Luna
TWENTY
“You two know each other?” Noah bunches up his eyebrows, picking up on the uncomfortable silence in the room.
“His daughter is in my dance class,” I finally say, not meeting Cayden’s eyes. I’m not about to tell them how well I know him, or the fact that since I saw him during the wedding, he is all I’ve been thinking about.
Why does he have to look so damn irresistible in a suit?
“Interesting,” my sister murmurs, hiding her smile as she studies us.
Great, she can already tell I’m drooling and lying out of my ass about him being just a dad to one of my students.
“Savi gave me the recommendation, and I’m glad I listened. Luna’s dance class is all Scarlett talks about. ” The mention of his daughter has me smiling in his direction.
“I love having her in my class. She’s amazing. Her love of dance reminds me so much of myself at her age,” I beam. “You must be so proud of her.”
“She’s everything to me,” he says quietly, his green eyes giving nothing away.
I wish I knew what he was thinking right now, but he’s got his guard up like a fortress tonight, and I can’t pass the barrier.
“Well, we can’t wait to meet her,” Noah grins. “God, it’s a small world,” he laughs. “What are the chances that your daughter would end up in my sister’s dance class?”
“You should know out of everyone how fate brings people together who are meant to meet,” Emma smiles at my brother as they share an unspoken secret between them.
“Not even fate could have kept me away,” he smiles before kissing his wife on the lips.
I watch my brother and Emma, and a deep longing pulls through my body.
My gaze turns to Cayden, and he’s studying me quietly. His intense green eyes don’t waver, holding mine just long enough to make it impossible to pretend there isn’t something between us.
“Everyone ready to head down to the reception?” Mav unwraps his arms from around my sister and takes her hand. “I, for one, am looking forward to dancing with my beautiful wife all night.”
“Amen to that,” Noah smiles at Emma as we follow the guests to the stairs leading down to the balcony below us, where the reception is being held.
Clutching my handbag, I give a sideways glance to Cayden, and his strong jaw line is locked in place, and seems a mile away.
Focusing straight ahead, I walk down the stairs with everyone and admire the view. It’s just as gorgeous down here with honeysuckles draped everywhere and string lights illuminating the bar and various high tops with candles and flowers at each centerpiece.
Beyond the balcony, the sound of the ocean rolling against the shore is heard in the distance as the moon reflects over the dark waters.
The back wall of the building is all glass with a double door leading inside.
I see tables set up for our meal just beyond the windows with similar centerpieces, and a wooden dance floor situated in the back next to a stage.
Beautiful chandeliers give a soft ambiance to the place as I watch guests mingle about.
My brother and sister head to the bar with their spouses to get us some drinks, leaving Cayden and me alone by the glass railing.
I’m surprised he’s still here. As much as he’s been avoiding me, I expected him to bolt the minute we got down here and join his teammates who are sitting on the other side of the bar at one of the high tops.
“So, Noah’s your brother,” he says, with a slight chuckle, leaning his forearms on the railing and staring out at the ocean.
“Since birth,” I confirm, staring straight ahead at the moonlit waters.
“I already guessed that part,” he says, dryly, but I notice a touch of humor in his voice, telling me he liked my smart ass comment.
“He told me he had a younger sister when I saw him at Rusty’s, but I had no clue it was you he was talking about.”
“Does it matter?” I half laugh.
“It can…complicate things,” he sighs.
“Why? You’re a dad to one of my dance students. End of story,” I say, getting frustrated by the minute that he still has such a hold on me.
His masculine scent wafts through the air with the slight breeze, sealing into my lungs like my body wants to lock it deep inside to savor it for later.
“Because now every time I look Noah in the eye tonight, I have to pretend that I don’t hear his sister moaning my name every second of every goddamn day for the last three weeks.
” His eyes burn into mine with such hunger and resistance that I have to grip the railing to keep my legs from giving out on me.
“I have to pretend… That I don’t want to hear it again,” he says, his voice low and full of forbidden sin dripping from it.
“I got you a bourbon,” Noah says, handing Cayden the amber drink, breaking our moment. “Since we bonded at Knox’s wedding over our love of it, I thought it was a safe choice,” he laughs.
“Just what I would have ordered. Thanks,” he tears his gaze away from me and takes a deep pull of his drink. I watch his throat move, my body still humming from his last words to me.
“You’ve got a little drool right there,” my sister whispers in my ear before touching the side of my lip with a tease, causing me to jolt.
“I do not,” I hiss under my breath and swat her hand away.
Her eyes are brimming with laughter as she takes a sip of her champagne.
