Page 12 of Backstage at the Freak Show
Colt stifled a chuckle while his younger brother pulled away from me in surprise.
"Are you upset about something?"
"Are you, Gabe?" I retorted. I must have drank more champagne than I thought, because I wasn't normally so quick to pick a fight. "I never know if you're going to be sweet to me like this or a stone wall like this morning. I'm kind of sick of it, frankly."
He pulled even further back, brow furrowed in disbelief. "You really want to get into this now?"
"Yeah, why not?" I pulled my napkin off my lap and whipped it onto the table. "It's a beautiful night. Love is in the air. But I already know. For how much you're going to be all over me tonight, you're going to ignore twice as much tomorrow. I feel like a guilty pleasure to you, Gabe. A dirty little secret that everyone already knows about."
"That's not true," he choked out.
"It's what you act like." I shoved my chair back abruptly and rose to my feet. "I'm going to the ladies' room."
"Mir--"
I ignored him while fighting to keep my cool. Thankfully, most guests were fixated on watching the dance floor to notice me. Hunter and Raz slow-danced together while Connor and Arjun swayed with Mel sandwiched between them. Peals of laughter made me look before entering the restroom. The guys had switched places and now Arjun danced with Raz, holding the dragon shifter an arm's length away.
I spent a few minutes in front of the mirror, just taking calming breaths. The last thing I wanted to do was make a scene at Mel's wedding. Gabe was right about one thing, now was not a good time to talk about us. I should've waited until I was more sober and there were less people around.
But deep down I was glad that I told him. Those feelings had been bubbling since we met and now they were out there. He knew without a doubt how I felt about him. If he wanted to keep me, he needed to realize his actions had consequences.
I touched up my makeup and straightened my spine before returning to the reception. Mel wouldn't accept this from any of her men, so why the hell would I?
"Excuse me," said the deepest, most masculine voice I ever heard in my life.
I turned to see a large, looming figure leaning casually against the wall right outside the restrooms. His jacket was gone and his tie loosened, but there was no mistaking him. He towered over me, gazing at me curiously with two different colored eyes.
"Yes?" my voice unintentionally came out a breathy whisper as my heart lodged in my throat. There was a cruel, masculine beauty to him. I didn't know whether to be afraid or intrigued.
"I was wondering if you'd like to dance." He straightened, moving away from the wall and closer to me.
My gaze slid to the dance floor, now filling up with tipsy guests as upbeat pop music filled the room.
"Yes, I would."
I didn't know what made me say it. Maybe because I knew it would get under Gabe's skin. I also needed to knowwhyI saw flashes of this man in my mind. And anyway, why the hell not? He was hot and it was a party.
"Your men won't mind?" he asked with a cocky smirk, eyes flashing with victory.
"It's not their decision, is it?"
He chuckled amusedly as he led me to the dance floor. "I'm glad I asked the right person."
"What's your name?" I twirled around to face him. He was too tall for me to reach his neck, so I placed my hands on his forearms. His hands almost enveloped my entire waist.
"Taqqiq. Call me Tak, it's easier."
"I'm Miriam."
"Miriam," he repeated as if tasting what my name sounded like.
"Your name's unique," I observed as we moved together across the floor. "What does it mean?"
He pulled me just an inch closer in a way that was intimate but not invasive. I realized my sense of unease was gone, like being so close to him made me feel safer than I had been all night.
"It means moon," he said in a low voice near my ear. "In the Inuit languages."
"You're from the far north, then?" I asked, remembering how softly the snow fell around him in my vision.
