Spellbound, Boundless Series, Book 4

Ch. 11

In no mood to entertain my guests, I ate hurriedly and spent time on my smartphone, answering texts and emails. Distraction was my enemy, preventing me from catching a glimpse of Lana. Every so often, in spite of myself, I found her talking to waitstaff or event managers. Then I saw her engaged in deep conversation with the Keenes. At one point, I caught them all looking at me. I wondered if she was being warned to steer clear of me. The Keenes must have said something because when I returned my gaze to Lana, she broke our connection and walked away.

As much as it pained me, I reaffirmed my stance of leaving her alone. My heart and brain worked independently: my brain told me to leave her alone, compelling me to stop looking at her, but my heart, to keep beating, pressed me to catch as many sightings of her as I could. Those few daring glances momentarily filled my heart with enough beats to survive the night.

When dinner was over, Ma coerced me to dance with her. In the crowd, we did a simple two-step to the music. She talked about the food, the band, and the guests, but I remained inattentive. Lacking self-control, I scanned the room for Lana, finding her in Matt's embrace. They danced at the far corner of the dance floor. He'd won again. The intense wave of envy tainted my blood green.

If it weren't for Ma, I'd go over and force myself to cut in. Lana had denied me a dance, but her benefactor got to waltz with her because he'd paid off her student debt. I couldn't help but sneer.

"What's wrong, Shay?" Ma asked as she followed my line of vision. "Is it Matty? Are you two still on the outs?"

"No, Ma. He's just never satisfied until he wins."

I turned our bodies so I wouldn't have them in my direct sight. "Wins what?"

"Never mind."

"Son, something's wrong, and I'm your ma, so tell me."

"It's water under the bridge, but at times I still feel sucked under."

Another spin placed Brigit, dancing with a young man, in my field of vision. She glared at my mother and me. Garvey never seemed like the dancing type. I nodded curtly and ignored her glowering eyes. I turned Ma once more to a neutral view. After the song ended, a mature man asked to cut in and dance with her. She beamed at the older gentleman, roughly her own age, and nodded. I scowled but bowed and handed her over. It was perfect timing for me to ask Lana to dance.

Before Matt walked her off the dance floor, I swiftly approached them. "Lana, may I have this dance?" They both looked at me. She glanced at Matt, who raised an eyebrow at me.

"Matt," I said, the only greeting I could muster.

"Brady. Lana says her break is over, so she has to return to work."

"Surely, being her boss, you can extend her another five minutes? You see, I don't have any say in the matter anymore."

Matt's lips pursed. "Neither do I. My wife controls my stocks."

Lana interrupted, "I'm sure it's fine, Dr. Keene." Matt gave her a fatherly stare. She frowned like an embarrassed teenager.

He nodded. "Great to see you," he said to me.

When his back was turned, I said, "Say hi to Perla for me." He paused mid-stride, straightened his back, and walked off.

Excitement over feeling Lana against my body made my entire system vibrate. I took her hand, leading her to a spot on the dance floor. In her pumps, she was much taller than usual. I held her close. At first, she tried to recoil, but my firm grip kept her where I needed her.

"Is that your mother you were dancing with?" she said finally. "Perla's told me about her."

"Yes, she's my date, but she got a better offer." I mockingly rolled my eyes, tossing my head in their direction, where my mother was laughing uproariously at something the gentleman said. Lana looked and smiled, suppressing a giggle. I wondered how much Perla had told her.