Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
A trickle of sweat slipped down her spine. Kat plucked at her dress. It was hot. Way too hot. There was no breeze to speak of and even with the sun down, the heat of the day lingered.
She flipped open her green satin fan that was fringed with what only could be described as fluff and used it for what it was intended. But the breeze generated by the prop was hardly enough to bring her any relief.
“Damn, woman. You look?—”
“Do not say a word.” Kat pointed her fan at Andy as he joined her backstage. “I know I look ridiculous.”
“You look far from ridiculous.” Andy’s eyes widened, and he took in the length of her with what even Kat could recognize as an appreciative gaze. And judging by the bulge in his very tight pants, it was obvious that he meant what he said. “You look positively sinful, Kitty Kat.” He closed the distance between them and pressed her up against the makeshift walls that had been erected on the portable stage.
As much as she would have preferred to make out with Andy for the rest of the night, especially considering what the alternative was, it was way too risky. They stood on the edge of a stage with only a few thin curtains between them and most of the town.
Including her entire family, who were all eagerly waiting to bear witness to Kat and Andy dance the salsa in public.
She stepped away from Andy’s arms and once more used her fan, this time needing to cool off for a different reason. “It’s way too hot to do this,” she said. “Maybe we should postpone?”
“You know we’re not doing that.” There was the slightest trace of laughter in Andy’s voice. “We’ve been working too hard and you look too damn sexy to waste this outfit.” The humor in his words was gone, replaced by a hunger that her body responded to. “I’m really glad we let Simone talk us into dressing the part.”
Secretly, despite the bout of stage fright Kat was experiencing, she was glad they’d gone all out with the costumes. They’d practiced so hard with Simone and for hours every week in the living room of her apartment until both Kat and Andy agreed with their teacher that they were ready. And they were. When Simone suggested they perform on stage at SummerFest, Trickle Creek’s annual summer festival, it felt like the perfect way to satisfy the requirements. They might as well look the part if they were going to go all out .
Kat’s dress was a rich emerald green with a plunging neckline. The fabric that hugged her body was covered in a long fringe that she knew, from practicing in her bedroom earlier, spun and shook beautifully when she moved.
It truly was perfect.
“Hopefully the fringe distracts from my lack of skills.”
He reached for her and whispered close to her lips. “Kitty Kat, I happen to know for a fact that you have?—”
“Are you two ready to go?” Simone’s head appeared between the curtains. “I’m going to announce you.”
“Announce us?” Kat shook her head and turned to walk off, but Andy’s hand clamped around hers.
“Go ahead,” he said. “We’re ready.”
The moment the other woman’s head disappeared, Kat shook her head. “I don’t?—”
“We’re ready,” Andy said again. “Just pretend it’s the two of us in the living room.” He led them to the center of the stage as Simone’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker.
Kat didn’t hear what she said or how they were introduced.
Instead, she focused on the strong presence of Andy behind her; he rested one hand lightly on her hip, and the other hand guided her arm, up behind her to his face.
“We got this, Kitty Kat,” he whispered. “Let’s just have fun, okay?”
“Okay.” Kat squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Okay, Dad. Salsa seems like an odd choice. But this one’s for you.
Then the curtain opened, the lights flashed on, the music started and, with a well-rehearsed touch, Andy traced his hand down the side of her body until his hand was in hers and with a flick of his wrist, he spun her out on the floor, an arm’s length away.
And just like that, they were dancing the salsa on a stage, in front of everyone in town hooting and hollering their appreciation.
It was over almost before Andy realized it had begun. The moment he realized she was nervous, Andy swallowed any of the nerves he’d been experiencing and pretended he was way more confident than he was.
In the end, they’d pulled it off perfectly.
The crowd roared with delight as he spun Kat one more time. Shaking and shimmering in her green dress, she was without a doubt the sexiest woman on the planet. And her ear-to-ear smile as she performed absolutely lit her up.
With a final flourish, Andy pulled her in tight against him as the music ended.
The crowd went wild.
Sweating and breathing hard, her breasts rose and fell against him as she looked up at him with a look of pure delight. “We did it.”
He bent and spoke into her ear. “You are fucking amazing, Kitty Kat.”
Before he lost control and kissed her in front of the entire town, he straightened up and took her hand, so they could take their bow .
The crowd chanted for an encore as they walked off stage, but they were let off the hook with the announcement of the next performer, local favorite, the Stoke Fires.
“I can’t believe we did that.” Kat jumped up and down the second they were safely off stage. “Can you believe it? We didn’t screw up. Not once.”
“Of course we didn’t.” Andy laughed and caught her face in his hands. “You’re so fucking incredible.” He bent to kiss her, but Kat spun away from him.
“You’re crazy. We can’t do that here.” She chastised him, but there was a flirty grin on her face. “Remember what my brothers said…I need to stay away from men with ill intent.”
Andy shook his head with a laugh. After Craig and Chase more or less insisted that Andy stay at Kat’s house to protect her from basically all men, it had become one of their favorite jokes. “Oh, I definitely have some intent,” he growled. “But it’ll have to wait.”
“It will.” She reached for his hand and tugged him toward the stage stairs.
“Promise me you won’t change out of that dress.”
She shook her ass, sending her fringe flying and giving him a very nice view of the top of her thighs.
She winked and blew him a kiss, and he almost lost control again.
There was no time to entertain thoughts of what he’d like to do when he got her alone because a moment later, they were swallowed up by a crowd of well-wishers congratulating them on their performance as they made their way together to where the Carlson clan was waiting for them.
“Wow.”
“Holy shit!”
“Incredible.”
