Page 17 of Angel

My breath hitched, and I froze, clutching the armrest of my chair.

The ivory gown squeezed my ribs, making it hard for me to breathe, its silk straining against my curves.

Angel glanced at me; I sensed the scorch of his gaze.

Still, I kept my eyes on the table, my cheeks heating because there was no way he’d want to dance with me.

With a soft grunt, he leaned in to me.

‘May I?’

My eyes flew to his face.

Was he for real?

I blinked as our gazes locked, then his lips quirked, softening his hardened, sculpted features.

Sorrow and grief still emanated from deep within his soul, but he nodded.

‘We can do this,’ he rasped, flicking a glance to all the eager and waiting eyes gazing at us.

He stood and extended a hand to me, as our guests clapped and cheered.

I was oblivious to all of it as I put my hand in his, shivering at the heat of his palm.

‘Shall we?’ he rasped.

I nodded, and he led me to the dance floor.

He walked us to the DJ first, leaning in to growl at the nonplussed man.

‘The fuck I’m going with Evangeline’s choice, Monica’s ‘Angel of Mine’. Please, mate, play Robbie Williams ‘Angels’ instead.’

He then led me to the middle of the floor.

There was a dramatic pause as we took center stage.

Grief still emanated from deep within his soul, but he pasted a blinding smile onto his handsome face, hiding the agony in his eyes.

‘Let’s blow them away, Rox,’ he added.

His arm around my waist pulled me closer, and for the first time in my life, I found myself molded to his tall, sinewy, muscled frame.

My brain almost short-circuited.

As Angel’s calloused hand settled against the small of my back, a jolt of pure electricity shot straight up my spine, leaving me breathless.

The heat of his palm burned through the satin of my wedding dress, and I shivered at the sear.

Up close, the sheer proximity of him made my head spin.

He towered over me, devastatingly handsome in his custom charcoal wool suit, accented by a black silk tie.

His inky beard, trimmed and neat, framed his lush lips.

The thin fabric of his shirt did nothing to hide the broad, solid muscle of his chest and shoulders.

We locked gazes as the music began.