Page 101 of Benga's Rise
“Yeah.”
The lights go down and Seren sits on Cort’s lap. Queen blares from the speakers. I stand and watch for my ol’ lady. I’m stunned when I see her walk toward me. She’s steady on her feet causing my heart to beat an unsteady rhythm.
She’s going to kill me. Her dark hair is shining under the lights and hanging over one shoulder, her lips are fire engine red, her eyes are shining. She’s beautiful and she’s loving this. They’ve got her in a leather skirt, biker boots and if I’m not mistaken, she’s in the same corset Seren wore. She fills the fucking thing out too.
“Shit. She can dance?” Hade asks, surprisingly standing at my side. Maybe he’s manning up.
Thank God, no. “Not in the brace, she’s not stable enough.” I really hope she’s not stable enough.
“Thank fuck.” He has me laughing.
When the music changes, everyone quiets down. Brothers close in on the sides and behind her making a big circle. My eyes don’t leave her face with that sweet little smile. She starts moving and my eyes travel down her body. Holy fuck. She’s confident in her movements and has me riveted. She’s dancing like Cort’s mom. I hope he’s watching, but I’m not looking to find out.
Her arms move like she’s putting on a hat and I pay attention to the words as her body flows with the music. It’s about a guy finding his diamond. I smile thinking of my little ruby onion.Take me the long way aroundhits my ears and I’m having trouble seeing her. Fuck, it’s a song about us. She’s so beautiful dancing for me, but it’s missing me in there. These words are us. I walk forward and she smiles.
Her hand floats through the air toward me and I pull, she spins landing against me. My feet move and we’re dancing to our story coming out of the speaker. She looks up and all I see is love. I love that look.
“I didn’t know you could dance. You’re very good on your feet, my gentle giant.”
I kiss her lips and Brothers yell. Jesus. “We were taught young. You’re beautiful and dance beautifully, my little ruby.”
She steps back and tips forward before I realize the music stopped. Everyone is clapping for my ruby. I kiss her. Leonard Skynyrd starts blaring and Lorelei laughs. “I get another chance to dance with you in a while.”
I get her a drink and bring her to the table that has women mixed in. They're all hugging her and smiling. Cort stops her before she sits giving her a hug. When he walks away Seren watches him.
“He needs a minute.” I don’t know what to say. Seeing Lorelei dance like his mom did must hit him deep.
She nods, smiling at me. “While she was dancing, he said it was better than his mom because of the words. Thank you, Lorelei.”
Lorelei shakes her head and kisses Seren’s cheek. Victory stops anything else by hugging Lorelei like a fucking grizzly bear.
“Freedom!” Seren’s yell makes us all watch then laugh as Freedom pulls Victory away.
I get tired of waiting for Lorelei to sit, so I do and pull her on my lap. “You were fucking beautiful.”
Brinks has to jump in. “You were, it brought back all those times Cort’s mom danced for Reed. Thanks.”
Jinx chimes in and I’m shaking my head. Cort comes back in and sits with Seren in his lap. We’re talking about everything under the sun when the whole fucking Club is yelling. The music is definitely country.
We stand setting women down and watch. Cort groans. “They don’t like it.”
Seren laughs. “Just watch, Captain Cort.”
I’d swear she plans this shit. Brothers and Club chicks are line dancing in the middle of the Club. They all yell,I got friends in low places -they go on, but I don’t get all the words - Cort and the Officers are laughing all around me.
“I guess they do like it.” He’s smiling and surprised.
“I like that you’re smiling about that.” Seren pulls him closer to the Brothers dancing and I think she’s lost it. When she turns to watch, pulling his arms around her front, I smile. She’s a smart woman. He laughs when the Brothers and chicks yell again never missing their dance steps.
I lift Lorelei up making sure her skirt is covering her ass and carry her up the stairs to my room. “You look like a present waiting for me to unwrap you.”
She laughs. “I feel like one too.” Here we go with the funny. Fuck. “This is nice, Raid.” I put her down so she can see it all. It looks nice.
I nod. “No thanks to me. I asked Cowboy to get rid of everything in it and make it somewhere that my ol’ lady doesn’t mind sleeping.”
She laughs. “He did a fine job too.”
“He did, baby.”
