told him. Those feelings had been bubbling since we met and now they were out there. He knew without a doubt how I felt about him. If he wanted to keep me, he needed to realize his actions had consequences.
I touched up my makeup and straightened my spine before returning to the reception. Mel wouldn't accept this from any of her men, so why the hell would I?
"Excuse me," said the deepest, most masculine voice I ever heard in my life.
I turned to see a large, looming figure leaning casually against the wall right outside the restrooms. His jacket was gone and his tie loosened, but there was no mistaking him. He towered over me, gazing at me curiously with two different colored eyes.
"Yes?" my voice unintentionally came out a breathy whisper as my heart lodged in my throat. There was a cruel, masculine beauty to him. I didn't know whether to be afraid or intrigued.
"I was wondering if you'd like to dance." He straightened, moving away from the wall and closer to me.
My gaze slid to the dance floor, now filling up with tipsy guests as upbeat pop music filled the room.
"Yes, I would."
I didn't know what made me say it. Maybe because I knew it would get under Gabe's skin. I also needed to know why I saw flashes of this man in my mind. And anyway, why the hell not? He was hot and it was a party.
"Your men won't mind?" he asked with a cocky smirk, eyes flashing with victory.
"It's not their decision, is it?"
He chuckled amusedly as he led me to the dance floor. "I'm glad I asked the right person."
"What's your name?" I twirled around to face him. He was too tall for me to reach his neck, so I placed my hands on his forearms. His hands almost enveloped my entire waist.
"Taqqiq. Call me Tak, it's easier."
"I'm Miriam."
"Miriam," he repeated as if tasting what my name sounded like.
"Your name's unique," I observed as we moved together across the floor. "What does it mean?"
He pulled me just an inch closer in a way that was intimate but not invasive. I realized my sense of unease was gone, like being so close to him made me feel safer than I had been all night.
"It means moon," he said in a low voice near my ear. "In the Inuit languages."
"You're from the far north, then?" I asked, remembering how softly the snow fell around him in my vision.
"The land of ice and snow," he chuckled before pulling back to look at me, creating some distance between us. "You ask a lot of questions. Are you this curious about everyone you meet?"
I hesitated before answering. "No." With a newfound boldness, I stepped in closer and slid my hands up to his biceps. "I'm very curious about you, though."
He looked surprised but a pleased smile lit up his hard, rugged face. "That's a refreshing change. A lot of people are afraid of me."
"Why?"
"Because of what I am," he answered softly. "And what my species is purported to have done in the legends of the Inuit humans."
My curiosity overwhelmed me, threatening to spill over. I was brimming with excitement that this man was a creature out of a legend, probably one rarely heard of this far south.
But he was also a person and I had to check myself. All shifters hated being treated like zoo animals on display, especially if they were a rarer species. Right now, Tak was a man dancing with a woman at a wedding and nothing else. He was essentially a guest in my home, and I wasn't about to be rude by asking invasive questions.
"I'm not afraid of you," I told him. "I'm happy you came all this way to celebrate my friends' love."
His gaze heated as he tentatively pulled me even closer, his forearm wrapped entirely around my waist now and my hands nearly braced against his chest.
"You're an interesting shaman, Miriam," he breathed. "And if you don't mind me saying so, absolutely lovely. Your men are lucky."
"You're sweet, Tak," I smiled. My cheeks heated as I watched his lips move. "Do you have someone back home?"
"No, I don't." He said it lightheartedly, but I didn't miss the longing in his voice.
"Well, maybe you'll meet someone special here."
He said nothing for a moment, his eyes flickering to mine before glancing away. "Maybe I already have," he murmured so low I nearly missed it.
I'd been so mesmerized by the movement of his lips, I