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Instead, my back hit something solid. “I’ve got you.” I feel whispered against my skin. “I think Adelaide promised me the first dance, isn’t that right?” He puts extra emphasis on my full name and I swear coming from him, my name sounds sexy and mysterious.

I nod, and Luther’s eyes widen before he backs away, hands raised defensively.

I want to turn around to face the man who saved me, but no need—his gravelly voice gives him away. It’s Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous from the bar.

“I warned you about the drink,” he scolds as my palms cover his strong hands on my waist. He holds me upright, but right, me being weak in the knees has nothing to do with those magic shots and everything to do with the way his possessive grip on me is tightening.

“So you did,” I reply, careful not to move, afraid he will let me go. Even though I’m someone who avoids affection, his touch just feels… right. It’s lighting me on fire. The contradiction makes my head swim as his body begins to move, slowly and methodically taking mine with it.

Maybe it’s the shots, maybe it’s him, or just maybe I’m desperate to feel something other than alone.

As his body sets mine ablaze, I can’t help but let myself pretend for just a minute that his hands belong to the one man I can never have. The man who is only real in my dreams.

I lose track of time, swaying my hips to the steady beat and dragging my hands slowly down, bringing his with mine over my hips and to the tops of my thighs. He fists the dark blue velvet, and I grip his forearms as he lifts the fabric and holds it dangerously high. His solid front is pressed to my back, his body finding a slow, seductive rhythm with mine.

“This wasn’t part of the plan,” mystery man growls into my ear. Tell me about it.

“Happy birthday to me.” I close my eyes, completely lost in his touch, my eyelids impossibly heavy.

“Indeed, Princess.” His strong forearm wraps around my middle, holding me upright, pressed against his hardness.

When the song ends, I turn in his arms, my heart beating faster. Who is my dark knight? As he spins me around and pulls me against his chest, my world goes black.

Chapter 4

Adelaide

I’ve had dreams I couldn’t quite wake up from… I honestly feel like this most days of my life.

But never more than in this moment.

Music pulses a steady rhythm in my head. Or maybe that’s my just heartbeat pounding with a deafening force. But everything feels amplified. When the bartender said he could make me a drink that would make me forget, he wasn’t kidding. The poison apple shots were most definitely poison.

“Am I dead?”

I don’t remember anything after a faceless stranger rescued me on the dance floor. I think we danced. I hope that’s all.

I want to keep dreaming to see if I can uncover any more memories of my very un-birthday, but I also want to open my eyes to see if Beatrix is faring any better than me after her night with Gus. Yet I’m finding it impossible.

“Five more minutes,” I mumble, reaching for my quilt to cover my head, but the fabric feels all wrong. I use my hands to inspect my surroundings because my eyes seem to be glued shut.

“What was in those drinks last night, Bea?” I croak out to my roommate, wishing I had some water for my mouth, which suddenly feels like the Sahara.

It’s as if I’ve slept for days, yet at the same time, it feels like I was just dancing.

What time is it?

Using arms that feel like jelly, I push myself to a sitting position and chance peeking one eye open, then the other, waiting for daylight to blind me in case we forgot to close the shades. But that doesn’t happen. Instead, I’m met with darkness.

Where am I?

In a panic, my eyes strain to adjust to the dim light, and I realize I’m still gripping a blanket. A blanket that’s not my own.

“Bea?” Warning bells blare in my head. Thankfully, I’m still fully clothed in my dress from last night, except my bag and boots are nowhere to be found. Which also means I don’t have my cell phone, so no one will be able to track me.

“My necklace!” I reach up and breathe a sigh of relief, rubbing it between my finger and thumb as I’ve done a million times before.

I’m not going to panic. I’m going to practice my breathing and inspect my surroundings for clues about where I am.