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Chapter 7
The party's venue was a massive plantation home. As Knix rounded the long circled driveway in the SUV, coming to a stop in front of the doors, I stared at the four, tall, lily-white columns that adorned the front porch of the home. Lights shone from inside, illuminating the front lawn in a goldenglow.
"Wow," Ibreathed.
Knix parked, leaving the key in the ignition as a valet in a dark coat came forward and opened my door. I let him take my hand and help me out. I shivered as a breeze drifted over my back, lifting some of the strands of my hair. I forgot how cold the night was getting as we moved further and further intoautumn.
Knix's hand touched the small of my back, the heat of his palm soaking through the fabric of my dress making me shiver for a completely different reason. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" heasked.
I nodded numbly as he led me forward, up the steps, and through the open frontdoor.
Glasses clinked and low, polite voices conversed in the background. I felt like I was walking into a strange scene from a movie—like I was just a ghost visiting the lives of others. Many of the women were dressed in floor length dresses, their make-up done to perfection. I felt out of place, like a weed in a field of flowers. My dress was nice, a dark shade of mossy green, the style Grecian. And yet, still, standing next to Knix, I came to realize that I didn’t truly understand this world, which was a part of his world—and Grayson’s and Marv’s. Or rather, Theodora’s world. My thoughts darkened at the unwanted reminder of her, and I shoved those feelings away as I returned my attention to mysurroundings.
“Would you like todance?”
I blinked up as Knix extended a hand to me then looked over—peering between the rooms where a small space had been cleared and made into a makeshift dance floor. “I’m not sosure…”
“It’ll be fun,” Knix urged, taking my handanyway.
“Uh…” But I let him lead me towards the three other couples swaying back and forth to slow classicalmusic.
We came together on the dance floor and as his hand found my waist, our feet found a rhythm. After a few minutes of staring at his chest, I began to chuckle. A snort escaped, drawing his notice and Knix lookeddown.
“What’s wrong? Am I doing itwrong?”
I laughed and shook my head. “If anyone should be worried about their dancing skills, it’s me, not you,” I assuredhim.
“Then what is it?” He tilted his head to the side, bright blue eyes clouded withconfusion.
“You’re so tall that I feel like I’m dancing with a wall,” Isaid.
“Hmmmm.” He looked down at me. “Well, perhaps you are too short for this. Even in thoseheels.”
“Heels only go so far with you, ya big lug,” I repliedteasingly.
A light blush stole over his cheeks and my heart stopped in my chest.Too cute.I bit my lip hard to keep from giggling. I was sure he would not appreciate the laughter. I was sure he would mistake it for laughing athimrather than at the situation. And I would never want to embarrasshim.
“Let’s fix this dilemma, then, shall we?” Knix said rathersuddenly.
“What—” I wasn’t even through with my confused question, when his hand slid across my back, banding my front to him as he slightly lifted me up until my feet left the ground. “Wait—what areyou—”
My heels touched down once more, this time settled firmly on the tops of his shoes. I looked down between us and then back up with a lifted brow. “Are youserious?”
He smiled—quite smugly, in fact. “It’s a perfectsolution.”
My head at least grazed his shoulders and instead of staring at his chest, I was staring at his throat. It really wasn’t that much of a difference, but I laughed anyway and shook myhead.
“I feel like a kid at a daddy-daughter dance or something.” Not that I would have known what that felt like, but I knew about them from Erika’s time in GirlScouts.
“What I feel for you, Little Bit, has not one inch of fatherly affection in it,” Knix saidseriously.
Heat rose to my cheeks and I ducked my head, smashing my face against his front. “Just dance,” I whisper-hissed.
He chuckled, the sound reverberating through my own chest. I closed my eyes and let him lead me around the room—our limbs moving as one, the soft air of the atmosphere sliding over my skin, making me shiver. My breath churned in my lungs as Knix swirled me about. I felt both light and heavy in a single breath, and I loved every second of it—the feeling of being precious and held andwanted.
We danced for a few more songs before my back began to ache, and I was sure his feet had to be hurting under the heel of my shoes. Knix led me off the dance floor and urged me further through the mansion with his hand on my back, gesturing towards a room to the side. We entered what looked to be a lounge with men and women standing in groups, talking and laughing. Someone was smoking a cigar of some kind. I could smell the thick, exotic scent on the air, a forbiddenspice.
"Mr. Goode!" I looked up as a tall man in a crisp white suit that contrasted with his deeply tanned skin moved over to greet us. "I'm glad you could makeit."
