MAX
The club was called Candela, and walking inside with Will was like crossing into another world. The beat was in my chest before my brain caught up. People clapped, laughed, swayed their hips, and snapped their heels.
I looked at Will. He was already grinning and taking it all in. “Nice,” he said. “Way better than those sticky sports bars we always go to.”
“Yeah, well,” I said, feeling out of place. “We’ll see.”
The truth? The music and the dancing weren’t the reasons why I was here. The only reason I had walked through the door at all was Emma.
She’d asked me if I wanted to join her tonight. Said she and a colleague were going to a salsa night. Asked it like it was an afterthought, like she wasn’t inviting me into her world.
But I’d said yes anyway.
I didn’t care about dancing, I didn’t even know if I could survive three minutes of salsa without making a fool of myself. But I had to see the guy she was spending her evening with.
So, here I was, in a room full of people who actually knew what they were doing.
Will elbowed me. “Okay, Max. Where’s this woman you keep talking about?”
I scanned the floor, my heart beating hard against my ribs.
There.
Emma.
Her red dress hugged her body and flared out in all the right places.
She was dancing with some guy, spinning and stepping like they’d been rehearsing for weeks.
The dress moved with her, confident and effortless.
All I could do was stare. I’d noticed her legs before – at the gala in that green dress – and now it was happening all over again.
My throat went dry.
I pointed her out to Will. “There. The one in red.”
Will let out a low whistle. “The one who clearly knows how to move her body?” He slapped my shoulder. “Damn, dude.” And then grinned. “You’re in so much trouble.”
I ignored him and just kept looking at her.
I had to admit, though, that every time she put her hand on her partner’s shoulder it sent something sharp and hot straight through me.
I hated seeing another guy’s hand on her back, hated that he got to share this with her while I stood there like an idiot.
And yeah, I knew I had no right to hate it – we weren’t anything – but that didn’t stop the feeling from clawing up my spine.
The song ended. Couples dipped or bowed to each other, and the applause spread across the floor.
Emma clapped too, then looked around and saw me. Her whole face lit up.
I forgot to breathe for a second when she walked toward us. I had only known her for a couple of weeks, but she took up more space in my head than people I’d known for years.
Christ.
Will gave me a sly look. “Yep. You’re done for.”
Emma reached us, her cheeks flushed from dancing. and greeted me warmly before turning to Will with curiosity. “And you must be…?”
“Will,” he said, charming as ever.
Emma nodded before introducing her dancing partner. “This is Simon.”
The guy stepped forward, holding out his hand. He was thin, had sharp eyes and a mischievous smile. My shoulders tensed up automatically.
“Oh, I know you,” he said, clasping my hand tightly. “You’re Max Finnegan. Finn, right? So you’re the one teaching our Emma about hockey.”
Our Emma. My jaw tightened, but I shook his hand. “Yeah. Finn.”
Simon gave me a quick look over, his eyes shining. “You’re taller than I expected. And broader. Honestly, it’s a little unfair. What are they feeding you hockey players?”
Emma rolled her eyes, laughing. “Simon…”
But he just leaned in closer to her, putting her hand on her waist in a way that was meant to be casual. Too casual. Why did he need to touch her like that?
“You look like a wall out there on the ice,” Simon went on, still studying me with that knowing grin.
“Defence, right? I can see it. Makes sense.” He gently squeezed Emma’s waist before letting go, his gaze moving past us.
“Anyway,” he said cheerfully, “that gorgeous man at the bar has been making eyes at me for the last twenty minutes, and I’m not going to make him wait any longer.
” He winked at Emma and then disappeared into the crowd, moving with purpose.
I blinked, and it slowly dawned on me.
Emma caught my look and smiled. “Don’t look so relieved.”
“I didn’t say I was relieved,” I said, failing miserably to hide my grin.
“You have all that muscle on the ice, but I bet you’d trip over your own feet in here.”
Will chuckled. “She got you there. Excuse me, guys, but I just spotted someone who looks like she needs me to buy her a drink.”
