"My dad doesn't have anything to worry about anymore," I gripe while heading to the door.
He materializes in front of me, one hand on the back of my head, the other on my waist, as his lips find mine against my protests. The metal in his lip and the heat in his breath intoxicates my already screwed up head.
He pulls back, a small smirk in play as he nips at my lips playfully once more.
"Don't say things you know you don't mean. If you could be done with me, you'd have already walked away. This thing with our parents is nothing. I'll prove it... eventually."
I scowl at him, though it's almost painful not to grin. I really hate sexy immortals.
"I'm serious. This officially just got... We're off limits."
I walk out before he can argue. He's suddenly behind me, his breath against my ear as he wraps his arms around my waist and draws me to him. My back pushes against his front as he whispers in his dangerously seductive tone.
"We're not off limits. Don't make me remind you why."
His lips run down my neck to my shoulder, and he slides back up to my jaw before pulling back. A devilish grin plays on his lips as he walks on by, leaving me shivering in his wake.
"By the way," he calls with his back turned, "that dress looks incredible on you."
He disappears into the massive hallway that leads to the dining area, if memory serves me correctly. This is going to be a long, long dinner.
Apart from Cruella looking at me like I'm a Dalmatian who just got my spots, the dinner has been fairly nice, comfortable even. Dray took the seat next to me to keep up appearances. Drackus intentionally sat Gage next to Amari and far away from me.
Those incredible blue eyes have taunted me every second my father looked away. Gage is definitely good at playing with fire, and I wish I didn't love getting burned.
"Should we move on to the dancing?" Amari chirps, her eyes happily feasting on my father.
Ew.
"Of course," he cordially offers, taking her hand in his as he leads her from the room.
Dray offers me his arm, and he waits until the music is loud before he pulls me to him, forcing me into a graceful twirl.
"Your dark user seems a little jealous," he speculates, making my eyes go rogue and find the cosmic blues peeking over the glass of whiskey he's sipping.
Several girls - light and dark - flock to him, and he seems to enjoy the pang of jealousy my aura betrays me with.
"So he knew you this whole time? He lied to me."
Dray laughs, seeming completely amused. "First of all, he's a dark user. Don't forget that. All of us darklings say and do whatever we must to get the girl, while keeping our secrets intact. We're not so different from the light in that sense. We just tend to admit it. Secondly, he really didn't know me. This is the first time I've come to an event where he too was in attendance."
"I didn't know dark angels were actually dark. I thought you were unaligned... like my f... I mean... Drackus."
He smiles at my slip, but he goes on without acknowledging it. "You're quite the little sensation. It's true. I'm the gray area between light and dark just like Drackus, but mos
t light creatures refuse to believe there's anything but black and white when it comes to power. I suppose you're one of the few that isn't so self-righteous to be blind to the truth of the world.
"Being of dark descent or dark power doesn't make you dark. Just as being of light descent or light power doesn't make you light. These labels have only fueled wars. Personally, I'd be happy if we abolished the sides all together. Judging one based on heritage alone is no different than humans judging each other for the color of their skin."
He's right about the gray area, but he's wrong about me. Until recently, I've always been the first to cast judgment.
I stifle a laugh when I see Cruella pulling Gage from the flocks of ogling women who are all unable to tear their eyes away from the sizzling dark user. I can only imagine the words he'd like to expel as he dutifully takes his place with his mother on the dance floor.
"Care if I cut in?" Drackus asks while taking my hand in his and pulling me away from the dark angel.
"Of course, Drackus. My guest is your guest."
They both chuckle at the obvious joke. I hate their shared sense of humor.