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Rinlora helped me into my strappy heels and pointed me toward the ballroom.
I hated wearing heels, so as soon as my duty at the ball ended, they were coming off.
Beautiful piano music drifted down the hallway from the ballroom before I even reached the threshold.
When Ash turned and saw me, his mouth parted without words.
I smiled. “I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: you clean up pretty well.”
He looked amazing dressed in a dark coat that fell to the back of his thighs. Beneath the coat, he wore an emerald vest and a matching tie with a metallic filigree design. His black button-down stretched across his enormous chest while tailored slacks hugged his thick thighs.
I squealed when his firm hands gripped my hips and pulled me against him. “Ash!”
He lowered his mouth to my ear. “If I didn’t think the others would fillet me alive for stealing you away, I’d drag you into the nearest bedroom and test the access that thigh slit offers.”
I swallowed and placed my hands on his chest.
His lips brushed mine. “We’ve had no time alone together since leaving Earth.” His forehead rested against mine. “I need you.”
I brought my hand up to rest against his cheek and curled my fingers to scrape my nails against his beard. “Do you wanna sleep in my room tonight?”
“Yes,” he whispered with a growl, capturing my mouth in a heated kiss.
“Don’t mess up her makeup, big guy!”
Ash let me go with an irritated groan as Kavina, Jax, Xael, and the unfamiliar spiky-haired man I’d seen a couple of weeks ago approached.
I checked my lip gloss with my finger and smiled at Kavina. “You look beautiful.”
She turned in a circle, showing off her sparkling black evening gown that hugged her hips and fell to the floor in silken pools.
“But didn’t you say women wear bright colors to the ball?”
“They do, yeah.” She glanced at Jax and then at Xael. “But I don’t.”
My gaze shifted between her and the men accompanying her, hoping someone would elaborate.
Jax shrugged. “Don’t ask me.”
“She doesn’t think bright colors look good with her copper hair,” Xael said, voice flat.
“Wait. What?” She turned to him. “How do you know that?”
“Not important.”
“Yes, it—”
“We need to go inside,” the spiky-haired man said, stepping around them to shake my hand. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to meet. I’m Vancardi, but you can call me Van. Everyone else does.”
“I’m Rae,” I said, taking his hand.
He chuckled. “Oh, I know who you are. Ash talks about you a lot when we spar.”
My gaze shifted to Ash, who’d been quiet, and I noticed he was looking at my backside. I cleared my throat.
His gaze met mine, and a faint blush colored his cheeks.
I shook my head with a smile.
