Dancer in the waves, p.41
Dancer In The Waves, page 41
Alice
Alice felt Boss’s tail repeatedly hit her leg. Two small kids had come over from another table and were happily showering him with head scratches and belly rubs. He was in heaven.
She was in one of Lisbon’s parks, having lunch with her brother and sister-in-law in an open-air bistro. The May weather was wonderfully warm, and a gentle breeze blew from the river. The park was crowded with people enjoying the sunshine, and the bistro was lively with the sound of conversation and cutlery. The sound of a guitarist playing covers reached them from further up the park, but it wasn’t enough to drown the noise of children playing.
“So, we are pregnant again,” announced Leonor, her sister-in-law.
Alice hurried to put down her beer so she could hug her.
“Really? I’m so happy for you.” She hugged her brother-in-law too. “So that makes three now. You’re going to need a bigger house.”
They both laughed and Hugo, her brother-in-law, pulled out his phone to show her the pictures from the ultrasound. His eyes sparkled and his smile was contagious. She sometimes forgot just how much he looked like his brother. A small pull on Bruno’s broken bond made her wince. It had been months since she felt it; her bond with Gabriel now completely overwhelmed it.
“How about you?” Hugo asked.
“Me? What about me?” she replied, confused.
“How are things with Gabriel? We haven’t seen much of you since, you know, the ‘incident’,” Hugo mumbled. She could feel his nervousness, and she followed his gaze to Elijah standing at the edge of the tables. He was busy scanning the crowd and talking through his earpiece to Lemos, who was on the other side of the restaurant.
“Security has been a little more demanding, but can you blame Gabriel after what happened?” Alice explained.
“I know, I know… It was hard on all of us, almost losing you to those people.” He sighed. “But are you okay with this? I remember when Bruno first imposed all the security measures around you. You were really upset.”
She smiled with real affection at her brother-in-law. Even after all the years since his brother had died, he still viewed her pretty much like a real sister.
“I’m not happy about it, if that’s what you want to hear.” She took both their hands in her own. “But, believe me, I’m aware of how important my security is for everyone. The last thing I want is to cause you all distress.”
“Always thinking of others,” Leonor said. “Just make sure not to lose yourself in the middle of your concern for us.”
Alice smiled but didn’t reply.
“So can I at least count on you to go shopping for the baby with me?” Leonor asked.
“Of course. Maybe we can take Marina too? She only has three months to go, but has procrastinated all the baby purchases.”
“She’s got nothing for the baby yet?” Leonor was shocked.
“Yeah, she doesn’t want to know the sex of the baby until it’s born, so she’s afraid of buying the wrong things.” Alice chuckled. “It’s her first baby, so she doesn’t know there are no wrong things.”
When they finished lunch, she hugged them goodbye and made her way with Elijah to the car. Boss sniffed the air and tried to pull her toward the river, no doubt to investigate some interesting smell. It was such a wonderful day, and it had been so long since they walked by the river. She must have looked wistful, because Elijah surprised her with a suggestion.
“Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked her.
“Is it safe?” she replied, unsure. She was unwilling to put herself in harm’s way again.
“It’s all right, don’t worry,” Elijah reassured her.
“Thank you.”
They walked along the riverbank, keeping to the tree shade. Boss happily sniffed all the corners and the people who passed by. Elijah, on the other hand, tensed every time someone got too close to them.
Still, it was nice to stroll around for a bit and relax.
“Alice.”
Alice turned around quickly to see who’d called her name.
“Everything all right?” Elijah asked.
“Yes.” She hesitated. “I thought I heard someone call me.”
Elijah glanced around for anything suspicious, but there were too many people around them for him to see much. They resumed their walk.
“So, a new nephew or niece?” he asked her.
“They don’t know yet, but are hoping for a girl.” Alice beamed. She was so happy for them.
“And what about you and Gabriel? Planning on having one of your own any time soon?”
Alice’s smile slowly fell. “No, not really.” She must have failed at sounding indifferent, because Elijah stopped and took her arm.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, I’m not upset. It’s just that… It’s complicated.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Alice took a deep breath. Did she want to talk about it? She had talked with a lot of people about this before, and all her friends knew how she had felt at the time. But did they know how she felt now?
They started walking again. “You know I can’t drive, right?” she asked Elijah.
“Yeah, Gabriel told me when he hired me,” he replied, sounding confused.
“Did he tell you why?”
“No. I always assumed it was because of the rules in place to protect you.”
“It’s not in the rules. The others can drive, as far as I’m aware.”
“Oh?” Elijah sounded confused, and she could feel he was really curious to know more.
“It’s the same reason why I have panic attacks when I see needles.” Alice gathered her courage to tell this story again. “Five years ago, I got pregnant. Bruno and I were super happy. We had been trying for a few years with no luck, and we couldn’t afford medical assistance at the time.”
Elijah glanced at her belly and back to her face, but didn’t say anything. Sadness fought his curiosity now. He probably knew where this was going.
