Archenemies (Renegades #2)(110)

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

“SHOULD WE DANCE?”

The words, whispered almost against her ear, made Nova jump nearly out of her skin. It took her a moment to process the question, blinking at Adrian as her nerves tingled. She had a list building in the back of her thoughts. A dozen lists. Everything she still had to do. Everything that could go wrong tonight.

Adrian gestured toward the dance floor. She spotted Ruby and Oscar already out there. Nova hadn’t noticed them leave the table. Rather than letting his cane impede his moves, Oscar was using it as a prop—spinning Ruby away one second, then using the cane as a pretend fishing pole to “catch” her and reel her back in. Ruby shook her head, momentarily mortified, but her laughter soon took over. And then she was following along, puffing out her cheeks and pretending to swim circles around him. Other dancers were giving them odd looks, but the two could have had the dance floor to themselves for all they seemed to care.

“Yeah,” Nova breathed, reminding herself to act normal. As normal as possible, anyway. “Okay.”

Adrian took her hand as they made their way through the tables. Though his grip was loose, it still sent a series of lightning bolts shooting up her arm.

Only once he’d taken her into his arms and they were surrounded by the upbeat notes of the band did Nova remember that she didn’t know how to do this. She had been trained to fight. To kill. What did she know about dancing?

But Adrian seemed no more comfortable than she was, and she was relieved when the extent of his skills seemed to be pressing one hand against her lower back and turning them around in time with the music. Nova observed their fellow dancers. Her attention found Blacklight, who normally struck her as pompous and vain, but she was surprised to see him intentionally making a mockery of himself. One moment he was flourishing his hands in the air, then twisting his hips in imitation of some mid-century dance steps. He looked like he was having fun.

Not far away was Tsunami, who was dancing with a man who was almost portly compared to her petite frame. They were moving way too slow, and gazing into each other’s eyes, as if for the moment they were the only people in the room. Was that her husband? Nova had never seen him before, and he didn’t at all fit what she would have pictured Tsunami’s partner to look like. Too short, too round, too … balding. He was about as opposite the mate of a great superhero as she could have imagined, but there was no mistaking the doting glimpses between them.

Her jaw clenched, though she wasn’t sure what about them made irritation rear up inside her.

Dragging her focus back to Adrian, Nova tried to school her expression into pleasantness, while inside she wanted to scream. How could Adrian be so nice, so sweet, so authentic, always so damned authentic? How could he be one of them?

“Look, Nova,” started Adrian, “I wanted to make sure that … last night…” He trailed off, and Nova’s pulse jumped as memories jumbled together all over again. His kisses, his hands, the headphones, the star … “I didn’t … cross a line, or anything, did I?”

She laughed, though more from discomfort than anything. “I wasn’t exactly pushing you away,” she said, her cheeks reddening. At the memory of it. At the truth of her words.

A faint smile twitched at his lips. “Yeah, but … I just didn’t want you thinking…” Again, he seemed incapable of finishing his sentence, and Nova wondered what it was she shouldn’t be thinking. Then Adrian’s thoughts seemed to change direction. “And I’m really sorry about the whole falling asleep thing. I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was, and I don’t want you to think that I was … you know. Bored, or something.”

“It’s okay,” she said, the heat in her cheeks becoming nearly insufferable. “You needed the rest.”

He looked away, and she noticed that he didn’t hurry to agree with her. He wasn’t suspicious, was he? She couldn’t tell. Her palms started to sweat and she resisted the urge to wipe them on the shoulders of his tuxedo jacket. She had felt those muscles before, when she’d nestled her head against them moments before falling asleep. She certainly did not need to feel them again. Not tonight.

“For the record,” said Adrian, quieter now, so that she had to strain to hear him, “just in case there’s any … confusion. I really like you, Nova.”

Goose bumps erupted across her skin. He was watching her closely.

She swallowed. “I really like you too.”

It wasn’t even a lie.

Adrian seemed relieved, if not entirely surprised by her confession.

“I’m glad,” he said. “Because I know I haven’t always been super smooth when it comes to … this.” He gestured between the two of them.

She lifted an eyebrow. “No, you’re clearly a neophyte when it comes to … this.” She mimicked his gesture.

Rather than laugh, as she expected, Adrian’s small smile turned to a confused frown. “Neophyte?”

“Sorry,” said Nova, chuckling again, and wondering if it was possible for her to be any more terrible at this. “It means amateur.”

“I know what it—” Adrian caught himself, and his frown deepened further. She could see him contemplating something as he stared at her.

“What?” she asked.