Dancer in the Shadows Read Online Free PDF

dancing was being held. He drew her into his arms, keeping her head against his chest as they moved together to the slow melody. Sean's breath was warm against her cheek.
    When the music stopped, he led her over to several couples he knew who seemed genuinely friendly. Valerie saw a new side of Sean as she listened to him discuss his travels to Greece, France, Spain, and his latest assignment in Panama. She felt inferior to the worldly man standing close to her, his arm possessively around her waist.
    Later that evening, Valerie excused herself to go to the powder room to freshen her lipstick. She had just patted a stray curl into place when Anne swept into the black and silver room, gracefully seating herself on a black velvet bench.
    "You're much too innocent to keep Sean for long," she stated bluntly. "He's an excellent lover, and I don't intend to lose him to some little schoolgirl."
    "Perhaps he wants a change for the better." Val's voice sounded calmer than she would have believed possible as she snapped her evening bag shut. She rose from the dressing table, walking to the door, wanting to get as far as possible from Anne.
    "You don't have what it takes to hold a man like Sean," Anne told her shrilly.
    "Then I'll have to let him teach me, won't I?" she said quietly, leaving the room.
    Across the crowded room, Sean noticed Valerie's tense face and was beside her instantly, his hand on her arm. "Would you like to go?" he murmured, his concerned eyes on her face.
    Anne walked out of the powder room and Sean glanced quickly from Anne's livid face to Val's strained one before, putting two and two together, he asked, "What did she say to you?" His face darkened and for a moment Val was afraid that he might actually say something to Anne.
    "Nothing, Sean. Really. Please, let's just go." Her voice was pleading.
    His black temper was barely under control as he almost pushed her into the car. Once inside, his hands gripped the steering wheel until the knuckles whitened. Valerie was frightened by the look of cold rage on his face.
    "Sean?" She reached out tentatively, gently stroking his cheek with her fingertips. She could see the tension gradually leave his body as he rested the back of his head against the seat.
    "I'm sorry, Val." He captured her hand, bringing the palm to his lips. "I didn't realize she could be so vindictive or that she would take it out on you."
    "She said you were lovers," Val said in a low voice, feeling an ache at the back of her throat.
    "We were." His flat reply brought her fresh pain. "But it was over long ago when I saw what a cold-hearted creature she really is." He turned back, switching on the engine and putting the car in gear. He drove until he reached a small park on a hill and parked the car nearby.
    "Val, look at me." As her eyes swept upward, he turned in the seat and drew her across his lap. His fingers tangled in her hair so that she couldn't escape the insistent kiss that branded her as his. He expertly parted her lips, his breath mingling with hers. Valerie's arms crept around his neck; her fingers curled in his hair as she responded wholeheartedly to his caresses.
    "Infant, I only have so much control," Sean said thickly, burying his face in her neck, his mouth finding the sensitive cord near her ear. "I want to make love to you properly and teach you to glow with passion. I want you to be all mine."
    A chill crept across her heart. Was that what he really wanted, after all? An affair? Valerie knew she loved Sean, but did she love him enough to overthrow all of her moral scruples and bear the pain when he tired of her?
    "You mean you want to sleep with me after all," she stated huskily. "You want me to become your mistress.'
    He smiled faintly at her flat statement. "Yes, I want to sleep with you, but not as my mistress. As my wife." He stressed the last word, letting the meaning sink in. "I love you, Val, and I don't want to lose you. I know I'm a lot older than you are and that you