “No, they haven’t. Has anyone told you that you’re a liar?”

“I speak nothing but the truth,” he said, gracing her with a boyish smile. “How are you related to the intended pair?”

“A friend of Vikram’s. Loosely speaking.” Arjun gave her a bemused look. “You?”

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “A distant cousin. My mother sent me here hoping I might meet a nice girl to bring home and marry.” Arjun gave her a smoldering look, and she couldn’t suppress her answering grin.

“And did you meet a nice girl, Arjun?” she asked, batting her eyelashes. He grinned back, tightening his arm around her.

“We’ll see, won’t we?” He spun her around, and she laughed in delight.

Zarya spent the rest of the evening moving from partner to partner, coming back to dance with Arjun every few songs. He taught her the traditional dances of Daragaab, most of them fairly simple and intuitive once she got the hang of the basic steps.

Hours later, thoroughly flushed and a little tipsy from champagne, Arjun pulled Zarya into a recessed corner of the ballroom. With his hands pressed against the wall on either side of her head, he leaned down, bringing his mouth to her ear.

“I find you extremely enticing, Zarya.”

His voice pitched low as he ran the tip of his nose along her throat, bringing one hand to her hip, tightening his hold. “I’d very much like to take you up to my room.”

A gentle scrape of his elongated teeth brushed her sensitive skin, and she shivered at the idea of him biting her, acutely aware of the stories she’d read in her books. Arjun was so handsome and delicious, and the night had been so wondrous, and part of her, a very tempted part, wanted nothing more than to follow him and let him show her all the things she’d been missing.

But she’d made enough stupid mistakes for one day.

With a groan of frustration, Zarya pushed him back.

“I’m sorry. As much as I really, really want to—really want to—I don’t think that would be a good idea. Thank you for the dancing. I had a wonderful night.”

Arjun smiled. “Of course. I’ll be here the next few days if you change your mind.”