Chapter 8 #4
“Is he the reason you’re spending the summer in H-Town?” Dane asked, leaving his hand on her thigh, warm, solid, and entirely too confident. Heat shot up her and raced straight to the spot that absolutely did not need any encouragement. Her brain crackled and popped and then short-circuited.
“Mmm,” she managed, just.
If this was her reaction to a single touch, then God help her if he did more. And she wanted more. Desperately, stupidly, deliciously more.
Her breath caught, the skin on her inner thigh seemed to fizz under his fingertips, and she felt her composure sliding away.
She turned her head, their gazes colliding—and there she saw her own heat staring right back at her.
The air between them was charged, and if he slid his hand an inch higher, she’d turn into a yes, please, take me now wreck of a woman.
Wren took a long sip of her icy beer and, needing a distraction, looked around and clocked the still busy night outside the tent. People browsed the stalls, tourists took photos of the tropics-on-acid-inspired Halloween decorations, and couples shuffled around the makeshift dance floor.
“I love summer in H-Town,” Poppy commented, echoing Wren’s thoughts, as she often did.
Wren grabbed the change of subject like a lifeline. “Mmm. Everyone is gearing up for the Summerween events, which means even more tourists.”
“There seem to be enough here already,” Poppy commented. “Has Luna taken over the world yet?”
Wren, a good deal of her attention still on the hand on her thigh, smiled.
“Close, but not quite,” she replied, happy to discover she could hold a rational conversation.
“There’s a series of events leading up to the Bonfire of the Bewitched—summer version—on Lammas Eve.
Tonight is the first event, followed by Float and Fright Night—a lakeside movie night.
Apparently, the big screen will face the water, and everyone will watch the scary movies from an inflatable, canoe, or raft of their choice. ”
Poppy grinned. “That sounds cool.” She tapped her chin. “I wonder if Benji would come if I asked? Probably not, since he’s such a baby and gets stupidly scared by horror movies.”
Since Benji never made the two-hour trip from Boston to H-Town, Wren knew that the chances of seeing him that night, or at any other town event, were less than zero.
Wren continued. “Then there’s the Boos and Boats costume party, and the Witches and Warlocks Paddleboard Parade happens that same night. Then it’s Lammas celebration on the thirty-first, which includes the concert and Bonfire of the Bewitched.”
“That sounds like a lot,” Poppy commented. “Are your dance-class teenagers any good?”
“They are, actually. There are a couple of standout dancers, so I might make them do a routine of their own, with the others doing something less complicated behind them.”
“Are you going to take part in the concert, too, doc?” Hayes asked looking at Dane. His eyes glinted with mischief.
Dane’s hand gripped her thigh, and when she looked at him, Wren caught his shellshocked expression. “Hell, no. My deal with Penn only includes dance practice; nothing was said about a concert.”
Poppy cocked her head. “Do you hate it that much?”
Dane took a moment to answer. “Hate is a strong word. I’m just so bad at it.”
Wren suspected that he wasn’t used to failing at something, that being smart and athletic, there weren’t many challenges he hadn’t managed to conquer.
“Do you have to dance?” Hayes asked. “Isn’t it enough that you rock up at the studio?”
Dane shook his head. “Penn pops his head in occasionally, just to check that I’m trying. As long as I am there, Colt gets to dance.”
“And he’s so good,” Wren said. “Like, he’s seriously talented.”
“Even if he wasn’t, he just loves it so much,” Dane added.
The warmth in Wren’s stomach intensified. How many men would spend a portion of their summer vacation doing something they wouldn’t normally do so that a kid they didn’t know would have the chance to pursue his passion?
He was smart, and sexy, and kind. Up until now, “kind” had never popped up on her romance radar.
It might, if she wasn’t careful, become her kryptonite.
She was so close to saying to hell with it and following him home.
Then, in tune with her, his thumb drifted over her bare skin, and she shivered.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she knew he was looking at her.
She had no doubt he knew exactly what she was thinking.
She could just lean sideways and whisper a breathy, “Take me home,” in his ear.
“You’re a better man than I am, dude,” Hayes told him, and clinked his beer bottle against Dane’s.
Should I? Shouldn’t I?
Dane cleared his throat. “I’ve got the time, and it’s not a hardship standing at the back of the class watching Wren move.”
Ah, shit, not helping, Trafford. She looked across the room for a distraction, and her eyes snagged on Cilla, who was looking at her, eyebrows raised and a smirk on her face. The fortune teller drew an imaginary rectangle in the air and hugged herself.
Yeah, yeah, got it. The Lovers Card.
Wren looked up at the ceiling. Admittedly, wanting Dane scared her more than any mistake she’d ever made before…
And thrilled her more than anything had in years.