Page 127 of The Gods Forbid

I looked up to find Sebastian staring down at me with an expression I couldn’t recognize, hand outstretched. It had been over an hour since I’d last spoken to him. I’d found my brother and Reyna, accepting a glass of champagne as I told my brother about Sebastian’s heirs.

I’d spoken with Daphne and Rose, both of whom asked me two different times if I was okay. I appreciated how well they knew me, but I couldn’t tell them without my throat closing up, let alone having them know why I wasn’t okay in the first place.

I’d found a seat with Corinna Aphrodite, who had expressed an almost uncanny interest in me, and finished our conversation when Sebastian approached.

I shook my head softly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He didn’t need to know that it was mainly a bad idea because I was sure it would make me fall a little in love with him. He could assume it was because of how it would look.

“I don’t give a shit how it looks,” he said, placing a hand on the back of my chair and leaning down so that our faces were only a handful of inches apart. Now this was certainly going to draw attention.

I sighed, knowing how Sebastian worked. “And I’m assuming you’re going to make an even bigger deal about this if I don’t accept?”

Sebastian smiled, and this close, it was as blinding as staring directly into the sun. “Right as always, love.” He brought his hand in between us, and a shock ran up my back. I would just have to brace myself.

“Alright,” I said softly, placing my hand in his. We didn’t touch often. For good reason, I was reminded, when a lash of heat whipped through me when his hand curled over mine.

My heart felt likely to beat out of my chest, and we hadn’t even started dancing yet.

Sebastian helped me to stand. He didn’t let go of my hand as he twisted and started pulling me after him as he wove through people trying to get his attention and made his way to the center of the dancing couples with me in tow.

I looked down and saw the chain of my necklace peeking out of his suit. He still wore it wrapped around his wrist. After all this time.

Before I had a chance to prepare, he spun around and yanked me towards him, forcing our bodies flush together. One hand settled low on my back while the other—the one that had been holding my hand—curled into his chest.

I guessed it was natural for me to slide my hand up to rest on his shoulder. It was what the other couples were doing. Some of them were pressed much closer than we were.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Sebastian said low, speaking right next to my ear.

Now I was grateful that we were dancing. I could conveniently keep my gaze over his shoulder while I answered him. “I told you. I was letting you be Apollo.”

Sebastian hummed and the sound rumbled against my own chest, launching my heart into my throat. For just these few minutes, I could pretend that we were two people who could be dancing together, pressed close like lovers.

I relaxed into him, closing my eyes for a moment as I felt his heart beat on my upper chest.

The music was slow and rich, a low piano complemented by long notes from violins and other strings. It was easy to dance to, needing only to sway to the rhythmic beat.

For these moments, I could pretend like I could have something more than this with Sebastian.

Neither of us were making any move to speak. It could have been hesitation or silent appreciation, but part of me wanted to know what Sebastian was thinking. Well, a very large part.

But while he was holding me to him, letting me hold him just as much, I had to be okay with the silence.

I was so wrapped up in him it took until the next song started, another song fit for dancing I realized with a sigh of relief, for my vision to clear enough to take in our surroundings.

The muscles in my back tensed, pulled tight from the weight of everyone’s attention. Sure, most of the room was wrapped up in their own conversations.

But there were clusters, individuals scattered across the room, who were staring at us. At first I wanted to assume they were staring in interest, trying to figure out what was going on between us.

Nothing, I felt the need to clarify.

It wasn’t until a moment after, another pass over the eyes pinned on us, that I realized that they weren’t staring in interest.

They were trying to figure out when it was acceptable to cut in.

Once the realization settled in, it was impossible to miss it.

The unsure glances, trying to catch on to any sign that we were about to separate. Whispering with friends to get affirmation. Most of it didn’t even seem to be from romantic interest.