“See,” he said, grinning. “Nothing to worry about.”
The song ended and a jazz-infused tune started playing. He nodded with his head toward the speaker. “Got any other slow songs?”
“A few.” She went to her phone and started searching. Soon another ballad filled the room.
For a second, he thought he’d have to guide her away from the table, but she finally walked toward him and stood in the exact place Maude had told her. “Now what?”
Now what, indeed. He took a step forward, telling himself thathe was only going to show her how to dance—how to place her feet, where to put her hands...
His mouth turned to cotton.Don’t enjoy this... too much.
Hunter took her hand and slowly placed it on his shoulder, not wanting to startle her. Her fingers lightly rested there, and he could feel the warmth of them through his black T-shirt.
She pulled away slightly and looked up at him, questioning in her eyes.
“It’s okay to touch me,” he said, his gaze not leaving hers. “I won’t bite.”
She let out a breath and returned her hand, applying a little more pressure.
“Good.” He tried not to notice how nice she smelled.Be real, she always smells nice.Or how the lights in the room brightened up her dark hair, which wasn’t pure black at all, but many shades of brown. Her art lessons had taught him about seeing colors in a different way than he had before. “I’ll put my hand here.” He rested his fingers lightly on the side of her hip, his palm spanning the curve.
Her gaze darted down to his hand and flew back up.
“Then I take your other hand in mine.” He scooped it up and threaded his fingers between hers. “And then we move a little.” He nudged her hip ever so slightly, and as they started to sway, he could feel the tension in her body begin to melt away. “See,” he murmured. “Piece of cake.”
She nodded, her gaze still locked on his. They moved tentatively to the music, then with a little more finesse.
After several seconds, he said, “You okay?”
“Yes.” Her voice held a husky tone he’d never heard from her before.
Every nerve in his body sparked.It’s just a dance... just adance...But it wasn’t, not for him. And he wanted to be closer to her. Unable to stop himself, he said, “I can show you another way.”
***
Britt could barely breathe. She’d never danced with anyone before, so she didn’t have anything to compare her dance with Hunter to. But she refused to believe she’d ever have a partner that could match him. Her fingers had been frozen in place on his shoulder, but she could feel the hard muscle underneath them. Her other hand was getting damp as he held it, but he didn’t seem to mind, and, miracles of miracles, she didn’t either. She didn’t want to do anything or be anywhere else other than right here, dancing to decades-old music and gazing into Hunter Pickett’s eyes.
Suddenly he said, “I can show you another way.”
Her eyebrow raised, and he smiled, sending another shiver straight through her. “W-what do you mean?”
His eyes never leaving hers, they continued to gently sway as he moved his hand from her hip and took her hand from his shoulder, placing it closer to his neck. He did the same with her other hand. Then he put both of his hands on her hips.
“My sixth-grade dance move.”
But his voice sounded deep. Raspy. Nothing like a kid and definitely all man.
“One more thing,” he said, the words barely audible. He moved his hands to clasp behind her lower back, resting just above the waistband of her purple and white polka-dotted skirt. As he shifted position, he brought her closer until a slip of paper wouldn’t fit between them.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
All she could do was nod. She didn’t understand why, but her hands instinctively locked together behind his neck. She tried not to notice how his soft hair brushed against the back of her hand, or how she could see the tiny scar at the corner of his left eyebrow that she’d never noticed before. “I guess I shouldn’t dance like this with Justin’s brother,” she said, surprised she was able to speak in a steady voice.
“You better not.” A smile played on his lips.
She was about to ask him why he was showing her this kind of dancing if she wasn’t going to do it at the wedding, but her words caught in her throat. She didn’t need to ask, because the way he was looking at her told her everything she needed to know... and she wasn’t imagining it this time.
The music stopped, but they didn’t. His hand moved from her lower back to reach up and cup her cheek. “Britt,” he whispered.
