Ava didn't know what she was expecting when she placed her hand in Nicholas's, but the electricity that shot up her arm wasn't it. His grip was firm, warm, possessive. The kind that made her pulse race.
He pulled her against him, their bodies almost flush. The heat of his skin seared through the thin fabric of her dress as his hand settled low on her waist, fingers pressing into her hip. Ava sucked in a sharp breath.
"Relax," he murmured, his lips dangerously close to her ear.
Her breath hitched as his other hand trailed down her spine, deliberate and slow. "You're tense."
"I wonder why," she said breathlessly.
Nicholas smirked, his thumb grazing her exposed collarbone. "You're full of surprises, Ava Morgan."
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "You don't even know me."
His fingers traced small circles on her hip. "Not yet."
Ava shivered, and Nicholas leaned in, his lips barely grazing her ear as he whispered, "But I will."
Ava's heart pounded as he pulled her even closer, their bodies moving in sync with the music. Every touch, every brush of his fingers against her skin sent tingles down her spine. It was intoxicating, overwhelming—completely unlike anything she had ever felt before.
And for the first time, she didn't want to resist.