Salvation (The Guardian Angel Series Book 3) by Skyla Madi Read Free Book Online

over to me, his leather dress shoes tapping slightly on the floor. I tilted my head down so he could access the pin. As he got within inches of me, my breathing quickened and my heart rattled against my ribcage. After a year of being without Eli, he still had the same effect on me. Somehow, he managed to get my hairpin free. I held out my hand and he placed it on my palm. When he didn’t step back, I glanced up at him. His eyes were intense and warm, flickering as if he was fighting some internal struggle.
    “She’s down for the count.” Xavier entered the living room.
    He smiled awkwardly when he noticed how close together Eli and I were standing. “I’ll wait outside.”
    I cleared my throat and stepped away from Eli and his crazy gravitational pull. I walked over to the kitchen bench and pulled out the remaining hairpins, setting them down on the hard surface. I ran my fingers through my hair and it fell nicely around my shoulders.
    “Before I forget,” I crossed the room and took his whistle out of my purse. “Here’s your whistle. I should have given it back sooner.”
    “No, you keep it. It’s yours.”
    I held it against his chest. “You need to give it to Mila.”
    He frowned. “She told you?”
    I nodded.
    “Are you mad?”
    “I don’t know. I don’t think I’m mad— jealous maybe , but not mad.”
    The corners of his lips twitched into a smile as he took the whistle from my hand and stuffed it into his pants pocket. “Do you have another dress?”
    “Maybe. Why?”
    “Because we have a party to attend.”
    “No, thanks. I’ve had enough excitement for one night and I really should stay with Mila.”
    “Mr. Aleksandrov will be worried if both you and Mila aren’t at the party. Come. You can tell him she was feeling under the weather and has gone to bed.”
    I clicked my tongue against my teeth in thought. “Fine, but I’m going to say goodnight to Mr. Aleksandrov and then I’m coming straight back.”
    Eli smiled. “I’ll meet you outside.”
    I ran into the bathroom and when I saw my dress in the mirror, I almost burst into tears. It was torn and covered in grass stains and dirt. It had wet patches on it and smelled strongly of wine. My skin was just as bad. Quickly, I slipped out of my clothes and jumped into the shower, careful not to wet my hair—it’d be easier to brush if it was dry.
    When I got out, I pulled the red dress from its bag hanging on the back of the bathroom door and slid into it. The strapless gown hugged my curves and I spun around on the spot to get a view of the back. It was good enough.
    I put on a fresh layer of make-up, brushed my hair, and left the bathroom. I was tired now, my legs ached, and the alcohol had worn off. Bed seemed like the best thing to do, but alas, here I was, shoes on, dressed up, and ready to party again.

    In the rush of it all, I forgot to retrieve my coat from the dining hall, so as I stepped outside and the cool night air blew against my skin, I felt it.
    “You two go. I’ll stay in case Mila wakes up.”
    I eyed Xavier suspiciously, unsure of his motives.
    “I’ll stay outside,” he added.
    I nodded. “I’ll be back soon.”
    I turned my attention to Eli, who watched me admiringly. He didn’t say anything, only watched. My cheeks heated under his gaze. Maybe the dress wasn’t as mediocre as I first thought. We didn’t talk until we got to the dining hall, despite the light conversation we had before Xavier entered, Eli was still closed off to me.
    “There you kids are!” Frank called from across the room.
    His sudden, loud voice drew attention to us. Some people watched us with big smiles and friendly eyes; others watched us cautiously—like we were here to ruin the party. Frank made his way through the crowd and over to us.
    “Maybe my eyes are failing me but I could’ve sworn that you were wearing a gold dress earlier?”
    “It got dirty.”
    Frank rolled his eyes at Eli. “Women, I can’t even begin to understand