Chapter 7
Time to Change Partners
Dancing with Mr. Smartass—and enjoying herself to boot.
Who would have thought? And he was good at it, his steps sure and smooth, his rhythm in perfect sync with the beat.
Without warning, he curled her away and drew her back to him again, keeping a respectable inch or two between them.
She let out a surprised squeak, followed by a runaway laugh.
He grinned down at her as he rocked their bodies back and forth, then repeated the move.
His expression was both determined and playful.
Soon they were twirling around the dance floor, and couples parted, giving them space.
She was lost in a kaleidoscope of color and sound and the intoxicating scent of this man.
Exhilaration thrummed in her bloodstream.
When the music ended, they were both breathless.
His grin firmly in place, he kept one hand clamped to her waist. The crowd surrounding them clapped, and she looked around at their faces, realizing only then that the audience cheered for them and not the band.
The lead singer gave them a thumbs-up a moment before the next song started.
The music slowed, and Josh rested his hands on the small of her back and swayed, holding her apart from him.
Cold air separated them, and she found herself longing for his heat, wanting to draw closer.
Reality smacked her in the forehead. She was having fun with Josh.
She was comfortable with him. Something about his manner put her at ease, and his deep timbre soothed her.
He made her feel valued. Unlike Neil, talking to Josh took little effort.
Words seemed to flow between them without any awkward gatekeeping, and she loved that.
During the meal, Josh had looked her in the eye when they talked, acting as though he cared what she had to say, unlike Neil, whose head was on a constant swivel.
Now she felt stupid having asked Josh for his help to capture Neil’s attention.
And for some odd reason, she didn’t want to come across as stupid to this man she’d misjudged.
The desire to jump Neil’s bones was dimming. She questioned whether he deserved the effort she had put into getting him to acknowledge her during the dinner. It made her look so … desperate. Ugh!
She held on to Josh’s biceps with a light grip. “You’re pretty good. You must get a lot of practice at this too.” A picture of him dancing with myriad beautiful women surfaced and bobbed in her consciousness, and her stomach clenched a little, though she wasn’t sure why.
“You’re not so bad yourself. It’s a lot easier with a solid dance partner.”
“Are you self-taught?”
He canted his head to the side and chuckled. “No. My mom made my brother and me take dance lessons when we were kids, if you can believe it.”
The good feels returned, and her insides lit with interest. “Dance lessons? Did you enjoy them?”
He barked a laugh. “Hated them. I thought it was cruel and unusual punishment. But after a few months, I started looking forward to them. I never told anyone I enjoyed myself, though.”
They rocked together to the slower tempo as they talked. The world around them seemed to disappear.
“Why not?”
“Have you got any brothers?”
“No. Only child.”
He spun her slowly. “Well, admitting something like that would have invited ridicule and a possible beating. I was twelve at the time, and my budding manhood was something I guarded fiercely.”
A laugh caught in her throat. She didn’t want him to think she was making fun of him, so she rushed to say, “In your defense, that sounds like an unusual choice of activity for a prepubescent boy.”
“My mom was a part-time receptionist at a dance studio, so she got the lessons for free and was able to keep an eye on my brother and me while she put in her time. She claimed it improved our coordination and helped with hockey.” He shrugged.
“Maybe it was true. The arrangement worked out well for her and, in the end, for us too. Now you know one of my deepest, darkest secrets. Not even my teammates know.”
Now the “practice” made sense. “Your teammates are your friends, it sounds like.”
“Some. My best friend and I used to be on the same team, but he got traded to Colorado. He lives in Denver now.”
“That’s where I’m from! Which team?”
“The Colorado Blizzard. Know anything about them?”
She recalled the name from office talk. “A little. Hockey?” He nodded. “Do you get to spend time with him?” She found herself wondering how often he came to Colorado.
“We catch up once in a while. He’s a widower with a couple of kids and recently got engaged. His plate’s pretty full.”
His tone was wistful, and she felt a tug of sympathy. “Is he a goalie too?”
He stared down at her, the ghost of a smile on his lips. “A professional jock, you mean?”
Ouch. “I’m sorry for the snark. Sometimes my mouth spews before I can get ahead of it.”
“It’s all right. I thought it was kinda funny. Plus, it’s accurate. And yep, my buddy’s a goalie too, although he still has a job. I don’t.”
She sensed a need simmering inside him. “But you still want to play?”
He squeezed her waist as they swayed. “I do, but my team didn’t extend my contract, and no one’s picked me up.”
“That sucks.” She’d never spent time around pro athletes, but being cut loose had to hurt them as much as it would hurt a regular human.
The light in his eyes became a flame. “It does suck because they never explained why they didn’t want to extend, even though I’m in my prime.”
“Prime?”
“Most goalies don’t hit their best years until they’re in their late twenties, early thirties,” he explained. “I’m thirty-two, and now I’m not sure where—or if—I’ll be playing in October.” After a beat, he said, “Maybe a good time to change the subject.”
