Pride of the Lion: Hades' Carnival, Book 3 Read Online Free

hand. “Come on. You need to loosen up and have some fun.”
    She barely had time to deposit her almost empty glass on a table before she was dragged to the center of the floor. Luna began to shake her hips to the beat. The movement was sensual and provocative. Sweat made her skin shimmer in the lights. Several of the male models joined them and one of them grabbed Araminta around her waist.
    “Come on, baby. Dance.”
    Araminta moved, but it was nowhere near as smooth and lovely as Luna. Still, she gave it her best shot. Before long, the model released her and moved on to another woman. A woman dancing near her accidentally bumped her, smiled and kept dancing. Everyone she looked at was smiling and dancing. Araminta did her best to keep up.
    One song bled into another, the music never stopping. She danced with the other women, trying to get her feet to follow the intricate steps of those around her. And when she couldn’t follow the dance, she simply moved. Every now and then, she closed her eyes and let the rhythm take her wherever it wanted to lead. It was liberating not to care what anyone else thought of her dancing. The object was to have fun, not to impress anyone.
    Another fast song and then another and another filled the space. Some of the music she recognized and some of it was new to her, but she enjoyed it all. No one seemed to stop dancing, so she didn’t either.
    Luna’s laughter floated past her. Araminta turned but couldn’t see the other woman. She blinked as the lights seemed to dim and the shapes of the people around her began to blur. Her legs unexpectedly felt unsteady, probably a result of all the dancing. She wasn’t used to such vigorous exercise.
    Araminta slowly made her way to the edge of the crowd and headed toward the doorway. Her head was spinning and she was suddenly finding it hard to breathe. Too many people in a confined space was making her too warm.
    She glanced toward the bar. Rick was talking to a woman, but he looked her way, raised his hand and smiled. She gave him a weak wave before shoving open the door and stepping out into the empty foyer.
    Fresh air hit her and she took a deep breath. “Party animal, you’re not,” she muttered as she leaned against the wall for a moment to catch her breath. The muscles in her legs were still quivering and her knees felt like jelly. She glanced at the clock on the wall over the reception desk and was shocked to realize she’d been dancing for several hours. Time had certainly flown.
    But she’d had fun and done something she’d never done before, but it was time to call it a night. Pleased with herself and with the night in general, she pushed herself away from the wall and headed toward the elevators.

Chapter Two
    Araminta hummed a tune under her breath as she rode up in the elevator. The party was still hopping in the ballroom but she was worn out from dancing and laughing with the other women. She needed some rest if she was going to get through the workshops and booksigning tomorrow. Not to mention the party tomorrow night. She was glad this was only a weekend conference or she might not make it to the end.
    She dug her keycard out of her small shoulder bag and had it ready when the elevator doors opened. Her shoes made little sound on the carpeting as she made her way to her room. When the door closed behind her, she gave a sigh of relief and kicked off her shoes.
    She groaned and flexed her poor abused toes. “I don’t know how those other women manage to dance all night in four-inch heels,” she muttered. “Guess it takes practice.”
    She padded to the bed and almost fell face-first onto the mattress but refrained. Once her head hit the pillow, she knew she’d be out for the count. It didn’t take her long to gather her nightgown and head toward the bathroom. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water flow over her body.
    Her skin felt extra sensitive, almost tender and she took a