Cavalier (Crimson Elite 1)

Then I see glimpses, and I wonder if he only gives those glimpses to me.

I open the box from Darby, so I don’t get distracted that my leg is touching Creed’s or that he hasn’t moved away from me yet. Pulling it open my eyes go wide. Very fucking wide.

“This isn’t real, is it?” I ask, seeing him standing not far from me watching me unwrap it.

“Of course it is,” Darby answers like I should have known better.

Putting the lid back on I shake my head, holding it out to him. “I can’t accept this, it’s too much.”

“That’s rude. Accept it.” He turns away from me, leaving my arm dangling with the expensive diamond-encrusted bracelet in my hand. Standing up, I walk to him, reach up on my tippy toes and kiss his cheek. It makes him stop and he looks down at me.

“Thank you for the present.”

He nods and looks back to Echo. Turning away, Creed hasn’t moved. He’s still sitting in the spot I left him in. His whiskey-colored eyes track me as I come to sit down next to him. Oh, how I have missed those eyes and the way they make me feel. Like all he sees is me. It’s quite intoxicating.

“How have you been,” I ask. Reaching for Echo’s present while trying not to look at Creed, I open it and note a wad of bills. Lots of bills. I put it straight back down on the table unsure of what to do with it. Looking up at Echo, he nods his head and I smile mouthing ‘thank you.’

“I want you.”

My head spins and when I face him, he’s watching me. Intently.

“That’s—nice.” As soon as the words leave my mouth I want to hit my head on the table in front of me. ‘That’s nice?’ That’s all I can manage to say? ‘That’s nice?’ What the fuck is wrong with me.

Too afraid to open Falcon’s present just yet, I put it with the others and look up to find Tracey, who is currently in a lip lock with Billy.

“Will you dance with me?” Turning back to him he holds out his waiting hand, the same one that can play me like a fool with those magical fingers. And I let him every time.

“You know how to dance?” I ask. The waitress starts serving everyone drinks.

Not feeling like drinking, I place my hand in his as he gets up and starts walking us to the dance floor. Pulling me to him, our hips touch and his hand slides to my lower back sitting just above my ass. He starts to rock us, not with the rhythm of the music that’s playing, instead slow and steady hip movements so I can feel every inch of his hard body against mine. My hand rests on his shoulder, and I’m afraid to move it while he holds me tighter.

“Who taught you to dance?” I ask him.

“Ma.”

I nod my head.

“She’s a powerhouse of a woman. Still is. She had to practice for all the galas she had to attend with clients.”

“I can’t imagine you being forced to do anything,” I say with a smile. Thinking of him learning to dance as a boy makes me smile.

“I loved it! Even more so right now.” Both of his hands are now on my lower back as he holds me to him. I don’t even try to pull away, there’s no point to it. I enjoy being in his arms.

“I got you a present.” I pull back so I can look at him. He doesn’t stop moving and our hips keep rocking.

“I don’t need anything,” I tell him honestly.

I don’t. Not once have I asked for anything.

“I know you don’t, but I wanted to.”

Smiling, I lay my head on his chest. I listen to his heartbeat, it’s loud and I wonder if he feels it too. This thing between us that I don’t really understand. He must if he’s standing here holding me, I hope.

“I have to steal her.” Tracey taps my shoulder and I pull myself away from Creed who’s reluctant to let me go. His hand only dropping slightly from my hip until Tracey starts pulling me away. He stands in the middle of the dance floor, dressed in blue trousers with a crisp, clean, white shirt, with his perfect tousled, yet professionally coiffed hair falling over his smoky eyes, watching me as I leave.

“What’s wrong?”

She pulls open the bathroom door, pushing me inside then locking it before she hikes up her dress, sitting down to pee. “He’s going to ask me, I know he is.”

Leaning against the wall I try to work out what she’s referring to.

“He’s going to ask me to marry him. What do I say?” She finishes, pulling her dress back down.

“You love him, don’t you?” She nods her head. “Well, I’d think yes would be the easy answer, wouldn’t it? Unless there’s a reason you want to say no?”