“When I was around five months pregnant, we went to dinner with a few friends. Bruno drank too much, and since I couldn’t drink at the time, he asked me to drive us home. When we drove past a crossroad, a drunk driver passed a red light and hit our car on my side.”
“Shit.” Elijah stopped walking to look at her, visible concern in his eyes. Some people around them also stopped what they were doing to look at her. She smiled and waved at them, and continued walking. She didn’t like upsetting people, but it was hard not to be emotional, telling this again.
“What happened next?” Elijah asked, though she could tell he already knew.
“My memory is very fuzzy. I remember the car was upside down. I remember Bruno yelling a lot, and the paramedics telling me everything was going to be all right. And I remember needles. Lots and lots of needles.” Her throat felt tight.
She closed her eyes and tried to calm down. When she opened them, she made her way closer to the river, away from other people. Elijah walked beside her. “After the accident, we decided not to try again for a while. But then with the Tube, and the changes we went through, Bruno and I were ready to try again. And then you know what happened.”
“He was killed.” Elijah’s voice sounded normal, but there was melancholy coming from him that overruled his curiosity.
“Ever since the accident, I get panic attacks when I see needles, and when I sit in the driver’s seat of a car. With Bruno gone, I lost all thoughts of getting pregnant.”
“How does Gabriel feel about that?”
“He’s not a fan of kids. He actively hides from his nephews every chance he gets and refuses to hold a baby. He’s quite all right with the idea.”
“I see,” Elijah said, thoughtful.
Alice’s phone rang, and she fished it out of her bag. She looked at the caller ID and suppressed a sigh. She should have known he would feel her sadness through their bond. “Hey, Gabriel.”
“Are you all right? Did something happen?” He sounded calm, but she could feel his worry.
“No, everything is fine.”
“I felt your distress. Why are you sad? Do you need me to come get you?”
“No, no need. I was just explaining to Elijah why I don’t like needles.”
“I see… Are you okay?” His tone changed, and reassurance came through the bond.
“I’m fine.” She sent some of her own love back, her hand on her rabbit necklace.
“Are you guys driving back to the house?”
“No, we are taking a stroll near the river.”
“That was not the plan. You were supposed to have lunch and go back.” Again, his voice was casual, but she could feel his worry.
“It’s just a short stroll, and then we will go straight home.” She sighed, her joy in the walk dimmed by Gabriel’s apprehension.
“All right, then,” he relented and closed the bond on his side. “Just don’t take long.”
“I love you,” she said in her sweetest voice.
“I love you too,” he replied and ended the call.
Alice tried to enjoy the sun as they strolled. At least Boss was having fun.
Elijah and Gabriel were smothering her in security, their instincts still on edge since what happened in the nightclub. Elijah thought he had failed at his job, and was now overcompensating in every security aspect he could. And Gabriel was still a turmoil of emotions, his fear of losing her overcoming his better judgment sometimes.
Although all the security and stress were chafing her, she understood it. The worry her friends felt, and the stress that came from Gabriel, were a weight she could only alleviate by staying safe.
“Do you miss dance class?” Elijah asked, an odd feeling coming from him.
“Yes.” She missed it terribly.
“I’ve reviewed security on the dance studio and talked with Naomi. I was thinking maybe you could go back this week.”
“What? Isn’t it too soon?” she asked, surprised. “We don’t know when the strays will be back. Do you think it’s safe?”
“I think you need normalcy back in your life.” He squeezed her shoulder. “And it’s my job to make sure you are safe, not yours.”
“Alice.”
She heard the voice again. She turned completely around, trying to find who was calling her. The voice sounded familiar.
“I would love to go back to dance class. Naomi will be thrilled too.” She squinted at the sunlight as she looked up at Elijah. “Gabriel might not be okay with it, though.”
“You let me worry about that,” he reassured her as they made their way back to the car. “I have just one condition, though.”
“What?” she asked, suspicious.
“We are going back to the shooting range,” he told her, and ignored her loud groan. “And you are going to start carrying the gun I gifted you.”
“But that’s awful for me,” she complained.
“But for me, it’s peace of mind…”
Gabriel
Gabriel had barely strolled into the building, and he was already cursing at how easy it was to access it. No one at the door to check who came in? No security cameras? He was going to have a talk with the owner after he retrieved Alice.
He arrived at a reception desk next to a pair of double doors. There was a glass wall all around the reception area, with only a small opening to talk with the receptionist. But said receptionist was busy with her computer and didn’t pay him any attention. He put his hand on the double doors to find them locked, and an alarm started blaring immediately. Two hulking alphas came out from another door and flanked him. The lady at the reception desk poked her head out from behind the glass and looked him up and down. Then she picked up a microphone next to her computer screen.
“False alarm. Please resume your classes.”
The alarm shut down and the alphas stepped away from him.
“I understand that you are the First Chair of our country, but I would still appreciate if you checked in with me first before looking for your mate,” she said from behind the glass.
“And here I thought you guys had no security at all.”
