67. Cyrus
CYRUS
Her lip curled just like I’d imagined at the command.
Good.
I was hoping that this would embarrass her. She walked around this place like she owned it, and the little glass tower Blade had built for her wasn’t helping her ego.
She needed to be knocked down a few pegs. And I needed to understand how it could be.
How had pious, traitorous little Tess from Heirs of Promise strayed so far from her beloved church’s teachings?
I’d never cared much for their propaganda, but Tess swallowed it down like it was manna. She’d turned her back on me over it. And somewhere between now and then, I was supposed to believe she’d started stripping and kissing girls?
Well, one of those things is easier to believe than the other.
The others insisted that she was different now. And maybe she was. But I wasn’t a believer in blind faith.
Exhaling shortly, Tess dropped her grip on the pole and stormed across the dance studio. She’d draped her sweatpants and hoodie over a chair in the corner, and she was trying to retrieve them now. To get dressed and leave.
Not a chance.
I crossed the room in a flash, ripping the fabric from her grip. “Don’t be a brat, Ragdoll. I want to see what all the fuss is about.”
She glared up at me, a small pout on her lips. As her eyes darted from mine to the door, pride stung in my chest. She’d been so eager to dance for the others. My ego didn’t like being denied.
I could see her calculating the odds. Could she run? Could she hide?
I would have killed for the chance to chase her again. Alone, without the other two and the stupid rules getting in my way. But that wasn’t how things were done.
“There’s no log flume waiting to save you.” I growled. “You won’t get away from me this time. So dance.”
Her brow furrowed. She still hadn’t said a word, but that icy blue stare of hers said enough. If she thought she could make it past me, she’d be gone. But she was too smart to risk it. Not when she knew it was a losing battle.
Clever girl.
Refusing to drop my gaze, Tess held out her hand. “Phone.”
“So you can call for help?” I laughed.
“So I can change the music.”
Reaching into the soft pocket of her sweatpants, I obliged the request. She scrolled through her library quickly before clicking on a song and slamming the phone into my chest.
My brows knit as I looked down at the screen. “Rev 22:20?”
But the pulsing beat of a drum kicked in, drowning out any potential explanation. As a woman’s voice began to croon from the speakers overhead, Tess stalked toward the pole like an animal on the hunt.
Maybe it was the build of the bass, or maybe it was just her energy, but suddenly, my heart was beating against its cage.
Her fingers wrapped around the polished gold, curving perfectly to the pole’s contours. With an elegant step forward, she gave a little half spin, turning to meet my gaze.
Despite her cool demeanor, her chest rose and fell with weight. The tight black sports bra, the spandex shorts: I’d never seen so much of her skin. But somehow, it was her eyes I couldn’t look away from.
As the build dropped, so did she: right onto her knees. She crawled forward, her every movement fluid. My lungs tightened as the space between us narrowed.
But just as she drew close, her fingertips nearly grazing my boot, her foot hooked around the pole, dragging her back to her station.
Physics bent to her will on the pole.
One moment, she was on the ground, and the next, she was wrapping her legs around the metal, lifting herself up into a seated position. The constant spinning gave me a view of every dip and curve, every toned muscle on her body.
My chest burned at the sight: she was something I could look at, but would never be allowed to touch.
This was meant to unsettle her, but now, I was the one squirming.
Each time I thought that I could predict her movement, she surprised me with another impossibility: fanning out her legs, flipping upside down, soaring from the ceiling to the floor and stopping just short of disaster.
Usually, she was so timid around me. But here, I could see just how bold the little Ragdoll really was. Here, I was hers to play with.
And she was playing with me. Halfway up the pole, Tess wrapped her left hand around the metal and leaned back, arching her back. As she spun, she kept her eyes locked on mine, reaching her right hand out to me.
Her skin glistened under the studio lights. A soft trickle of sweat teased down her chest to her neck, and all I wanted was I wanted to lick it off.
By the second chorus, my heart wasn’t the only thing throbbing.
What is wrong with me?
Usually, I was so in control. But this girl…
She ruins everything.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. But it was like she could see right through me. Her slightly parted lips spread into a full smile.
Fuck.
There was no denying that Tess was fucking hot. Even if I hated myself for thinking it.
But this had already gone too far.
The song wasn’t over, but I was done. I sprung from the chair, toppling it as I headed for the door.
“What the fuck?” Tess dropped down to her feet, still holding on to the pole. She had to raise her voice over the shredding guitars and the singer’s growling, but I didn’t stop to listen.
If I didn’t leave that room right then, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from tearing her down from heaven and pulling her right down into hell with me. My body was thrumming with need. I needed to fuck her, to break her, to see her cry.
But that’s not what the cards wanted.
I’m supposed to get revenge. Not catch feelings. Not after what she did.
So as Tess cried out after me, I didn’t listen. I turned my back and fled, as far and as fast as my body would take me.