Chapter 8 #2
Then she thought of all the people counting on her to help make their lives better. “I’ve come so far,” Liliana said. “I’ve never quit anything in my life.”
“Stubborn to a fault if you ask me.” Rachel squeezed her hand and smiled. “It makes you who you are. I love you for it. And so do all the people rooting for you.”
It was the right thing to do. She just had to get the images of a little Dax and little Liliana out of her mind. They weren’t part of her plan, and she’d just have to get over it. “I’m not giving up. I’m in this race to win it.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Rachel said. “Now, who’s up for some dancing? I understand they have a live band in the bar and a dance floor. You two should celebrate your engagement.” Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “By the way, how did he propose? I’m dying to know. Did he do it right?”
Liliana stared down at her ring. “It was actually on the way here.” She glanced up into Dax’s eyes. “He found this ring in the Yellowstone visitor’s center and popped the question as Ol’ Faithful erupted behind us.” She smiled. “It was amazing.”
Rachel sighed. “He did it right. He must know how much you love Yellowstone and everything about it.”
Liliana stared down at the ring on her finger, moisture stinging in her eyes. “And he couldn’t have picked a more perfect ring.” As perfect as his proposal had been, she couldn’t help but feel sad.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
“What’s this?” Rachel frowned. “Are you crying?”
Liliana wiped the moisture from her face and forced a smile. “It was so perfect it makes me want to cry happy tears.” Why was lying getting easier?
Because the truth made her chest hurt.
Rachel clapped her hands together. “All the more reason to celebrate with a little dancing.”
Kujo raised his hand. “We’re out. Six isn’t so good with loud noises like drums and cymbal crashes. We’re going to call it a night.”
Rachel laughed. “I’m up for at least one song. I want to see the happy couple make magic on the dance floor, and then I’m going to call it a night as well. I need to catch up on emails and soak in a hot tub.”
“I don’t know,” Liliana said. “I’m pretty tired as well. So much happened today.”
Rachel shook her head, pushed back her chair and stood.
“No excuses. Besides, dancing can help calm you. Come on. I’ll show you where it is.
Kujo and Six, sleep well. We’ll get an early start at five-thirty.
We’ll want to be at the breakfast diner by six in the morning.
That way, Liliana can catch folks going to work and going home from the night shift. ”
Liliana stood. Though they’d gone over a lot of subjects on their ride down, they hadn’t discussed their views on dancing.
Personally, Liliana loved to dance but hadn’t done it since college.
Kujo and Six headed for their room while Rachel led the way to the bar.
Liliana hung back a little and leaned close to Dax. “You don’t have to do this. We can go up to the room and call it a night.”
He frowned down at her. “I don’t mind—unless you don’t want to.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know too many guys who like to dance. You might be one of them. We didn’t go over that in our journey of getting to know each other.”
He grinned and looped her arm through his. “Don’t worry. I’m not one of them. My father would rather die than dance. He refused to perform the first dance with my mother at his own wedding.”
“Maybe he was embarrassed because he had no rhythm,” Liliana suggested.
His lips pressed together. “All he had to do was hold her and sway, but he wouldn’t even do that.” He squeezed her arm in his. “Don’t worry. I can sway if nothing else.” He tipped his head toward Rachel. “We’ll give your assistant her celebratory dance and be done.”
Butterflies fluttered inside Liliana’s belly at the thought of being held in Dax’s arms. She knew they were headed in the right direction when she heard strains of music echoing into the hallway.
Rachel hurried to open the bar door and waited as they passed through.
Inside the bar, the lights were turned down low. A three-man band played a fast song in the corner while three couples danced freestyle on the softly lit dance floor.
Rachel found an empty table and waved for a waitress.
After they ordered drinks, Rachel sat back, grinning. “Your engagement might just be the catalyst to push you over the edge in the polls.”
Liliana didn’t want to talk about the election, marketing or anything else. She was hyper-aware of the man sitting beside her, his thigh touching hers.
A fast song ended, and the band shifted gears into a slow, sensuous tune.
Heart racing, Liliana braced herself, hoping this was the one Dax would want to dance to. Fast dances were fun but slow…
Hell, slow dancing, if done right, was like making love on the dance floor.
About to ask him herself, Liliana opened her mouth.
Dax held out his hand. “Will you dance with me?”
She smiled, placed her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet and into his arms.
Rachel sighed loudly as they passed her and stepped onto the dance floor.
Dax didn’t just sway to the music. He knew how to dance and led her through some dance moves she wasn’t familiar with, yet somehow had her following easily. As the song drew to a close, he swung her away from him and then back into his arms, dipping her low.
“Just for show,” he whispered.
She looked up into his eyes as he bent over her. God, she prayed he’d kiss her.
Then he did, stealing her breath away in a gentle kiss that melted the bones in her knees.
Around them, the music played on. If it stopped, Liliana couldn’t tell. All she could hear was the thundering beat of her heart reverberating against her eardrums and feel the strength of Dax’s arms around her.
She wanted the song to go on forever as long as Dax held her in his arms.