“Please…” The woman rolled her eyes. “We’ve been following you on camera since you stepped out of the car. By the way, no parking allowed in front of the main doors. Please do remember that next time.”
Gabriel stared dumbfounded at the woman. Was she an omega or something? Where did she get the balls to tell him off?
He stepped toward the glass to take a better look at her. An unchanged human. He was definitely going to have a talk with Naomi about this.
“I’ll let Ms. Lopes and Ms. Diallo know you’re here.” The woman turned her attention back to her computer. “You may pass. The classroom is the last door on the left.”
The doors unlocked, and he was able to open them without any more alarms blaring in his ears.
Inside, he found a corridor flanked on each side with several doors. He peeked through the glass on the first door to his right. In a brightly lit room filled with mirrors, he saw dozens of small kids dressed in tutus and tights, following the movements of their teacher. They were both clumsy and adorable. He chuckled as he watched them for a minute before continuing the search for his mate.
Different types of music drifted out of each door as he walked. Classical music, salsa, samba, and other tunes made him feel like he was switching the stations on a radio just by walking down the corridor.
Reaching the last door on the left, he could hear a pop song. He peered through the glass. Standing in front of a huge mirror, an agile full-figured woman was showing the class a complicated movement that ended with her kneeling on the floor. The class followed her movements, but most of the women ended up falling in an odd position, Alice included. Naomi gave her a hand up, and both women laughed. Gabriel couldn’t help a smile of his own.
Starting the music from the beginning, the class did the whole choreography in one go. He watched as Alice spun and moved with grace to the sound of a fast-beat song. Most of the choreography was quick, but there were some moments where the pace slowed down, and the movements were more—how could he put it? Sensual.
He had expected to find Alice in one of those frilly tutus, executing elegant dance moves to classical piano. Not a devilishly seductive dance to a pop tune.
The class danced in perfect sync, only missing the last step, when most of the class ended up on the floor again. A big laugh erupted from them, and then they clapped and whistled. Then the students gathered their things and started to drift out of the classroom.
The women that came through the door greeted him with a big smile and some mild flirting. He greeted them back, but his eyes were still on Alice. She had gone to a corner of the room to pick up her bag. Naomi stood next to her, drinking water. Someone must have called Alice’s name, because she looked suddenly to the other side of the room. Gabriel followed her gaze, but from his angle, he couldn’t see who it was.
“Hey, Gabriel. Came to spy on our dancing?” Naomi called him out when she left the classroom.
He kissed her on the cheek. “I wouldn’t call it spying. Enjoying would be more accurate.”
“Ahh. Do you enjoy my studio, then? Think I did a good job?”
“Not sure about that. Why on earth do you have an unchanged human at the front desk?”
Alice poked him in the arm. “You mean Ms. Marques? She is a wonderful person, always reminds me to fill my water bottle before class.”
Gabriel swallowed his next comment.
“An unchanged human is harder to boss around, including by alphas. Which means she won’t open the classroom doors unless a very strong command is given,” Naomi explained. “I asked Matts to check her out before Alice rejoined dance classes two years ago, and she pretty much told him to piss off. I knew I could trust her there.”
“Told Matts to piss off? That doesn’t sound right,” he argued.
“Well, her words were more, ‘Either propose or stop grabbing my hand,’ but close enough.”
“Tough gal.” Gabriel chuckled. Still, he was not convinced. Maybe he should have a talk with Matts about her.
“Going to take a shower, then I’ll join you in the car,” Alice told him.
“No, let’s go straight to the car. You can shower at home,” he said, grabbing her butt.
“I’m all smelly. Do you want me dripping sweat on your leather seats?”
“I’ll crank up the AC. No need for you to risk taking a shower here.”
Alice groaned and rolled her eyes while Naomi laughed and went to the showers.
He opened the car door for her and walked around to his side, always scanning their surroundings for anything suspicious. He waved to Lemos, who was in the car behind them, before driving off.
Alice lowered her window all the way down and leaned her arm on the car door, closing her eyes. She was tired, probably because of the class. Gabriel was hit with a pang of guilt. It had been a while since she attended, and it was at his suggestion. He reached out and held her arm, then trailed his fingers down until he took her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. He held it there, inhaling the sweet, if somewhat sweaty, smell of her skin. He felt a flutter of pleasure coming from her, and as soon as they hit a red light, he looked her up and down.
There were little droplets of sweat on her forehead, with one single drop crawling down her cleavage. He wanted to reach out and catch that drop. The dance movements she had done in class flashed in his mind, that seductive trailing of her hands over her body, and the way she rotated her hips. He felt himself getting hard at the thought. Damn, this was the leather dress all over again.
Gabriel wondered if she had danced like that for Bruno, and then he wondered if she would dance like that for him. He wanted to ask her but hesitated. Dance class was for herself, something she did because she enjoyed it. Would it be intrusive of him to want to turn it into something sensual?
He spent half the drive home vacillating between wanting to ask her and changing his mind.
“Just turn on the AC if you think I’m that smelly,” she told him, chuckling. “You’re the one who didn’t let me shower.”