The women all crowded around Kat and heaped her with well-deserved compliments.
“Dude!” It was Craig who clapped him on the back and pulled him away from the women. “Who knew you had moves like that?”
Andy laughed. “Truthfully?” He gratefully accepted the beer that Craig put in his hand. “Not me. Thankfully, I had a good partner.”
“I didn’t think Kat had a rhythmic bone in her body.” Chase and Asher joined the conversation.
“She was more of a tomboy than a dancer growing up,” Asher said.
Andy swallowed back a retort about exactly how much rhythm Kat had when it came to certain activities, choosing instead to take a drink of the cold beer.
“So that’s one more thing off the list then?” Craig looked at him expectantly.
Andy had a flash of guilt for knowing something more about the family matters. But he’d promised Kat he wouldn’t say a word, and he intended to keep that promise.
It was just one more thing he was keeping from his best friend, and he hated it. But there wasn’t much choice.
“You know that isn’t for me to say.” Andy lifted his beer in a sort of salute but his friend just shook his head and turned to find his sister.
“Kat!”
She lifted her head from the group of women who were still fawning over her, as they should. What Kat had just pulled off had been nothing short of incredible.
“Hey.” Andy grabbed his friend’s arm and pulled him around. “Let her have her moment,” he said when Craig looked at him. “It’s been a big night and she’s worked hard. She was so nervous to perform in front of everyone. Just give her tonight.”
“I agree.” Chase backed him up. “The list isn’t going anywhere. Let’s just relax and have a little fun tonight.”
Andy gave him an appreciative look.
It took a moment, but Craig nodded in agreement as well. “You’re right.”
“I know.” Andy laughed as he drank deeply from his beer in an effort to quench the thirst he’d just worked up. He was going to need to switch to water if he didn’t want to catch a buzz. “What is this SummerFest , anyway? I mean, I’m not the most observant person, but I don’t think I remember this festival when we were kids.”
“It’s something the businesses in town came up with as a way to celebrate tourism and summer,” Asher volunteered. “The local chamber of commerce is in full support.”
“Besides,” Chase said. “Who doesn’t love a little summer fun?”
Andy couldn’t disagree with that. Maybe next year, he’d be able to partake in a bit more of that fun. With the dance performance looming over their heads, he and Kat had been squeezing in some last-minute rehearsal time in her apartment—not to mention a little stress release in the bedroom—and had missed most of the festivities during the day.
“Looks like a huge turnout anyway.” He scanned the crowd, his gaze ending up on Kat. Always Kat. She was the star of the show and, surrounded by her friends and family, she was positively glowing.
She was so damn radiant and sexy as hell. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. As if she sensed him watching her, she turned and locked eyes with him. Andy was rewarded with a smile and a quick wink meant just for him before she was once more swallowed up by the group.
“Careful,” Annie whispered in Kat’s ear. “Your feelings are written all over your face, and I can’t be the only one who sees it.”
Kat pulled back and stared at her best friend. “My feelings?”
“Sorry,” Annie corrected herself. “I should say your lust .”
Kat’s eyes widened, and she purposely turned away from Andy. They’d been so careful; there was no way. She shook her head and dismissed her friend’s concerns. “You’re crazy. It’s just because of the dance.”
“Which was so hot.” Noa jumped into the conversation. She fanned herself dramatically. “If I didn’t know better, I would think the two of you were a couple.”
“We’re not!”
“They’re not!”
Kat looked at Annie and nodded her appreciation before turning to her brother’s new fiancée. “Andy and I have been friends forever,” she explained. “He’s like a brother.” The lie burned on her tongue, but it wasn’t the time nor the place to get into anything more.
“Andy’s been hanging around forever,” Charli said. “It’s so nice that he’s helping Kat out with everything.”
“He’s been a good sport.” Kat nodded and tried to move the conversation safely onto a different topic. “Did anyone?—”
“But you two totally looked like a couple out there.” Her sister narrowed her eyes, as if she were thinking about something. “I mean, I know it was a dance. But there was something different about the way you both looked at?—”
“Hey! There’s Kane.”
Kat had never been so grateful for Annie and her mad skills when it came to distraction.
“Kane!” Annie raised her hand and waved to the man over the crowd.
Kat copied her, turning her back on her sister as she did so. “Hey, Kane.” She greeted him with a hug. “What are you doing here?”
He laughed. It was a deep, throaty sound that rumbled through her. There was a time she’d been a little bit attracted to Kane, and it wasn’t a secret that he’d been interested in her. But that’s as far as it went. Just a mutual attraction and interest between two people who didn’t have time in their lives for anything more. And who wasn’t secretly in love with their brother’s best friend.
After a while, they’d settled into an easy friendship, but it wasn’t hard to see that Kane would be an incredible catch to a woman who was more available.
“I think the whole town is here.” He grinned. “Besides, I wouldn’t have missed your performance. You were incredible.”
“Thank you. I had a good partner.” Annie’s warning fresh in her mind, Kat resisted the urge to look in Andy’s direction.
“From where I was standing, you were the star up there.” Kane flashed her another devastating smile. “I know you’re kind of a big deal salsa dancer now,” he said. “But do you think you could do me the honor of a regular dance? It does look like a lot of fun out there.”
It did.
After Kat and Andy left the stage, the band had immediately fired up the crowd with a series of upbeat tunes and the dance floor in front of the stage was packed.
Next to her, Annie jabbed an elbow into her side, and it was the only reminder she needed that it was probably a good idea for her to look even a little bit interested in anyone besides Andy.
“Sounds good.” She took Kane’s proffered hand and without a glance back, let him lead her onto the busy dance floor and into his arms.