Close Obsession (The Krinar Chronicles 2)

Now everyone was standing. Glancing up at Korum, she saw that he was looking straight ahead. All of a sudden, he stomped his foot, once and then again and again. His actions appeared to serve as a signal of some kind because the hall was suddenly filled with loud stomping noises, as every person in the audience followed Korum’s lead. Uncertain at first, Mia did it too, deciding that it was probably the K version of clapping. Korum turned his head and gave her an approving smile.

The spotlight on the stage faded, and the hall gradually became lighter. All the seats rose into the air and floated away, leaving a large empty area where the spectators had been sitting.

A different song began to play, this one more along the lines of what Mia had listened to before in Korum’s house. It sounded like a mix of some kind of synthesizer, with weeping undertones and a pulsing beat. Krinar party music, Mia guessed, watching as everyone started milling about and gathering into small groups.

“What did you think?” Korum asked, putting his hand on her shoulder and looking down at her with a smile.

“I thought it was beautiful,” Mia told him sincerely, and his smile widened.

“Do you want to stay for the dancing or are you too tired?” he asked.

“Oh, no, I’d love to stay!” What kind of an idiot would she be to miss out on her first Krinar dancing party?

“Well, then, let’s go dance.”

He led her away from the platform toward one of the corner areas that apparently functioned as dance floors. As they walked through the crowd, other Krinar stepped to the side, letting them pass. Korum nodded to a few people in acknowledgment, pausing to briefly say hello and introduce Mia to a few Ks here and there. Everyone they met seemed to treat Korum with some mixture of deference and respect, and Mia realized yet again just how powerful her lover was in the K society.

When they reached one of the corner dance floors, Mia stopped and simply stared. There was no way she would be able to dance like that. Simply no way.

The athletic grace displayed by the dancers was unbelievable – and inhuman. They didn't move – they simply flowed from one dance step into another. It was a spectacle unlike any other Mia had ever seen, and she tried to imagine what K athletes or professional dancers would be like – if such a thing existed.

Looking up at Korum, she said wryly, “I think I'll watch from the sidelines. This might be just a tad too advanced for me.”

“Don't worry about it,” Korum said, grinning down at her. “You can just follow my lead.”

And before she could protest, he swept her onto the dance floor, his hands firmly holding her waist. Startled, Mia grabbed his shoulders, clinging to him as he launched into an unfamiliar series of moves.

Dancing with Korum was an experience unlike any other. She wasn't sure one could even call it dancing – it was more like being picked up and carried by a tornado. For the next hour, her feet barely touched the floor as he whirled her around in a complex routine. Laughing and gasping at some of the more extreme moves, Mia could only hold on as the room spun around her. Finally, thirsty and out-of-breath, Mia had to beg him to stop.

“That was amazing!” She couldn't help the huge grin on her face as they stopped by one of the floating tables that held a variety of interesting-looking liquids.

Korum grinned back at her. “See? You can dance.” Filling a rounded cup with a pink liquid, he handed it to her.

“More like I can hang on to you as you spin me around,” Mia said, laughing at the image they must've presented. She'd felt like she was flying, and it had been an incredible sensation. Taking the cup from him, she took a sip and immediately downed the whole glass.

“That was yummy,” she said. “What is it?” It tasted like juice, but had a cool, refreshing aftertaste.

“It's a type of fruit cocktail. Very common at parties and other events.”

“You don't drink alcohol?”

“We do.” Korum pointed at the other drinks on the table. “But it's nothing that you can have. Those are designed to give us a buzz, so they’ll probably knock you on your sweet little rear end. So stick to this cocktail, okay?”

Mia pretended to pout. After the club incident in New York, Korum seemed to go out of his way to limit her alcohol intake. She didn't actually want anything strong enough to get a K drunk, but she found it funny that Korum felt the need to warn her away.

“Don't give me that look,” he said softly, his eyes glued to her mouth. “It makes me want to bite that delicious lower lip of yours.”

Surprised by the sudden shift in Korum's mood, Mia reflexively moistened her lips – and realized her mistake when she heard him inhale sharply.

“That's it,” he said quietly, and his voice sounded a little hoarse. “We're going home.”

And before she could say anything, he

ushered her quickly through the crowd, heading decisively for the exit.

When they arrived home, he stripped off her clothes as soon as they entered the house. Bemused, Mia stood there naked, watching as he disrobed as well. He was already fully aroused, and a familiar heat burned in her belly at the hungry look in his eyes.

“You’re driving me crazy, you know that?” he said roughly, stepping toward her and lifting her up to stand on the couch. From this vantage point, she was a little taller than him, and she enjoyed the novelty of looking down at him.