Grunting, Kairus pulled me toward the second set of doors, this time pulling them open and letting me walk in first. My eyes quickly scanned the area, noting the tall high ceilings. A couple of glass chandeliers were overhead, and the room was decorated in a white and gold Aztec design.
“Wow,” I gushed, mesmerized by the beautiful decor.
Kairus grabbed my hand, sending sparks shooting up my arm. I looked down and a smile formed on my face. He led me to the bar where there was a small line.
It took a couple minutes but once it was our turn, I ordered a lemon drop and Kairus got some kind of liquor I’d never heard of. His hand went to the small of my back and he led us to the steps.
“Okay, are you gonna tell me where we are now?” I questioned again once we were upstairs. I noticed it was a private balcony.
“Take a look.” He nodded forward and took a seat.
Crinkling my brows I did as he said. My eyes widened and my lips parted.
“Is this…are we at the symphony?” I wondered, noting the set up below.
“We are.”
Spinning around, a smile graced my face. “You brought me to the symphony.”
“I had two tickets for tonight and instead of hiring a date I figured I’d bring you. It’s no big deal.” He brushed me off in a gruff tone. I could be mistaken but for a second Kairus looked uncomfortable. He adjusted his collar and brought the glass of brown liquid to his mouth.
My smile grew. The gesture might not have seemed like a big deal on the outside looking in, but I knew bringing me here was out of Kairus’s comfort zone. Not to mention I knew how he felt about music and knowing he wanted to share this with me caused my chest to become suffocated by my suddenly swelled heart. Butterflies exploded inside my stomach.
“Thank you,” I replied lowly, stepping back and taking a seat.
I’d never been to the symphony before. This kind of music wasn’t my thing, but I wasn’t gonna complain since Kairus decided to share this part of himself with me.
The show wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Kairus seemed to be at peace listening to the orchestra. While I didn’t know any of the songs playing, he seemed familiar with quite a few. Slowly sipping on my lemon drop, I crept my hand over to where Kairus’s lay on the armrest. I was happy it was just the two of us on the balcony. Although the place was full of people, just the two of us up here made the moment more intimate. Kairus didn’t flinch when I placed my hand on his. He seemed totally engulfed in the music, lost in his head. That was fine with me, I wanted him at peace and happy.
As I watched him out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed his face seemed softer. His eyes weren’t as cold and guarded. This was truly his happy place.
I didn’t know how much longer we had here or how many songs were left but I was in no rush to leave.
Finishing the rest of my lemon drop I set my empty glass on the small table near us. My nerves rattled as I leaned up and over so I was close to Kairus’s ear.
“Dance with me,” I suggested. His eyes finally left the musicians and landed on me. My pulse skittered, becoming trapped in my throat.
“Dance with me,” I repeated, ignoring the way my stomach flipped.
I didn’t want to interrupt him, but the song, the moment, it just felt right. Standing up I adjusted the dress and held my hand out. Kairus stared at it for a long minute, his dark orbs unsettled, scanning me in an unusual way, awakening every atom in my body. He pressed his lips together tightly as he reached for my hand.
The corners of my mouth tilted upward. Warmth bloomed in my chest. My blood thrummed faster when we stepped behind our seats and he pulled my body into his. I wasn’t expecting Kairus to be so light on his feet or take the lead, but once he grabbed one of my hands, lifting it and wrapping his other arm around my waist, I was impressed.
Currently, no one else mattered. It felt like just the two of us as we danced in our small section, lost in one another. Emotions I never felt before threatened to choke me as tears clouded my eyes. No one knew this side of Kairus. No one saw beneath the surface when it came to him. He was such a beautiful man. He moved to the beat of his own drum, never cared what anyone thought about him. Flicking my eyes up to him, I noticed he was watching me. My nerves faltered.
“Even in all the ugliness the world brings, you are a spot of beauty that makes it bearable.” His dark eyes peered into me with an intensity that made my skin melt. His words came out lowly, rough, yet sweet as honey. They caused passion to rush up my spine and my heart to race. Intensity blared from his dark orbs. A thrill of danger shot through me, knowing the kind of man Kairus was and not completely hating the thought anymore.
I swallowed around the lump that had formed in my throat. The music played in the background but all I could hear were the loud ticks of my heart. Leaning forward I placed my forehead on his chest as we moved to our own eight count.
If I could freeze frame any moment in my life, it would be this one, at this moment.
She was changing me.
It was clear and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Before she came into my life, I never cared about anyone but myself. The only things that mattered to me were my instruments and making money, yet now I found myself obsessing over Azeira. She was supposed to merely be with me until a debt was settled, but the thought of her possibly leaving sent panic through me. It made me want to chain her to my bed and lock her away so she could never leave.
I was raised that feelings were nothing but weakness and to crush anyone who stood in my way.
Lifting my eyes to my computer screen I thought about the past four months since she’d been with me. If my father were alive he would surely whip me, knowing how infatuated I had become with a single woman before he attempted to take her away from me. My hand balled at the thought.
