CinderEli Read Online Free PDF Page B

me,
chasing away the worst of my nerves. Maybe I could pull this off. I
was pretty well disguised, after all. Maybe, just for tonight, I
could pretend I really was this devil-may-care biker. I could talk
to Katie—flirt with Katie—like I couldn’t do when I was just me. I
set my helmet down, checked the position of my mask over my face
again, and pushed my sunglasses a little higher on my nose. Then I
took a step toward her. “Well, then I would say the feeling is
mutual.”
    Her smile softened into an almost
self-conscious smirk, and she lifted a hand to tuck a stray strand
of hair behind her ear. She smoothed the other hand down the fabric
of her dress. “Who are—”
    “Want to dance?” I cut her question off
before she could ask it, avoiding the awkward place it would have
left us when I tried not to answer. I held out my hand like I
expected her to say yes.
    She didn’t disappoint, crossing the terrace
in graceful steps and placing a small hand in mine. I pulled her
into my arms in a move I’d only ever seen in movies—and never
imagined I’d actually use myself. She seemed to melt against me,
molding her body to mine, and laying her cheek to my chest.
    Then she took a deep breath and released it
on a soft sigh. “You smell really good,” She whispered the words
against my jacket. It was all the invitation I needed. I tightened
my arms around her and began a gentle sway to the beat of the
music. Katie followed my lead, moving with me as if we were one
person, fluid, coordinated, perfectly in time with one another.
    When the song ended and another began, I
didn’t skip a beat, just shifted into a new sway, a new set of slow
moves with her in my arms. I would dance like this all night if
Katie let me, but I wanted more. I wanted to live this fantasy to
the fullest.
    I wanted to kiss her.
    I was a man on a mission, expertly guiding
our dance steps toward the shadows until I had Katie safe within
the darkness behind the patio doors. I slowed my dance moves and
softly pressed Katie against the brick wall behind her. I couldn’t
see her face through my sunglasses, and I took a chance that it
would be dark enough to hide my features if I lifted them out of
the way, setting them on top of my head. With the glasses out of
the way, I still couldn’t make out the details of her face.
Hopefully, that meant that she couldn’t make out mine either.
    Emboldened by that idea, I slipped my
half-mask down under my chin. The air was cool on my face, sending
little prickles of awareness across my lips as I imagined pressing
them against Katie’s. Finally, I worked up the nerve to make my
move.
    I dipped my head and laid the softest of
kisses across her mouth. I wanted more, wanted to show her in my
kiss exactly how I felt about her, but I didn’t have the guts for
that. So, I moved slow, came in for a second soft kiss, and slipped
my tongue out to tease over her lips. She parted them on a gasp,
and I took that as my cue to deepen the kiss.
    Kissing Katie was like coming home, it was
comfort and sweetness and exhilaration all at once. I swirled my
tongue over hers, and she reciprocated, giving as much as she was
taking. When I finally pulled back, she nipped playfully at my
bottom lip.
    “You’re a good… dancer.” She broke the
silence, but her soft voice didn’t break the mood.
    I chuckled at her compliment. “Back at
ya.”
    Eventually, the beat picked up, and unable to
justify holding her close anymore, I let my arms fall away from
her. I was quick to move my mask back into place and pull my
sunglasses down over my eyes before I took a step back.
    Katie’s expression was almost regretful as
she removed her hands from behind my neck and I widened the space
between us. “Do I know you?” she asked, eyeing my person with more
than just passing scrutiny.
    The idea that she could figure out who I was
set off a firestorm of nervous energy in my veins, and I shoved my
hands deep into my pockets to keep from