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With a smooth movement, Mr. Baldur lifted my left hand to his mouth. His breath brushed hotly over my skin, and his gaze attracted me so magnetically that I drowned in his light brown eyes. Gently, he put his lips on the back of my hand and, at the same moment, slid something over my finger. Immediately, the panic and claustrophobia were gone. What remained was a feeling of security and familiarity.
Astonished, I observed my hand, now adorned with a ring. Filigree, a silver snake entwined my ring finger, whose head and tail held a diamond clasped.
“It’s … it’s…” I stammered, completely overwhelmed by its beauty.
"It's just for tonight," Mr. Baldur suddenly interrupted me, unexpectedly cold. But before I could respond, the elevator arrived, and the doors opened. My eyes fell on a beautiful oasis full of flowers, Mediterranean shrubs, and small fruit trees. It smelled of fresh mint, spicy rosemary, and invigorating lemon.
Mr. Baldur let go of my hand and walked along a narrow path. Enchanted, I looked around. The blossoms poured out in all the rainbow colors, and the stars shone brighter than ever above us.
It was downright intoxicating to stand here amid this natural splendor. Feelings of happiness buried deep inside me for a long time came to the surface, and I could no longer suppress a dreamy smile.
"Are you thirsty?" asked Mr. Baldur, who suddenly stood beside me again and gave me a glass of water. I snatched the drink from him and drank it in full gulps. Never before had water tasted so good and pure. After the fourth glass, I finally felt better. Quite the gentleman, my companion had let me drink in peace. Now, he placed the empty glass on a table near us, grabbed my hand as a matter of course, and impatiently pulled me toward a gazebo in the middle of the roof terrace. The wooden framework was overgrown with red roses, and a transparent cloth allowed an open view of the night sky.
Music sounded in the distance. Soft sounds of violins, a piano, and flutes. Where was it coming from? Music was forbidden, and disobeying this law was severely punished. Nevertheless, it filled my heart with all the emotions it transported and brought to life in me.
Like in a fairy tale, I stood among the roses, smiling and crying at the same time. When I turned to Mr. Baldur, he suddenly came closer. So close that his body nestled warmly against mine. Warm and somehow familiar. His gaze was tenderly on me. Slowly, he lifted his hand and guided it towards my face. I could already feel it on me. I knew it would be soft and loving. Spellbound, I stared into his shimmering golden eyes, which virtually absorbed me. Just before his fingers touched my cheek, he hastily pulled them away, stepped back, and held out his hand to me.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked, hesitant and strangely distant.
Dancing?My heart beat faster with joy. Made me forget his strange reaction. The so-dreaded evening became a real gift. This garden, the music, and now a dance? This could only be a dream!
Without hesitation, I took the hand offered to me and let myself be led to the pavilion's center. Mr. Baldur put an arm around my waist. The sounds faded into a waltz, forming a three-four time, and we were already floating across the dance floor. We spun in circles, my dress swaying with each turn and the cool night air swirling around my legs. One waltz followed the next, and the distance between us became smaller with each step.
There was no way this could be a reality. So I let myself fall, enjoyed every breath, every movement, and every tiny touch of this mysterious man, who tried with all his might to keep his distance from me.
But apparently, he also felt what I felt, what held me captive. An attraction that made almost will-less. The feeling of only being able to find inner peace in the arms of the other.
Closely embraced, we danced on and on. His nose gently caressed my cheek, and I felt his breath in my hair. My foreheadleaned against his shoulder, and I sucked in his scent, which I could not define. Most of all, I wanted to be even closer to him, my body and soul screaming for it, urging me on. But my conscience had not forgotten Alex, my best friend and fiancé. I would never forgive myself if I hurt him.
So I remained in this posture, feasting on the moment given to me and knowing it was no different for him, while he held me in his arms and spun me in circles to the sounds of waltzes.
“It’s just for tonight,” I heard him breathe in my ear. It sounded almost like a mantra, an incantation to remind him this happiness was temporary.
"Just for tonight," I murmured, closing my eyes to shut out reality a little longer and surrender to my dream.
CHAPTER 32
The music faded further and further into the background. Only our faster breathing and our heartbeat gave the beat to which we moved. Gently, his thumb stroked my bare skin on my lower back. I felt it in every fiber of my being. Like the long-awaited fulfillment of a desire, a need that filled my existence and represented the reward for all that had made my soul suffer.
His lips wandered agonizingly slowly from my ear down my cheek to my mouth. My skin tingled under the touch of his sweet breath, which seemed warm and hot simultaneously, making me burn inside.
I wanted to be close to him, feel him everywhere, become one with him, and lie in his arms forever. Feelings that were utterly unknown to me manifested in me and brought me to the brink of madness.
Longingly, his lips hovered over mine. On my tongue, I could already taste him, and my heart ached, bursting into infinite particles if he did not kiss me now. In his eyes, I was reflected, and their gold held the same emotional chaos that raged inside me.
"There you are!" An unknown female voice cut through this intimate moment. A moan that sounded like relief came from the depths of his throat, and for a brief moment, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the warm golden hue was gone. Instead, solidified, cold caramel gazed back at me. He disengaged from our proximity with a large step backward, leaving a chill that penetrated my bones. Loneliness flooded my entire body.
Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the music disappeared from the air. Ignoring me and the shambles he had caused in me, Mr. Baldur turned in the direction from which the voice had come.
"Zuri, Darling!" he breathed with a softness in his voice that cut into my heart like a knife. Did I hear hidden gratitude there? Almost as if he had to be saved from me. The emotional chaos inside me turned for 180 degrees.
My gaze followed his and fell on a stunningly beautiful woman in a black evening gown that violated all the laws of the Brotherhood and caused my knees to go weak. Sleeveless, with a plunging neckline to just above her navel, her full breasts were covered only by a narrow strip of fabric. Her fiery red hair spilled in gentle waves over her shoulders, and her dark, downright black eyes looked at me curiously.
Mr. Baldur left the pavilion, took the stranger in his arms, and kissed her lovingly on the cheek. She smiled familiarly at him but then turned back to me. Lost, I stood there amidst the roses, still breathless from what had happened or what had not happened. The longed-for kiss.
"Good evening," she said in a soft voice. "We haven't been introduced." With a reprimanding glance at the man beside her, she approached me and extended her hand.
“My name is Zuri,” she introduced herself.
