Chapter 50
“Dance with me, April,” Lucas says.
I realize this is the first time I’ve ever heard his voice. It feels surreal that he’s here, in front of me, paying me any form of attention
ize this when, for the majority of this competition, he’s been as distant and indifferent as a pretty ornament on the wall.
For a moment, everything fades to the background except the hand stretched out to me and the person it belongs to.
My mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. From the corner of my eye, I see Lara discreetly put her hand down and move aside She must have thought Lucas was coming to her, too.
Why didn’t he go to her? Why would he come to me? He shouldn’t even be acknowledging my existence. We’ve had literally zero interaction since the contest began–well, except for that night…
I feel a nudge at my hip and blink, looking away from Lucas to June, whose eyes are wide. She tilts her head towards Lucas and mouths, “Take it.”
That’s when I notice that quite a few eyes are on us. Peter has taken the floor with Eliza, and Nathan–trashing Valerie’s vain theory that he’d dance with her first–moves to join them with Bea on his arm.
He looks back at us once, and I catch an uneasy look on his face.
The same look that is probably mirrored on mine. Lucas just stands there, his lips quirked ever so slightly, his expression expectant.
Everyone else is also looking at us expectantly. I know that if I stand here any longer, not taking Lucas‘ hand, the looks will soon dissolve into confusion and speculation.
So I swallow the anxiety–induced nausea building up and put my shaky hand in Lucas‘.
His hand tightens over mine as he pulls me to the dance floor.
The music playing is familiar, and I force my body to calm down so I can remember the dance steps I’ve practiced countless times.
Lucas pulls me to him and rests one hand on the small of my back. The sensation of his hand on my bare skin makes me shiver.
“Cold?” Lucas murmurs in my ear as we start to sway.
I resist the urge to shiver again against the feeling of his breath on the shell of my ear.
“N–no,” I whisper.
I swallow a gasp when Lucas pulls me closer–closer than the dance requires.
My chest presses against his, and I fear he can feel the irregular thumping of my heart.
For a minute, we stay silent, going through the motions of the waltz, and I start to believe that I can get through this awkward dance. Just a couple of minutes more, and then-
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Chapter 50
“Did you enjoy it?”
I turn my head slightly to see Lucas‘ eyes fixed firmly on me, a hint of a smirk on his lips.
“E–enjoy what?”
ຈ
The look in his eyes is scarily familiar. Although slightly muted, it’s that feral, savage look he had when our eyes met through the door
that night.
“The view.” The image of that moment when our eyes met through the door flashes through my mind, and the startling terror of the moment runs through my body like shockwaves.
That shock causes my steps to falter, and I trip over my own two feet.
Lucas catches me before I can fall, pulling me firmly to his body. “Careful,” he chuckles, and the sound sends a warning shiver down my spine.
At this point, if he can’t feel my heart pounding wildly against him, he can definitely hear it. Hell, everyone in the ballroom can probably
hear it.
“Wh–what view?” I whisper.
Lucas leans in closer till his face is pressed firmly against mine. “Oh, come on, April,” he coos in a velvety voice. “Let’s skip the act. We both know what you saw the other night. ‘
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I swallow tightly. Every fiber of my being wants to pull out of his grasp and run far away from him. Lucas isn’t doing anything particularly threatening or hostile, but my whole body shudders with fear I can’t explain.
“Do you want me to spell it out for you?” he asks, his voice holding amusement. “Me, Sarah, that big, fat di—”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper sharply. “I didn’t mean to spy.” My eyes dart around the ballroom. The girls watching us look jealous. To them, we look very intimate as we dance. I’m more than happy to switch places with any of them.
I can’t see Peter or Nathan, which is a shame because I desperately need one of them to save me from their brother.
Lucas chuckles again. “No worries. I liked it.”
My mouth goes dry. “You…liked it.”
He nods, and his hair brushes against my face. “There’s already excitement from the taboo of the action, but then to have someone watch…” He pulls back slightly and spins me like the dance requires. When I’m back in his arms, I feel dizzy. “It was exhilarating.”
How long is this fucking dance?
“Although,” Lucas continues as we continue swaying, “that meant Sarah was compromised and I had to do away with my plaything.”
“Wh–what does that m–mean?” I ask shakily, imagining all the awful things that could have possibly happened to the maid because of my curiosity.
Lucas shakes his head. “Don’t worry about that. It doesn’t really concern you.”
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Chapter 50
We pull apart again, and our eyes meet, Lucas has Nathan’s green eyes, but right now, with the way he’s looking at me, they seem like they belong to an animal. A predator.
“What does concern you that I need a new plaything.”
Before the sentence sinks in and I can fully comprehend what he means, Lucas pulls me back into his arms. His hand slides down my back, leaving goosebumps in his wake.
Then they rest on the top of my ass. My eyes widen when I realize he was the one who groped me during the picture.
“What do you say, April,” Lucas Ashford whispers in my ear while he grips my ass discretely. “Wanna play with me?”
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