Brandy— then pushed it from his
head. If she was watching, she was just another woman tonight, just
part of the crowd. While he was dancing, she wouldn’t exist. He
stepped onto the stage, into the light.
Brandy drew in a quick breath as he stepped
out. Azure was deeply tanned, with hair so light a shade of gray it
was almost white. His face was young enough to match his claims
about his age, but the expression on his face, the way he carried
himself, spoke of experience. This was not a man young at heart.
Wild, maybe, but not young.
Her jaw clenched as he began to move. She
wanted to leave. She could not make herself go.
His moves were smooth, undeniably masculine.
Altogether tempting. She could not take her eyes away as he undid
his shirt, each button sliding free with a brash flick. He stripped
it off and tossed it behind him, revealing slick, sharply
delineated muscles that made her mouth go dry. She covered her
face, hiding her eyes as his hands reached for his belt, years of
strict upbringing making her blush furiously. Except for a single,
censored picture when she’d been a teenager, she’d never seen a
naked man. Even her encounters with M’acht had been in the dark,
for they’d both been shy.
There was nothing shy about Azure’s display.
She heard a cheer and looked up, right as his pants were tossed
backstage. There was very little to the briefs he had underneath.
She met his eyes, saw that he knew exactly where she sat. Slowly,
he smiled, and it was fierce, almost a warning.
The music ended with a flourish, and he
performed a sketchy bow. With one last, burning glance at her, he
turned and walked behind the curtain.
She felt an edge of panic as he strode back
stage. She figured he’d come looking for her, and she was no longer
sure she wanted to be found. She felt confused, frighteningly
aroused, and that’s not what she’d come for…was it?
The crowd had grown thick, and it was slow
going, trying to get out. All the bodies were moving in the
opposite direction. She was almost to the side door when she felt
his hand close over her arm. She froze.
“Going somewhere?” he murmured.
For one moment, she could have sworn it was
Azor speaking. Her heart gave a strange little jump of sheer
horror. She glanced at him, but no, it was definitely Azure who’d
stopped her. She could feel his heat like a prickling swell all
along the side of her body. “I’m…going home.”
He smiled even as he guided her in a
different direction, to a side door. “I thought you came to see the
show. You paid a lot to see me dance.” He ignored the admiring
glances sent his way, and the flirtation. His attention was all for
her. He seemed almost angry.
Her head came up and she spoke sharply.
“That’s not why I came.” She let him tug her though a side door and
looked around. They were in a service hallway, next to the
kitchens. She could smell the food cooking. “I wanted to meet you,
yes, and I came early enough that I thought it could happen before
you had to work. The music started while I was eating. I thought I
had more time.”
He raised a skeptical brow. “The food was
that good? I’ve never had anyone say they were more interested in
the noodles than me.”
She felt awkward, but raised her head. “I
have a talent for insulting people. It’s unintentional this time,
though. I did want to see you.”
He leaned against the wall and crossed his
arms. He was dressed casually now in canvas pants and a
short-sleeved shirt, sturdy boots. He could have passed for a
laborer, or the student he claimed to be. “Here I am.”
Yes, he was, and after all that effort on her
part, she’d be a fool to waste the chance. She felt an ironic smile
tug up her mouth. She’d almost run from him. “Were you going to
call again?”
He thought about it seriously. “No. I had no
business doing it the first time.”
She drew a breath. “I turned out to be less
interesting than you thought, then.”
He didn’t
head. If she was watching, she was just another woman tonight, just
part of the crowd. While he was dancing, she wouldn’t exist. He
stepped onto the stage, into the light.
Brandy drew in a quick breath as he stepped
out. Azure was deeply tanned, with hair so light a shade of gray it
was almost white. His face was young enough to match his claims
about his age, but the expression on his face, the way he carried
himself, spoke of experience. This was not a man young at heart.
Wild, maybe, but not young.
Her jaw clenched as he began to move. She
wanted to leave. She could not make herself go.
His moves were smooth, undeniably masculine.
Altogether tempting. She could not take her eyes away as he undid
his shirt, each button sliding free with a brash flick. He stripped
it off and tossed it behind him, revealing slick, sharply
delineated muscles that made her mouth go dry. She covered her
face, hiding her eyes as his hands reached for his belt, years of
strict upbringing making her blush furiously. Except for a single,
censored picture when she’d been a teenager, she’d never seen a
naked man. Even her encounters with M’acht had been in the dark,
for they’d both been shy.
There was nothing shy about Azure’s display.
She heard a cheer and looked up, right as his pants were tossed
backstage. There was very little to the briefs he had underneath.
She met his eyes, saw that he knew exactly where she sat. Slowly,
he smiled, and it was fierce, almost a warning.
The music ended with a flourish, and he
performed a sketchy bow. With one last, burning glance at her, he
turned and walked behind the curtain.
She felt an edge of panic as he strode back
stage. She figured he’d come looking for her, and she was no longer
sure she wanted to be found. She felt confused, frighteningly
aroused, and that’s not what she’d come for…was it?
The crowd had grown thick, and it was slow
going, trying to get out. All the bodies were moving in the
opposite direction. She was almost to the side door when she felt
his hand close over her arm. She froze.
“Going somewhere?” he murmured.
For one moment, she could have sworn it was
Azor speaking. Her heart gave a strange little jump of sheer
horror. She glanced at him, but no, it was definitely Azure who’d
stopped her. She could feel his heat like a prickling swell all
along the side of her body. “I’m…going home.”
He smiled even as he guided her in a
different direction, to a side door. “I thought you came to see the
show. You paid a lot to see me dance.” He ignored the admiring
glances sent his way, and the flirtation. His attention was all for
her. He seemed almost angry.
Her head came up and she spoke sharply.
“That’s not why I came.” She let him tug her though a side door and
looked around. They were in a service hallway, next to the
kitchens. She could smell the food cooking. “I wanted to meet you,
yes, and I came early enough that I thought it could happen before
you had to work. The music started while I was eating. I thought I
had more time.”
He raised a skeptical brow. “The food was
that good? I’ve never had anyone say they were more interested in
the noodles than me.”
She felt awkward, but raised her head. “I
have a talent for insulting people. It’s unintentional this time,
though. I did want to see you.”
He leaned against the wall and crossed his
arms. He was dressed casually now in canvas pants and a
short-sleeved shirt, sturdy boots. He could have passed for a
laborer, or the student he claimed to be. “Here I am.”
Yes, he was, and after all that effort on her
part, she’d be a fool to waste the chance. She felt an ironic smile
tug up her mouth. She’d almost run from him. “Were you going to
call again?”
He thought about it seriously. “No. I had no
business doing it the first time.”
She drew a breath. “I turned out to be less
interesting than you thought, then.”
He didn’t
Similar Books
