Page 138 of Tempting Fate

Her face shone under the lights of the plants and glowbugs. “So much. But I’m done for now, I’ll sit with you while you work. Mind if I put some music on?”

“Music?”

“Kira brought so much data back from New Earth, I don’t think I could get through it all in a lifetime. But with the music, I’m willing to try.”

She swiped her holoscreen. A slow, steady melody filled the space, ponderous, hopeful, played by some form of orchestra. I stopped counting after the first six instruments, some sounding familiar, some not, their soothing tones a welcome balm to my overtaxed brain.

“This is ancient, like over three hundred years old, but I love it. Is it okay?” she asked.

“Very much so. What is it?”

“This one’s by Duke Ellington.”

As the music played, familiar rhythms had my body swaying. I slid my hand over the moss to hers. “This cavern reminds me of a grand ballroom, where people would assemble to dance.”

“With all the emphasis kri’ith place on fighting, it seems so unlikely, I can’t picture it. Yet you’re all so graceful when you’re training. I’ve thought more than once it looks like a dance.”

A laugh rumbled in my chest. “It looks nothing like kri’ith dancing. Not nearly as formal.”

“Oh, the lines and movements in unison aren’t formal enough for you, milord?”

“I can show you.” I set my datapad down and held out a hand. “Would you care for a dance, my lady?”

Imani sucked in a breath, stilling for a moment before placing her hand in mine. “I don’t know how.”

“May I show you?” My heart pounded, the enormity of it threatening to overwhelm me. I drew Imani into my arms and placed one of her hands at my waist; with the other I pressed her palm to mine. “We would step, much like in the morning ritual, except instead of to each side, one moves backwards, like this”—I placed a foot behind me, the slightest pull of my fingers guiding her to follow me—“as if in the Chase, and you would pursue me for three steps, until”—I crossed one leg over the other, turning us ninety degrees, and lowered my voice to a purr—“I caught you on the back foot, and I would pursue you.”

I pushed down the well of emotion threatening to overflow. Never had I dreamed I would dance with a partner in adulthood, certainly not one I desired so much.

I padded towards her again, encouraging her with my body to move with me. My stride was longer, and I stepped too far, bringing our bodies closer than would have been seemly on Orith. I didn’t miss the way her breath hitched, the way her fingers curled around mine.

“And then what?” she breathed.

“Then, because these dance partners are not mated, they cannot continue the Chase, or they will be overcome, so they turn away.” I peeled my hand from hers.

I pivoted, dancing away before returning, arms wide in an unshielded stance. “But because they wish to be mated, they cannot stay apart. So I would spread my arms like this, to show I am available and receptive. If my partner were interested, they would turn and do the same.”

I paused on the balls of my feet, waiting for her response.

Imani turned, but instead of keeping her arms wide as I had shown her, she drew her hands to her chest, tracing them down her body, over the swells of her breasts, the curves of her hips, intent blazing in her dark eyes. “Like this?”

“Yes.” The word escaped in barely a croak. Such a thing would have been scandalous. “Then we would step closer and repeat the dance of the Chase.”

There were many more variations, but it would take time for her to learn them all, and I wanted to keep it simple, keep this movement flowing between us while Imani was willing.

The music was a mere undercurrent. The flow of the running water, the glow of the moss reflecting the crystal veins in the walls, it all created this perfect ballroom. The drifting lights of glowbugs flew amongst the crystal constellations hanging all over the ceiling, fashioning their own chandeliers.

Imani swayed in my embrace as we chased and chased, that timeless push and pull. Here, there were no other partners to change between, no competitiveness to present the most perfect forms or bring the more innovative moves to astound the spectators. Here, there was only the heat of our bodies and her beautiful brown eyes locked on mine.

We danced for what seemed an eternity, nothing existing but the natural ballroom and us, as though we were one entity, one being, swaying in the most natural dance.

Her foot caught on a rock, throwing the length of our bodies together.

“What would happen next?” she whispered. “If they liked each other? If they wanted more?”

“I am sure he would wish he could undress her, right there in the ballroom.” I stroked down her neck to the collar of her tunic and pulled the fabric to one side, exposing her skin to the cave air. “But he could not, of course. Nor could he touch her body the way he wished”—I slid my hand to rest on the curve of her behind—“lest he create a scandal and ruin her.”

Imani rocked her hips in a slow, deliberate undulation. “What if she wanted to be ruined?”