Page 60 of Born Free

“These would go perfect with it,” she says just twenty seconds later, reaching through and dangling some pumps from her fingers.

“You’re a genius,” I praise as I take them and slip them onto my feet.

I bundle up the clothes I walked in here with and walk out. “Mr. De Luca pre-paid for everything,” the woman tells me. “He’s waiting for you outside.”

“Thanks,” I offer and head to the doors.

I drink in the sight of him through the glass. He’s wearing a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He stands with his hands tucked into black dress pants. His hair is more wild than ever. He looks dangerous and delicious right now.

His eyes dart to me as I step out, dropping down the length of me and very, very slowly rising back up.

“I’ll take that as approval,” I say, feeling smug in the very best way.

“That’s approval,” he says in a low growl. He reaches for me, grabbing my hips and hauling me against his chest. His lips claim mine in the most possessive way possible. “Come on. It’s time to finish this night.”

He lifts me clean off the ground and sets me in the passenger seat, pressing a quick kiss to my lips before he closes the door and rounds to the driver’s seat.

We drive six blocks before Roman pulls up to a valet. He hands off the keys and takes my hand, guiding me inside.

I’ve never been here before, but the dark walls, the dim lighting, the pumping music, and the scent of mixed drinks make this all seem familiar. Roman pays the cover charge and then leads me down a long hall before we walk out into a large, crowded room.

It’s a nightclub.

“I’d rather take you to my club,” Roman says as he turns and walks backward, holding my hand as he takes us out on the dancefloor. “But until Orlando leaves, opening a nightclub for vampires doesn’t sound like a good idea. So, until then, I figured a human club was better than nothing.”

I grin and loop my arms behind his neck. “This was exactly the kind of distraction I needed tonight. Well done.”

He settles his hands on my hips, and those intense blue eyes bore into mine as he sways us to the music. There are dozens of people around us. They’re loud. They’re laughing. They’re having a great night. Their bodies fill up the space.

But my eyes never look anywhere but at Roman. There isn’t another soul in this whole world that exists right now. It’s Roman and me, and that’s it.

As the pace of the song changes, Roman spins me until we’re back to chest. He wraps his hand around my stomach, holding me close. He trails his fingertips down my arm, and my skin prickles with goosebumps at his touch.

I lace my fingers into his hair and lean my head back, letting my eyes slide closed. The music pulses through me, the vibrations loud and deep. The heat of Roman’s body pressed against mine consumes me entirely.

Roman’s lips come to the side of my neck. Playfully, gently, they make their way from the hollow behind my ear down to my shoulder. He gives one place a good pull, enough there’s real danger he’ll leave a mark. But I don’t mind. He can mark me as his. I am his. Just as much as he is mine.

The song changes once more, and I spin around. My hands rise up his chest slowly, cresting over his shoulders. I’m having a hard time not letting my thoughts run wild, imagining dirty, carnal things.

It’s the best night I’ve had in a long, long time. Time loses meaning, going all too fast, yet taking up a lifetime. Roman and I dance. Kiss. Explore. And for the first time in so damn long, there are no problems. No mad men. No curses. No poisoned vampires. No gifted or vampires. We’re just two people in love, getting a hot night out to just be us.

We stay until the club announces they will be closing in ten minutes. So, Roman tips my face up and presses his lips to mine, kissing me deeply. “I love you,” he says darkly.

“I love you,” I answer breathlessly. It’s still a marvel to me.

Hand in hand, we walk back down the long hallway. Roman hands over his ticket to the valet, and we wait at the curb for the car to come around.

There, across the street, I see a man walking away. The gait is familiar. The clothes are familiar. The tightness in his shoulders is unmistakable.

That’s Sebastian walking away from us.

Coincidence? I don’t know. He could be anywhere in the city. He could be doing anything at all.

But was he there, in the club, watching me and Roman?

He said he wasn’t going to stand between Roman and me, but will his actions forever match his words?

My stomach knots, but I push it all out of my mind, determined not to let it ruin the perfect night. I tuck myself into Roman’s side and wait for the car to take us home.

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