05.

ERENDINA.

It’s him. It’s the same stranger from last night—the one who seemed to have discovered my identity and vanished before I could learn his. He had pushed me into the alleyway and then left me with only the sound of his voice, one that’s been replayed in my head too many times for me not to recognize it.

“Do you have something to say to me, Princess?” I’m pulled out of my thoughts by his question and when my eyes fall back on his, I stagger a step back by the way his lips have curled. It’s not a smile but a shadow of one, and it taunts me.

He knows. He knows it’s me.

My stomach twists and I swallow the lump that quickly formed in my throat before parting my lips to speak. However, before I can get any word out, he beats me to it. “If not, then move out of my way. I have to return to the ceremony.” My brows furrow as I watch him fix his fly. When his head raises again and he finds me still standing in his way, he merely walks past me, shoulder bumping into mine, and my head follows his movement.

Or he doesn’t?

I watch him take the corner that leads away from me before turning to stare into space.

He just walked away.

Was I mistaken?

No. I’m not. It’s the same voice. I know it is. But he said nothing. Perhaps he did not see my face? I used a scarf so maybe my identity wasn’t discovered.

But he called me princess. Last night and now.

I turn back to the direction he’s disappeared through and quickly follow, a sense of urgency settling in the pit of my stomach.

I can’t brush it off. I have to keep an eye on him before I can be sure of anything.

I arrive at the ballroom again and lose him in the crowd of people that’s filled the room.

The rhythm of music bounces off the walls as my eyes roll along the figures that are dancing. My eyes pause when I catch the last sight I want to.

My fingers dig into my palms, every other thought vanishing as I stare at Doc with his girlfriend—now wife. I pull my bottom lip into my mouth and bite down on the flesh until I’m almost drawing blood as I watch her drop her head on his chest. There’s a smile on his face as he brushes her hair behind her ear before nibbling on the skin there.

My heart tightens in my chest and I want to look away, but I can’t. I shouldn’t be feeling this way anymore. There’s nothing that I can do now. Yet my heart doesn’t understand. It wants no more than to yank him from her arms into mine.

It hurts knowing that I can’t. And I can’t make it stop.

As if he can feel my need for him, Dominic’s head raises just as I’m about to force my gaze away and a small breath escapes me when our eyes meet. Then a louder one when he throws a smile at me. I watch him whisper something into Wendy’s ear and press his lips to her cheek before moving from her.

My breathing picks up, my heart pounding harder when he starts to make his way to me.

“Hey, darling.” The grin he greets me with as he stands before me makes my heart skip a beat and I struggle for a response. “Why are you alone?”

“Uh?”

“Dance with me.” He states and grabs my hand without another warning. He drags me along with him to the middle of the room and a tremble rushes through me when his hand falls to my waist.

Oh, Goddess.

“Come on.” Dom chuckles as he guides my hands to his shoulders, then begins to move, rocking his body to the music. His eyes are bright with so much joy, and I can’t look away from them. Everything else has faded away. Nothing else exists but him. It feels as though it’s just him and I and even as I know what I think of this moment is the last way he’d think of it, I can’t help myself from taking advantage.

I step into him, only ceasing when my chest is almost brushing into his.

He’s so close. We’re so close. He’s holding me. We’re dancing. And he’s smiling at me. Why does he have to be so fucking gorgeous with that smile? How am I to move on when I want him so much? When my heart is beating this fast?

Can he hear my breathing? How loud and shaky it is? Does he know he’s the cause of it? He doesn’t. He’d never know. He’d never know how much I desire him. He’d never know how he owns me in a way no one else does. He’d never know how sparks are flowing through my body from having this much contact with him.

It’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity to touch him this way—this long.

The presence of his smile as he twirls me and then places his hand on my side, enables my own and I’ve not felt this much bliss in a very long time.

Just as I attempt to take away the remaining space that’s between us, my eyes meet hers. Wendy is before another man, but her eyes are on me.

I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t hold back. I want her to feel the way I’ve been feeling for months, so I press into Dominic and nuzzle my face into his shoulder, a sigh of content leaving my mouth as I breathe him in all while keeping my eyes on his wife.

My lips stretch back when she looks away and I close my eyes, wishing the world would end right now.

“Are you okay?” Dom’s voice comes, bringing a halt to my empty longings.

“I can’t believe you’re married now,” I say the words as I feel them and he laughs before removing me from his shoulder. He cocks his head as he says, “Why? Are you afraid you won’t have me in the way you’ve been?”

Him and his words. If only he knows I’ve never had him the way I’ve always wanted to. I’ve never touched him the way I’ve been fantasizing about.

My eyes lower from his to his mouth and my chest heaves at his lips. At how full and red they look.

A taste.

Goddess, I want—no. Fuck. What the hell am I thinking?

“Sorry.” I blurt out before my brain can catch up and Dom’s brow creases. “What? Why are you—“

The rest of his words drown out when my eyes move past him and my mouth opens at the frames only a few feet from us.

What the… is that…

He’s standing with my father. The man with the same voice from last night, who might know my secret, is standing and speaking with my father.

My hands drop from Dom’s shoulders when they both turn their heads. They’re staring at me and I do not like their gazes. Nor do I like the way he lifts a brow as he smirks.