The Stars Of Mithra. Nora Roberts

in the world.

      “Is this what you usually do on the weekend?” She had to shout into his ear, and she still wasn’t certain he would hear her over the crash and din of guitars and drums.

      “Now and again.” Hardly ever, he thought, studying the ebb and flow of the tide of singles at the bar. Certainly not a great deal since his college days. The idea of bringing her here had been an impulse, even an inspiration, he thought. She could hardly brood and worry under these conditions. “It’s a local group.”

      “I’ve been duped?” she repeated doubtfully.

      “No, no, this band is a local group.” He chuckled, scooted his chair closer to hers, slid his arm around her shoulders. “Down-and-dirty rock. No country, no soft crap, no pap. Just kick ass. What do you think?”

      She struggled to think, to tune in to the hard, pulsating and repetitive rhythm. Over the driving ocean of music, the band was shouting about dirty deeds and doing them dirt-cheap.

      “I don’t know, but it sure isn’t the ‘Ode to Joy.”’

      He laughed at that, long and loud, before grabbing her hand. “Come on. Dance with me.”

      Instant panic. Her palm went damp, her eyes grew huge. “I don’t think I know how to—”

      “Hell, Bailey. There’s not enough room out there to do more than break a couple of Commandments. That doesn’t take any practice.”

      “Yes, but…” He was dragging her toward the dance floor, snaking his way through tables, bumping into people. She lost count of the number of feet they must have trod on. “Cade, I’d rather just watch.”

      “You’re here to experience.” He yanked her into his arms, gripped her hips in an intimate and possessive way that had her breath locking in her throat. “See? One Commandment down.” And suddenly his body was moving suggestively against hers. “The rest is easy.”

      “I don’t think I’ve ever done this.” The lights circling and flashing overhead made her dizzy. Giddy. “I’m sure I’d remember.”

      He thought she was probably right. There was something entirely too innocent about the way she fumbled, the way the color rushed to her cheeks. He slid his hands over her bottom, up to her waist. “It’s just dancing.”

      “I don’t think so. I’ve probably danced before.”

      “Put your arms around me.” He levered her arms around his neck himself. “And kiss me.”

      “What?”

      “Never mind.”

      His face was close, and the music was filling her head. The heat from his body, from all the bodies pressed so close against them, was like a furnace. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think, and when his mouth swooped down on hers, she didn’t care.

      Her head pounded with the backbeat. It was unmercifully hot, the air thick with smoke and body heat, scented with sweat and liquor and clashing perfumes. All of that faded away. She swayed against him while her lips parted for his and the strong, male essence of him filled her.

      “If we’d stayed home, we’d be in bed.” He murmured it against her lips, then skimmed his mouth to her ear. She was wearing the perfume he’d bought for her. The scent of it was unreasonably intimate. “I want you in bed, Bailey. I want to be inside you.”

      She closed her eyes, burrowed against him. Surely no one had said such things to her before. She couldn’t have forgotten this wild thrill, this wild fear. Her fingers slipped up into the untidy hair that waved over his collar. “Before, when I was in the kitchen, I—”

      “I know.” He flicked his tongue over her ear, spread fire everywhere. “I could have had you. Did you think I couldn’t see that?” To torment them both, he skimmed his lips along her throat. “That’s why we’re here instead of home. You’re not ready for what I need from you.”

      “This doesn’t make any sense.” She thought she murmured it, but he heard her.

      “Who the hell cares about sense? This is now.” He caught her chin, brought her face to his again. We’re now.” And kissed her until her blood bubbled and burst in her head. “It can be hot.” He bit her bottom lip until she was ready to sink to the floor. “Or sweet.” Then laved it tenderly with his tongue. “It can be fun.” He spun her out, then whipped her back into his arms with such casual grace that she blinked. “Whatever you want.”

      Her hands were braced on his shoulders, her face was close to his. Lights revolved around them, and music throbbed. “I think…I think we’d be safer with the fun. For the time being.”

      “Then let’s have it.” He whipped her out again, spun her in two fast circles. His eyes lit with amusement when she laughed.

      She caught her breath as her body rammed into his again. “You’ve had lessons.”

      “Sweetheart, I may have hooked cotillion more times than I want to admit, but some things stuck.”

      They were moving again, somehow magically, through the thick throng of dancers. “Cotillion? Isn’t that white gloves and bow ties?”

      “Something like that.” He skimmed his hands up her sides, just brushed her breasts. “And nothing like this.”

      She missed a step, rapped back solidly into what she first took for a steel beam. When she glanced back, she saw what appeared to be one massive muscle with a glossy bald head, a silver nose ring and a gleaming smile.

      “I beg your pardon,” she began, but found she had breath for nothing else as the muscle whirled her to the right.

      She found herself jammed in the middle of a pack of dancers with enthusiastically jabbing elbows and bumping hips. They hooted at her in such a friendly manner, she tried to pick up the beat. She was giggling when she was bumped back into Cade’s arms.

      “It is fun.” Elemental, liberating, nearly pagan. “I’m dancing.”

      The way her face glowed, her voice rang with delighted laughter, had a grin flashing on his face. “Looks that way.”

      She waved a hand in front of her face in a useless attempt to fan away the heat. “I like it.”

      “Then we’ll do it again.” The volume eased down, the beat smoothed into a hum. “Here comes a slow one. Now all you have to do is plaster yourself all over me.”

      “I think I already am.”

      “Closer.” His leg slid intimately between hers, his hands cruised low on her hips.

      “Oh, God.” Her stomach filled with frantic butterflies. “That has to be another Commandment.”

      “One of my personal favorites.”

      The music was seductive, sexy and sad. Her mood changed with it, from giddiness to longing. “Cade, I don’t think this is smart.” But she’d risen to her toes, so their faces were close.

      “Let’s be reckless. Just for one dance.”

      “It can’t last,” she murmured as her cheek pressed against his.

      “Shh. For as long as we want.”

      Forever, she thought, and held tight. “I’m not an empty slate. I’ve just been erased for a while. Neither of us might like what’s written there when we find it.”

      He could smell her, feel her, taste her. “I know everything I need to know.”

      She shook her head. “But I don’t.” She drew back, looked into his eyes. “I don’t,” she repeated. And when she broke away and moved quickly through the crowd, he let her go.

      She hurried into the rest room. She needed privacy, she needed to get her breath back. She needed to remember that, however much she might want it, her life had not begun when she walked