And just like that, he was gone.
Emma and I moved to a quieter corner, away from the crowd of dancers. The music still reached us, but it was easier to talk.
She tipped her head toward the floor. “They make it look easy, don’t they?”
“They’ve probably been doing this for years. I’d be lucky to stay upright.”
“You don’t strike me as the type who worries about looking foolish.”
“Maybe not on the ice,” I admitted. “But here? A whole different story.”
She laughed softly, then tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s fun to watch, though. Everyone just… letting go.”
I nodded, though my attention was more on her than the dancers. “You look like you belong here.”
“Maybe. Or maybe I’m just good at faking it.”
“If that’s faking it,” I teased, “I’d hate to see what happens when you actually try.”
She looked at me for a moment too long, shook her head, then turned back to the dance floor.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Will give up on the woman at the bar. It was hard to tell if she wasn’t interested or if he had lost interest first, but he was already heading toward Simon. They greeted each other like old friends: classic Will, very quick at turning strangers into friends.
Emma noticed it too. “Oh, I guess Will struck out. That probably doesn’t happen a lot to you hockey players.”
There was something in the way she smiled that made me clear my throat. “Listen. Grace told me what Bridget said to you. About me.”
Emma tilted her head. “Mm.”
“I’m not that guy anymore. Bridget and I… that was a one-time thing. A long time ago. And I… I don’t do that anymore.”
She studied me for a second and then nodded. “It’s okay, Max. I know what she was doing.”
No judgment. Just acceptance. I didn’t really know what to do with that. “Really?” I asked.
“Really.”
“And besides, it doesn’t matter. You can date or have sex with anyone you want. I don’t have any claim on you.”
Wow. That was about the coldest shower I ever had. I took a slow breath, forcing a smile. “Well,” I said lightly, “at least that frees up my schedule.” Shit, that sounded more hurt than I intended to.
Emma’s mouth curled. For a second, I couldn’t tell if she was amused or trying to figure me out. She looked back at the dance floor, then at me, her eyes sparkling. “Do you want to?”
I shook my head. “Emma… me on that dance floor? That’s a guaranteed disaster.”
Her smile widened like she knew exactly how stubborn I was. “Don’t worry. I’ll take it easy on you.”
“I don’t think you realize just how bad I’ll be,” I said, not moving an inch.
She still reached for my hand anyway. “Come on, Max. Trust me.”
And somehow, against every bit of better judgment, I ended up being pulled to the floor.
She positioned me, put my hands in the right place, and showed me how to do the steps.
For a split second, I felt ridiculous, but then realized I didn’t.
Not with her. Somehow she made it easy, even when I missed a beat.
She smiled up at me, encouraging me to keep going and so I did.
The music slowed.
“This,” I said quietly, with relief in my voice, “is more my speed.”
We moved together, her hand warm in mine and her body brushing against me with every step.
One hand was on the small of her back, and I could feel the heat of her through the fabric of the dress.
I didn’t want to lose it. It wasn’t just a spark anymore.
It was more steady than that, a pull I could feel everywhere.
And I wanted more. I wanted to get closer to her, to stop pretending this was only about research for her book.
The words came out before I could stop them. “Emma… go out with me.”
Her eyes went up, steady but unreadable. “Max…”
“One date,” I pressed, holding her gaze. “That’s all I’m asking.”
Her body rose against mine as she took a deep breath.
“I can’t. Not because I don’t want to… but because it wouldn’t be fair.
I don’t know how long I’ll be here. Probably just a few more months, until the end of term.
And I don’t do flings. They can get messy and I won’t put myself or you through that. ”
Her words hit me hard, but I wasn’t going to let them knock me down. I stopped myself from trying to convince her right then and there, so instead I said. “Then I guess you’ll just have to forgive me for trying to change your mind.”
Trying to hold back a smile, she answered, “You don’t realise how stubborn I can be.”
“Don’t worry,” I said, leaning in just enough she could feel the promise in it. “So am I.”