Free Experiment in Terror 05.6 The Dex-Files by Karina Halle Page B

the piano notes of Billy Joel’s “She’s Always a Woman.” I held out my hand, hoping she’d take it.
    Her eyes lit up and she took my hand. I quickly grasped it, cool and white between my fingers. I led her to the floor and put my arm around her, bringing her in hard and fast to my side. She was mine. For the sake of appearances, she was my wife, but she was mine anyway. She didn’t know it yet, but I did. It was wrong and it made no sense, but she belonged with me. No one else, not any-one else.
    It was a shame that I was the one who belonged to someone else. I wondered if I’d ever have the strength to correct that or if I’d punish myself forever.
    We started dancing slowly, side to side, and I put one hand behind her back, where it was hot and small, temptingly close to her ass. The other held her hand. I kept her as close to me as possible, but I didn’t want to impose like Maximus did. Besides, the last thing Perry needed was to feel my hard-on on her hip, even though it was fucking tempting to let her know what she was doing to me. I entertained the idea that she might even like it. It was a high school dance all over again.
    I had to know. I stared into her eyes, lost in the storm, and started singing along with Joel. Softly, and at a distance to start, then I leaned into her ear where it smelled like sunshine and baby powder. I closed my eyes and sang, feeling my breath bound off of her ear in hot clouds. It was taking all of my willpower to not take this further, to not wrap my lips around it and lick the lobe to see what it would taste like. See if I could make those eyes roll back and make her forget everything that had happened to her. I didn’t want to be Red Fox’s savior, but I wanted to be hers.
    As if hearing my thoughts and welcoming them, she laid her head on my shoulder. I tried willing my heart to beat slower, knowing how fast it was racing now. This felt so perfect, a perfection I didn’t deserve but I would take it if I could get it.
    And then wham bam thank you m’am , the spell was gone. Perry raised her head back and looked wide-eyed and vaguely frightened. I couldn’t figure her out if I tried. But I wouldn’t let her go. The song ended, but I kept my arms wrapped tight around her, not letting her move an inch. If she was having some internal battle again, she could do so in my arms.
    “Whatcha doing, wifey?” I joked, secretly enjoying the sound of that.
    She gave me a look of forced casualness. “Song’s over.”
    Right. Like that’s what happened behind those deep eyes of hers.
    “Is it?” I asked, knowing exactly what was coming next. Yep, I was a smooth one tonight. Found two Billy Joel songs on the jukebox and bogarted them both. I was sure the hillbilly folks of Red Fox would be put out without their country incest bullshit, but I was in town and I had a fake wife to impress.
    I don’t know if she was impressed, though. She looked shocked. I didn’t know if that was good or bad.
    “Don’t look so worried,” I told her, trying to put her at ease. “Best fifty cents I ever spent.”
    “What, did you select Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits or something?”
    Er, maybe she wasn’t finding it as charming as I thought. Maybe I was being creepy. Wouldn’t be the first time.
    “Well, I tried,” I admitted. “But these were the only two songs. I’m afraid it’s Poison after this, so you should probably enjoy this dance while you can.”
    “You really like Billy Joel, don’t you?”
    Oh, she was just so clueless. Bless her heart. I brought her in closer to me so she’d start picking up on the right idea. Which was the wrong idea. Or a bad, naughty idea.
    “He’s all right,” I said, having a hard time keeping my amused grin under wraps. “But I figured you might dance with me if I put this on. Only fair that I get to dance with my wife.”
    She blushed at my choice of words. “A good wife would dance with you to anything. Especially with you. You’re a modern