A clash echoed through the hall as one of the artists dropped her glass of wine.
Every artists jaw dropped, and their eyes widened in shock.
Tatiana was no exception; her entire body froze at Cassius’s actions. His lips were on hers, one arm possessively holding her waist close, while the other rested on her face.
His lips moved slowly as his tongue slid out, forcing her mouth to open for him. As if under a spell, Tatiana found herself closing her eyes and opening her mouth to respond.
The only sound she could hear was her fast-beating heart and the sound of their lips moving against each other. Her mind went haywire.
She slid her arms around his neck, wrapping them tightly, while he pulled her waist closer. A light, soft moan escaped her throat.
As they broke the kiss, Tatiana noticed the smirk on his lips, and then she realized they were still in the King’s hall. She had responded to the kiss in front of everyone.
One of the artists choked on her saliva and began to cough.
Her face turned red as she wished the ground would open up and swallow her. She immediately wrapped her arms around Cassius and buried her face in his chest. So cute.
“Oh my God,” she mumbled, feeling the stares of everyone.
“What are you doing?” she heard him ask, his chest vibrating from the thickness of his voice. She buried her face further as if she wanted to disappear into him.
“What did you make me do, Cash?” she mumbled softly. He gently ruffled her hair and chuckled.
“You look so cute when you’re embarrassed. I wanted them to know you’re their Queen.”
Tatiana blushed but immediately contorted her face into an upset expression. She looked up to him “You could have warned me.”
“I like surprising you. Your reactions are just too cute,” he whispered, and she bit her lip.
Breaking the hug, she faced the artists surrounding her with a shocked look.
“Hi everyone… I’m Tatiana King,” she introduced herself.
“Wow,” one of them chuckled. “No way.”
“Wow,” Brandon muttered, leaning on a table for support. “I almost died.”
“So, President King is Dylan’s father-your mysterious lover?” one of them asked, and Tatiana nodded.
“Aww,” many of them chorused, and Tatiana bit her lower lip harder.
“Enough with the stares; let the party continue,” Cassius snapped his fingers, and the elegant slow music returned.
“Dance with me,” Cassius offered his hand to Tatiana, and she slowly accepted. He drew her close, placing one hand on her waist.
The tiny strand of hair that fell to one side of his face made him look incredibly charming.
“I’m not good at dancing,” Tatiana chuckled, trying to balance herself.
“I’ll teach you, just follow my lead,” he whispered, intertwining his second hand with hers. He swayed her around, and Tatiana gasped but found herself in his arms again.
“Trust me,” he said, and she chuckled.
He made her stand again and began to move, guiding her with every step.
They glided across the floor, their feet moving in rhythm. The awkwardness Tatiana felt before began to fade, replaced by a sense of grace and fluidity she never knew she possessed.
“Way to go, little Rebel, you’re a natural,” he locked his gaze with hers and kissed her knuckle gently.
Her heart fluttered. How could this man be so romantic? How lucky she felt!
Both were oblivious to the stares of others. Some even wished they were Tatiana. No one had ever seen this side of Mr. King before!
Who would have thought this man was a king of romance?
Jolene, who was grinning from ear to ear, suddenly remembered Jaxon. She saw him drinking and pressing his phone, seemingly unbothered by what was going on.
‘Why is he acting different all of a sudden?’ she thought.
Deep down, she wondered what it would feel like to dance with Jaxon…
Jolene’s eyes widened at the thought. Her hands went to her cheeks. Was she falling for him already? How could a thought like that pop into her mind?
—
Jaxon stopped fiddling with his phone when Hudson and Indigo stepped out. They both stopped talking when they spotted him.
“Cool,” Jaxon smiled and took a sip of his drink.
“Jax, you okay?” Hudson stepped forward.
“I’m fine. What?” Jaxon asked, his voice betraying him, sounding rough.
“You don’t look okay. You drink whenever you’re mad at something,” Hudson said.
“Hmm… thanks for knowing me. I need some time alone,” he said as he stood up and walked past them, the bottle of alcohol still in his hand.
“Will he be okay?” Indigo asked Hudson.
“He will. He is terrible at hiding things. He’ll come around,” Hudson smiled and led her back to the hall. Both were shocked to see Cassius and Tatiana dancing.
“He let everyone know,” Hudson observed, glancing at Indigo, who briefly showed a flash of anger and disbelief on her face, though it was just for a moment.
“Wow, this is unexpected,” Indigo smiled, though it seemed forced. “It’s lovely… And…”
Hudson watched her take a deep breath, his expression shifting.
“Dee,” he called, and she looked at him. An unexpected question left his lips.
“Do you still love Cassius?” he asked, and her lips parted.
No response.
Hudson slowly released her, disappointment and disbelief flashing in his gaze.
“Huds. Huds, no… no, I don’t love Cass anymore. I want you… I…”
“I need some time alone,” he said, his heart and chest clashing together as he slowly left the hall. Indigo rushed to follow.
“Hudson, listen. It’s not what you think. Please wait!” Indigo called out, and Hudson suddenly stopped to look at her.
Her chest heaved from her small chase after him. She shook her head. “It’s not what you think, please.”
“Then what, Dee? Then what? I thought you said you were over him!” he almost yelled, watching her swallow nervously.
Christ, he was almost losing his cool.
“I… I don’t know what happened when I saw them, okay? I honestly don’t know what happened. I just felt something strike me; I don’t know what it is…”
“Do you love me?” he cut in, and Indigo paused.
She hesitated. His heart clenched as realization slowly hit him. They hadn’t exchanged the words “I love you.” Right now, he felt stupid.
“Huds,” she stepped forward.
“Don’t.” His voice cracked, and she stopped. “Fuck! This was the reason why I avoided you, Dee. Did you just use my feelings to get over Cash? I can’t believe you. I just can’t!”
“Huds, please.”
“I thought we had something, Dee. Do you know how long I’ve been craving to have you, and yet you took advantage of it? You’ve been in love with Cash since you were twelve. I was fucking jealous the whole time, but I never showed it. I tried to be with other girls, but all I could think of was you, Dee. Why in the world would you do this? I fucking wish we had remained friends. Geez!”
“Hudson, please stay calm,” she was crying, and he saw how her body trembled with each word he threw at her.
“Don’t say that. Fuck, it’s my fault, though. I know it’s not easy to just get over someone you’ve loved for years. Just… Sigh… I gotta go,” Hudson swept his brown hair back and headed for his car.
He’d tell Cassius he was feeling sick or something, and that was why he left.