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"I missed you," she says, smiling.
"It's only been about five minutes."
"Ten," Aria says. "I was counting."
“It did feel too long,” I admit, pulling her closer.
Aria sighs. “Not that it matters. I’d always wait for you, Chase.”
My arms tighten, pressing her curves to my body. "Quit saying things that make me want to kiss you," I growl.
Aria raises a single eyebrow. "What's stopping you?"
I bend my head and place my lips on hers with a soft groan. Aria melts against me, sighing again as her lips part for my tongue. I pull back a little, realizing I’m falling deeper and deeper under her spell, but she leans towards me in silent request. Surrender is inevitable. Welcome, even. My mouth takes hers again, for longer this time. Until both of us almost can't breathe and we have to part.
Aria tucks her head under my chin tight as the music starts to slow into a sweet sonata. "How cliché," she says, already swaying. "The slow-dance music came at the perfect time."
"If you manage to mess up dancing like this, I'll actually be impressed," I tease.
A slight pain pinches my toes and she giggles as she moves her foot back. "Is the Big Bad Wolf complaining about a stubbed toe?"
I smile. Her stomp didn't hurt in the slightest. "I’d suffer far more than that to have you in my arms, Aria," I murmur against her hair.
She slips her hands down around my waist, snuggling in a little more. We stay like that for the duration of the song and the next, endlessly swaying side to side on the dance floor. The longer we stay like that, the more the outside world fades until it's only us.
No doubts, no contemplations.
Only us.
Chapter13
Aria
Idon't think either of us remember getting home last night. Or, at the very least, I don't. I wake up to an empty bed and the door to the walk-in robe is still open. Chase was clearly in a rush, no doubt off to the precinct for something.
I roll over and spot a small key sitting on the bedside table. Instantly, I know what it is. A key to Chase’s house. Tears spring to my eyes at the show of trust this is. The show of commitment.
It solidifies my determination for what I have to do next.
If Chase is talking of a future, then I need to make sure it’s one he doesn’t have to sacrifice everything for.
I dress quickly, then catch a cab back to my apartment, making a call along the way. While I was waiting for my dress to arrive yesterday, I scrolled through my phone. That’s when the job advertisement came up in my feed. It was the answer I’ve been looking for.
A way to get back in De Lune, without having to betray everything I feel for Chase.
Opting for tight jeans and a denim jacket, I pull my hair back, then slip on a black knitted skullcap. Checking myself in the mirror, I admit it’s not much of a disguise, but it’s definitely a far stretch from the lingerie and silver mask I’ve worn there before.
Rubbing my damp hands down my jeans, I leave before I lose my nerve. If someone recognizes me, I’ll just act confused and leave. Nothing lost.
But so much to gain.
* * *
Club De Lune looks different in the daylight. The neon lights aren’t so seedy, the shadows not so…layered. I still find my pulse stuttering out a nervous rhythm as I push through the door. Drawing in a steadying breath, I work to stay composed.
I can’t afford to screw this up.
Even at this time, the club is filled with people and music. But they’re quiet, speaking in hushed tones as they stand in groups near couches and the bar. And the music isn’t shaking the walls. I can still hear the muted conversations as I walk past. Still, it’s very much the same club. The dark red drapes covering all the windows make it impossible to tell if it’s day or night outside; and there are more women than men. And they’re all wearing masks.
