Page 83 of Kings & Queen

“It’s rather complicated and quite tiring. I told a little white lie, said I had an upcoming audition. I needed a safe place to stay without the tension with Ivan, at least until I get my plan in motion.”

“Can’t you tell me what’s really going on? You don’t go anywhere. I know you’re afraid?”

“I need to disappear for a while.” I owed him at least a partial truth. “It’s not safe for me to be—me. Please don’t ask for more information. I can’t explain it.”

“Can I ask where you’ll go?” Melancholy dripped from his quiet voice.

“Back to America, more than likely. Maybe down south.” I switched to a perfect southern accent. “I’ll change my name to Sally Mae or Emma Kate, and I’ll blend right on in,” I teased.

He laughed. “That’s scary. How do you do that?”

I started to answer in our native tongue, but he grabbed me and shook my shoulders. “Don’t go back there. Promise me.”

I flinched at the sudden grip, my breath catching. “I won’t, more than likely. Not the best place to be right now. I’m joking, truthfully.” I looked into his eyes;I’d do anything to make that look go away. But for now, I grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the audio system.

“Let’s figure this out. I have to have a list to Alek and Nik by at least one thirty. That’s still afternoon, right?” I wrinkled my nose as I looked at the clock and then back at the complicated-looking system. He figured it out, and I clapped happily.

“Shall we dance?” he asked. I nodded and took his hand. He twirled me into his arms, and we instantly fell in step, letting the rhythm control our movements.

“You remember watching that couple dance to ‘Careless Whisper’ way back when?” His voice was melancholy again, and he stopped me mid-twirl.

Beautiful amber eyes held mine, and I nodded, remembering how magical the couple was as they danced in our fathers’ style, hand to hand. It included a combination of acrobatic moves layered with a sensuality that made my young, tender heart swell. Girls blamed fairy tales and movies for creating unrealistic expectations for love. I blamed “Careless Whisper.”

Even though I had no idea what sensuality was back then, I knew my body would one day look like hers, and Pasha’s would look like the man’s, and that was when I fell in love with him. He pulled up the old video on YouTube. We watched, both of us breathless, feeling the same pull deep within.

“I want to dancethiswith you, as many times as you’ll let me. I’ll only ever dance it with you, no other. I swear it upon my soul.”

Once more, he left me speechless, and I nodded. We set about watching and memorizing the moves. Over and over, the song played, the lyrics and raw vulnerability piercing my soul. Then fingers curled around mine, warm and familiar, tugging me gently to my feet. The moment my body aligned with his, the rhythm took over.

“Myshka, you were born for this,” he murmured, voice soft with knowing.

A tenderness lingered in his eyes, sweet and unspoken, as the music pulsed through us like muscle memory. I let my lashes fall shut just as he swept me off the ground, a breathless float of motion before gravity returned and his grip steadied me once more.

The brush of his hand across my cheek was almost reverent. No words passed between us—we didn’t need them. His lead was instinct, my response effortless. A quiet sigh slipped from my lips as his fingers clasped mine, secure and certain. My other hand settled on his shoulder, light but anchored, and I leaned in.

The familiar scent of cologne and comfort hit me first. Then the steady beat of his heart beneath my cheek as I rested my head against his chest, letting him carryus through each step. It was like time stood still. I was making a memory, one I would never be able to forget.

The boy I used to dance with had grown into a man, and despite the years of separation, our moves were instinctual. We mirrored one another, move for move. I was an extension of him. He lifted me once more and then lowered me to my feet.

Taking my free hand, he pushed my body away from his, and I twisted out, only for him to pull me back in. We spent hours gliding around the ballroom, laughing, twisting, turning, and soaring with one another.

We were just ending, both of us laughing at a distant memory of when we were children, when the sound of clapping echoed off the ballroom walls. Pasha stepped back while Sophia wiped her eyes.

“The way the both of you move together is magnificent. It’s something else. That was beyond beautiful. I had no idea.” She sounded impressed, so I took it at face value, but something in her eyes made me feel uneasy. “You’ve been at it for hours. Surely, you can take a break and have some lunch.”

I looked at the clock again; shit, it was already twelve forty-five. I excused myself and got out my phone, then sent each of them a text.

KINSLEY:

I haven’t forgotten. Need to eat, and then I am working exclusively on the list.

Then I put my phone away and joined Pasha and Sophia for lunch. I excused myself shortly after and headed to the library with my laptop. There was no way I’d be able to concentrate in my bedroom.

The first thing I did was check my phone to see their responses. Alek’s was to send me another explicit video. In his Dom voice, he ordered me to close my eyes. To which I instinctively did. He then growled deep in his throat, sounding every bit like a wild animal giving a low warning.

This was followed by a single statement that I would repeatedly hear in my ears as I tried to put the list together. “Don’t keep me waiting, kitten.” My knees shook as I listened to it on repeat.

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