More tugs on the heartstrings, though from the little she knew about him, he’d hate knowing she felt sympathy. “Tell me more about your mom. She sounds wonderful.”
A thousand-mile stare shone in his steely grays, and his thumbs absentmindedly circled her hips. “She’s great. She raised us by herself. Worked her ass off, but she was always there for us. She’s a rock star.”
A knot unexpectedly formed in Lexi’s throat, and she cleared it away. “And very smart to make you take dance lessons.” She laughed, trying to lighten the moment. Her mouth twisted in a wry smile. “I bet it’s done wonders for your social life.”
“It hasn’t hurt.” So much was packed into that statement that Lexi didn’t want to unpack. More confounding was that it bothered her, like a thistle caught between her toes. She didn’t care what Josh did or didn’t do with his social life, so why didn’t the comment simply roll off her back?
He went on. “Lately, though, I haven’t had much of a social life, so it feels good to be out here dancing with you.”
And just like that, her emotions rubberbanded back to a happy place.
Around them, people danced together, alone, or in groups. The music, the lights, and the festive air lifted her spirits even higher, and she let herself get caught up in the fun.
Her eyes circled the dance floor, taking in everyone having a great time.
Some people danced at the fringes, in the sand and the shadows beyond.
On the far edge of the dance floor, a familiar frame snagged her attention.
An inadvertent gasp escaped her, and she came to a standstill in Josh’s arms. He followed her gaze, and thunderclouds formed in his eyes.
Neil was chest to chest with a curvy woman, his hands squeezing her butt as they moved to the music.
So that’s why he ran off like his undies were on fire and never bothered to come back.
Without warning, Josh swung her around so her back was to the couple, as if protecting her bruised ego. His full mouth curved into a sinful smile, and his dark brows bounced. “Do you still want to make him jealous?”
It took a few beats for his words to penetrate her shock bubble.
Oh, did she ever! She nodded, giddy with revenge—revenge over what, she wasn’t exactly sure.
But Josh didn’t hesitate, guiding them through dancers to within an arm’s length of Neil and the woman.
The surge of excitement that had been coursing through Lexi evaporated, and her timid self rose up in protest. Was Josh going to confront him?
What would he say? What if he humiliated Neil—and her—in the process?
She’d end up avoiding them both and the awkward dynamic for the rest of her vacation, and God, would that suck up a lot of energy.
You’re overthinking again.
The music switched to an up-tempo beat perfect for booty-shaking, but Josh wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, his thighs pressed against hers, his body barely rocking. He leaned down to her ear, murmuring, “Follow my lead.”
With his powerful arms banding around her and his masculine scent assailing her senses, she moved willingly, as if under some kind of Josh Wylder spell. Eagerness and uncertainty twisted together in an unlikely coupling inside her. She trusted him. She didn’t trust him. She didn’t trust herself.
“Pretend you’re into me,” Josh urged in a husky, hypnotic timbre.
Still reeling from what she’d seen, knowing she was within feet of the man she’d thought she wanted who was holding someone else, she was overcome by a quiet calm.
Of their own volition, her hands slid up Josh’s firm chest, skimming the soft fabric of his T-shirt, and linked together behind his neck.
He maneuvered them a few steps closer and seemed to lose his step, bumping his shoulder into Neil, who gave them an annoyed glance. Neil’s dark eyes landed on Josh, then moved to Lexi. They went round as realization dawned.
“Oh h-hey,” he stammered.
Josh gave him a casual chin lift. “Hey, man. Sorry about that. Didn’t know it was you.”
Lexi suspected Josh wasn’t sorry. His stumble had been deliberate, and a little thrill of triumph swelled inside her. Clinging to Josh, she lazily blinked up at Neil as if she was in some kind of lust-drenched stupor and had no idea who he was.
Josh guided them away—but only so far. His free hand began stroking her back over the gauzy fabric of her dress. She reveled in the caress, craving more. She wanted to pull him closer, feel his hard planes line up against her again.
Her wish began to come true when his palm traveled up and cupped her nape, his warm fingertips feathering over her sensitive skin. He leaned in, his mouth against her ear, and whispered, “Now let’s piss him off.”
Chills of awareness cascaded down her spine, raising goose bumps along her arms and tightening her nipples.
Now his fingers tangled in her hair, and he pulled her head back and lowered his mouth to hers, hovering within mere inches.
So close. His gaze flicked to hers, seeking permission as he held her captive in his sheltering arms.
With everything inside her, she telegraphed a resounding “Yes!”
His lips descended on hers, and Neil and the noisy dance floor dissolved around her. Lexi was transported into a vibrantly colored world that left her dizzy, breathless.
It was too much, and she broke the kiss.
Dazed, she blinked and stared into quicksilver eyes that looked as stunned as she felt.
Were they still play-acting to make Neil jealous, or had something else entirely swept in?
She felt like a cork bobbing on the water that came crashing on the shore on the crest of a wave.
Violent yet natural. Churning and beautiful.
Neil who?