“Here you go, Lunabug,” Mav says, coming back with a bourbon and champagne glass in his hand.
I wince at the nickname, hoping Cayden didn’t hear it. It brings me right back to my childhood, and I want to feel like a woman tonight. Nothing sexy has ever had the word bug in it.
I take the champagne and, like Cayden, take a deep sip to take the edge off.
The DJ’s voice comes through the speakers outside, announcing it’s time for us to go inside for the bride and groom's arrival.
We make our way across the balcony, and Cayden gives me a side glance as we follow the others.
“Lunabug?” he asks, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“I was hoping you didn’t catch that,” I groan softly. “It’s the nickname my family has called me since the day I was born. Unfortunately, it stuck into adulthood. Makes me feel like a child,” I mutter.
He studies me before slowly shaking his head as he holds the door open for me and bends down close to my ear.
“I can say with certainty that you are most definitely a woman,” he murmurs.
My breath hitches at his sudden nearness as goosebumps appear on my arms.
“I much prefer, little moon, anyway.” His eyes darken, and the memory of him calling me that brings me right back to our phone conversation, replaying all the dirty words he whispered as I came undone for him.
A blush stains my cheek, and I quickly avoid his eyes.
“Guess I’m not the only one who keeps replaying that phone call,” he smirks before walking over to the table where his teammates are waiting.
Blinking my eyes, I slowly snap out of it and find my name placement card at the table before taking my seat next to my family.
I notice Cayden is at the table right beside me and in my direct line of sight. I have no clue how I’m going to be able to focus on anything else when all I see is him.
The testosterone alone at the table is enough for every panty in this room to drop as they remove their suit jackets and roll up their sleeves, unbuttoning a few buttons at the top, clearly getting comfortable for the night.
It’s a lineup of broad shoulders and cocky confidence, completely at ease in a way that pulls attention without even trying.
All of them are devastatingly handsome, and none of them brought dates. Which surprises me, but then again, from what I noticed at the bar that night, they like to keep their options open.
The darker, more dangerous ones sit closest to Cayden—Thane McCormick and Hunter Kane. They are quiet and intense with ink crawling up their arms like they’ve got stories they don’t share.
And then there are the other two…
The charmers—Jett Hayes and Colton Foxx.
The ones who know exactly what they look like and use it to their full advantage, flashing easy smiles and soaking up every ounce of attention thrown their way.
But none of them affect me the way Cayden does.
My gaze finds his without effort.
He’s deep in conversation with Thane, so I take this chance to study him. His brown hair is a blend of soft, slight curls threaded with hints of amber—tousled in that sexy way he always manages to capture. The scruff on his face is more pronounced tonight, only making him more ruggedly handsome.
As if he can feel me, he turns those bedroom eyes my way, and I suck in a breath. I’ve never been this emotionally or physically connected to someone in my life. It’s as if he can reach into my soul and take every last bit of me.
The part that scares me the most is how much I would let him.
Somehow, I make it through dinner—our secret glances at one another go undetected in the sea of people around us, drinking and having fun.
By the time the girls haul me to the dance floor, I am more than ready to let loose and burn off some of this sexual frustration.
Halfway through our second song, I’m whirled around and land in Jett Hayes’s arms.
His dimpled smile looks mischievous as he twirls me on the dance floor.
“I didn’t know my favorite dance partner would be here tonight,” he grins. “My night just got better.”
“Oh, please,” I laugh. “You’ve got the pick of the litter here to dance with.”
“True,” he smirks before breaking out into a grin, “but you’re the only one I can use to mess with Cayden.”
My eyes betray me, flicking to their table, and sure enough, Cayden’s leaning back in his chair with his hand wrapped tightly around his drink, watching our every move.
“Well, you’re wasting your time,” I say, pulling my eyes back to his. “Cayden doesn’t strike me as the jealous type.”
Jett’s grin widens even further, as if he doesn’t believe a word I just said. “Care to test that little theory of yours out?”
The song changes to a slow one, and he brings me to his chest, holding his hand in mine and his other resting on my lower back.
“Why are you trying to make him jealous?” I feel Cayden’s eyes burn into my skin, but I avoid sneaking a glance, afraid of wanting what I might see.
“Just moving the inevitable along so everyone is happy.” He looks down at me with a raised eyebrow. “I happen to be good at making stubborn people realize what they want. Just ask Knox about Savi wearing my jersey to our game,” he grins.
I know there is a story in there somewhere, but before I have a chance to ask about it, Cayden’s voice is heard from behind me in a low, menacing tone. Heat races through me as every nerve ending on my body becomes alive.
“I’ll take it from here.”