Heated emotion swims in the depths of his eyes. “Don’t thank me for protecting you and our baby. I’ll always do that no matter what. And I’m proud of you for talking back to them. Damn proud. You even called me her papa.”
“Because that’s what you are, aren’t you?” My words are light and airy, but I know it means something to him that I did that for all to hear.
“Damn right, I am.” His hand cups my cheek, and if we weren’t here in front of everyone, I have a feeling he’d be leaning in for a kiss.
“You should dance,” Eleanor decides. “That way everyone will know she’s yours. And then Cornelius and Jed need to dance with her, too, to show she’s under Shay protection.”
My head swings wildly towards her as I latch onto her last sentence. “But I don’t know how to dance!” And even if I did, I only want to dance with Warren.
The music changes to a slower tempo, and Eleanorperks up with a sly grin. “There you go. This one will be easy. Just follow his lead and have a good time. Now, let me hold my granddaughter and show off her dress. I knew she’d be the most darling angel in the room with that shade of red. Just absolutely perfect.”
And that’s how I find myself tugged onto the dance floor.
“Don’t go too fast,” I plead as Warren’s hands rest snugly at my lower back. “I won’t be able to keep up.” As if to prove it, I accidentally step on his foot. I grimace and pray no one noticed. “I’m sorry.”
“No worries. I heard it’s your first time.” Good Christ. I stumble at the reference. He knows damn well better than to mention such a thing in public, and he proves it when his mouth brushes over my ear for a deep, intimate whisper. “And we know just how much I love first times with you.”
I hiss his name, but it’s silenced by the music. It would be a miracle if my face didn’t match Emmaline’s dress by now.
“All right, wife…I’ll behave.”
He does, for the better part of three dances as I grow more confident. Even when the beat becomes swifter. While I know I’m not the best—especially with what feels like the entire town watching me—I’m able to at least not step on his toes any longer.
A strong, tanned hand claps Warren’s shoulder. “May I cut in?”
Warren immediately tugs me closer and scowls at Jedidiah, the owner of said hand. Neither of them pays any mind to how the nearby couples have to sidestep us. “You think you can get here late and steal my wife away for your first dance? Nah, I don’t think so, brother. Dance with your own wife.”
“Being fashionably late’s the new style. But if you hadn’tbeen staring at Mara like a moonsick calf, you’d have noticed I’ve already danced with my wife. Twice, in fact.” Jedidiah’s face softens when he mentions Dove, and my guilt compounds yet again for the terrible things I thought about their love when he’d rescued her. Even so, I still only want my husband’s hands on me.
“Give us a minute.” Warren guides us away from the dancers into a quiet little nook and brings an arm up to block everyone from my view. “Will you be all right if my brother and father dance with you? You don’t have to, but at least this way everyone’ll all think twice about what they say. I don’t want to push you too much.” Warm concern shines in his gaze as it traces over my face. “You’ve already come so far.”
I hear his unspoken words.I don’t want this to set you back.
Cautious unease weighs on my soul like a dark cloud heavy with rain. “If I don’t…”
Kindness settles over his features. “If you don’t, then I’ll keep you tucked up under my arm until you decide you’re ready to go home. Or if you want to leave now, we can do that, too.”
I’d be lying if I said part of me didn’t consider that last option for more than a few seconds. But Warren deserves a wife who makes an effort to become part of the family he so clearly loves. And Emmaline needs to know that her mother is strong, too. He’s right in one thing—I have come so far.
And I can go a little further. “Only two dances?”
“Only two dances.”
“And I can trust your brother and father?” I glance over to Jedidiah. If he’s annoyed at waiting, he hides it well.
“Darlin’, I’d sooner cut off both arms and let you hit meover the head with them than ever let you be around anyone who’d ever hurt you.”
“Okay,” I say on a rough breath. “I trust you.”
“You do?” Warren’s head rears back and a smile splits his face when I nod. “Okay then…okay. You’ll be okay. Just two dances and it’ll all be over before you know it.”
“Good. Because I’d hate for you to lose your arms now that I’ve gotten accustomed to sleeping in them. It’d be an outright shame.” I tease him lightly, but I truly mean it.
“Sure would, wife. Because then I wouldn’t be able to hold your legs open as I feasted on you. Or keep you from squirming away right when the best part starts happening.” The legs in question weaken as his voice dips, and I wonder if the memories of the past few nights play out in my eyes like I see in his. Maybe we should just go on home, because now he’s got me all messed up inside and wanting more.
“Now go on and dance and show everyone that you’re a Shay now so I can get you back to myself again. But if you need me, I’ll be watching.” He stills, and the tips of his ears darken. Rather ironic that his earlier words didn’t have this same effect on him. “Whoa, that came out way more ominous than how it was in my head. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
Handsome, protective, and dedicated to learning my body and giving me pleasure. What more could a woman ask for? “I don’t think it sounded that way at all. It makes me feel safe to know you see me.”
