"Of all the talents I expected you having, dancing was certainly not one of them."
I smirked lightly, lowering my eyes to meet Avery's gaze. She's beautiful like many, but not at all in the same way. Her eyes convey a depth incredibly strong for a girl of only seventeen. Her body is filled with grace suited for someone twice her age.
"Why's that?" I said, rubbing my thumb against her palm. We were moving softly, our bodies so close they appeared as one silhouette when we passed under the moonlight.
"You don't strike me as the dancing type."
"I'm full of surprises."
"Clearly." Avery rested her arms on my broad shoulders, one hand laid on the back of my neck. She appeared indifferent as she watched her feet, insuring she wouldn't hurt herself.
"Heiress," I murmured lowly.
She didn't respond.
"Heiress," I repeated, lifting her chin in a sharp, yet gentle movement with my thumb. "I promise, so long as you're in my arms, you won't acquire any injuries."
"None?"
I grinned as her voice pitched, still holding her chin in my fingertips. "Well, besides your pride."
"Good thing I don't have any left."
That made me smile. And not just at the tease of her words but at the way she was unconsciously moving closer. Her hands, both on the back of my neck, slid past each other, her arms tightening just enough for me to notice.
There were many things I'd grown to love about this girl.
For one, the way her soft body succumbed to the hard planes of my chest. The easy height she was to kiss and tease her skin with my lips. The personality that fit against mine like a jigsaw puzzle, one I'd never seen inhabited by a girl of my age before.
And now, when she was here between my arms, I wasn't letting the moment slip beneath my fingertips. I wasn't letting her return to her bedroom without first yanking her to my chest.
Avery's eyes were glued to mine. She tapped the right side of my temple. "What's going on in here?"
"Everything."
She smiled dryly, her fingertips brushing against the hair at the nape of my neck. "Very specific."
"Everything to do with you."
"Funny, I never seem to be the only thing on anyone's mind."
My hands, which previously rested on the small of her back, slid to her waist, guiding her closer and closer until her only option was to rest her head in the crook my neck. Her breath was warm, ragged. Perfect.
"You deserve to be that girl," I whispered in her ear. A slight shiver skittered down her spine when my lips brushed her skin. "The girl that one boy can never get out of his head. The girl that vanquishes every opposing thought and conquers every breath that he takes."
Avery paused, her hand sliding from my shoulder to rest high on my chest. Her fingers traced the line of my collarbone and then moved on to my jaw, examining each square inch of my face. "Are you that boy?"
My lips hovered over hers until she stood on her toes to close the space. Her fingers twined in my hair, pulling my face down to hers. And for the first time in a long time, I felt happy. "You're a smart girl," I said. "You'll figure it out."
