Monster A Dark Arranged Marriage Romance - Vanessa Waltz Page 0,60
open the floor anyway.”
“I’m hopeless at dancing.”
“You just didn’t have the right partner.” Tony gave me an affectionate squeeze, and my heart flipped. “Come.”
We stood.
I floated on his arm like a puff of dandelion as he brought me closer to the music. This man could’ve led me anywhere, and I would’ve followed.
A current zagged through me as he nuzzled my neck.
“Try to avoid looking at your feet,” he said when I bumped into him, laughing. “You’re doing so great, hon.”
Hon. “You’re a million times nicer than I’d imagined.”
“Only because my bride blew my every expectation out of the water. I thought you’d hate me. Most girls don’t dream of marrying a man like me, in these circumstances.”
I swallowed hard, revolving in his tight embrace. I was dizzy from all the dancing. “All of this feels too good to be true.”
“That tends to happen when you find the right person.”
“Honestly, I’m not quite sure how I got here.”
“That’s okay. We have plenty of time to figure it out.” His lips pressed into my neck, and I shivered. “The rest of our lives, in fact.”
My eyes burned. “Thank you for being…so perfect.”
“You’re easy to please, but I’ll take the compliment.” Tony pulled me close, until I could feel his heartbeat pounding my palm. “A man is measured by his actions. What he does and doesn’t do, not the pretty things he says to his wife.”
“I can’t believe we’re married.”
“I know. Isn’t it wonderful?”
He was full of sunshine.
We danced through the next song as a burning question fought to escape from my chest.
I could ask.
He wouldn’t mock me.
“Tony? Do you think we’ll fall in love?”
He pulled back slightly, a slight frown furrowing his brows. “I think that you’re an amazing girl, and I can’t wait to get to know you.”
A warm glow flowed through me. “I feel the same way about you.”
“Then we have nothing to worry about.”
He took my cheeks and finally closed the distance between us. His mouth covered mine hungrily, breathing life into my lungs. My chest flooded with heat that zipped to my groin. I leaned into the passion of his kiss. I grabbed his head, grinding my body against his. He chuckled in my lips—
Light shot into my gaze, blinding me.
Ow.
I pulled away, clinging to Tony.
He still wore the tux but the room had darkened. I couldn’t see anything beyond us and the glowing floor.
Huh. Where are the guests?
Shadows carved grim lines on his face. “Sweetheart, you need to wake up. You know you’re dreaming.”
My smile faltered as he stilled, no longer dancing.
“This feels like what should have happened.” I caught his worried stare, my stomach sinking. “You’re nothing like this in real life.”
“Get out,” he said forcefully. “Wake up.”
“No, I’m staying. I like this dream.”
“You have to go.” He grabbed my shoulders and shook me, yelling. “Wake up. You have to get up!”
“I don’t want to wake up.”
“You need to!”
He fell away from me, pulled into the darkness.
No!
Light pierced my eyes.
A hard surface dug into my back. The world tipped, and my lungs filled with air. The light blinded me. I was naked, lying on a rough surface. My body shivered. A man in dark blue scrubs hovered above me, flicking a penlight.
“What happened?” I didn’t know where I was, or who this man was. “Why am I on the floor?”
“Look at my light,” the man in scrubs murmured. “Stay calm.”
My body felt lifeless. “I can’t move. Tony.”
He balled my hand in his, squeezing. “I’m here.”
My stomach lurched.
The voice was wrong.
A second face swam into my vision. K’s brows furrowed as he leaned in, stroking my shoulder. “Is she going to be all right?”
“Help me!” I tried to grab at the other man, but my hand was too heavy. “He abducted me. Please help me.”
“Yeah, she’ll be fine.” The man in the blue scrubs switched off his penlight and tucked it in his shirt pocket. “You’re lucky you had an EpiPen.”
“Otherwise, she’s healthy?”
“Blood pressure’s good. Heart and lungs sound normal—”
The men talked over me like I didn’t exist, rattling off a list of things as I slowly got my bearings.
K gave a wad of cash to the man. “Thanks, Doc.”
The man turned away, ripping off latex gloves. He packed a small black bag and disappeared. A distant door closed, and K unzipped his wool jacket. He shoved a thin cigar in his mouth.
“Close shave.” He lit the cigar and blew smoke from his nose. “By the time I got you in the truck, you’d stopped breathing. I