Page 9 of Sincerely, Mr. Braden

“Does Taylor know this about you?” she asks with amusement.

“You know, I don’t think he does.” I cock a grin. “Guess that counts as one secret divulged. Your turn.”

“I am not sharing Taylor’s secrets with you.”

“I was only kidding about that,” I say as we near the bonfire, its golden flames reaching for the stars, sparks crackling and winking against the night sky.

“Good, because he’d kill me if I did.”

“I wouldn’t want to start a sibling war.” I lean closer, the scent of vanilla laced with amber invades my senses, heady and impossible to ignore, as I say, “I want to hear one of your secrets.”

“I don’t think so, Mr. Braden.”

“We’ll see about that.” Cheers ring out for a limbo line forming on the far side of the bonfire. “Ready to get your limbo on?”

“Um…?” She stifles a smile.

“Come on.”

I take her hand, tugging her with me down the beach. She laughs, and I revel in the sweet sound. The air vibrates with the beat of the band and the din of the dancing and cheering crowds, nearly drowning out the sound of the sea crashing against the shore. We rush past throngs of people gathered around long buffet tables and sitting at other tables, eating, talking, and bopping to the beat, while kids shriek with delight as they dart across the sand.

The music kicks into a faster rhythm, a tropical beat that begs for movement. A circle forms around the limbo pole, the crowd clapping in time as one person after another tries their luck. A tall guy in a tourist T-shirt gives it a try and goes down too soon, landing in the sand and cracking up.

“Amateurs,” I say to Eleanor.

“Not everyone can be a limbo king.” Her brows knit as she watches the next woman take her turn. She goes down quickly, too. Eleanor leans into me, which I fucking love, and says, “What are they doing wrong?”

“There’s a trick to getting horizontal and remaining in control.”

She gives me a coy smile. “And here I thought that was when you were supposed to lose control.”

Damn, my goddess is revealing all sorts of glimpses tonight. I can’t resist holding her gaze and saying, “There’s glory in all of it, but make no mistake—the real payoff is in control. Feeling every inch, every move, until the very second you decide to surrender. That’s when you win.”

Her cheeks heat, but the hunger in her eyes tells me this attraction is not one-sided, and that makes me want to haul her closer and taste that smile. But I manage to lock it down, remembering we’re supposed to be talking about limbo, and say, “The trick is dropping your shoulders, not your hips.”

She tilts her head in confusion, her brow furrowing again.

“In limbo,” I clarify.

“Oh, right, of course,” she says, the blush on her cheeks deepening as her gaze flicks away from mine.

I laugh, which makes her laugh. “You’re too damn cute.”

She rolls her eyes. “I don’t get out much.”

She turns to watch the contest, as if she didn’t pique my curiosity with that tidbit. The crowd whoops as another contestant slides under the pole, almost clearing it before dropping a hand, then springing back up and pushing through with a victorious fist pump.

The night grows more alive by the minute, the music pulsing louder, cheers and shouts drowning out the hiss and crackle of the fire, but it’s all white noise to the beauty beside me. Eleanor is cheering, her eyes bright, her hair spilling forward as she claps for the contestants. I enjoy limbo, but it isn’t the contest I want to win. It’s her, which is kind of crazy, since I barely know her, but I didn’t build my empire by ignoring my instincts.

When I lean closer to her, her scent invades my senses again. “Your turn.”

She blinks, startled. “What? No way.”

“What are you afraid of? I’ve already given you the secret. Drop your shoulders, not your hips. You’re going to crush it.”

She shakes her head, her eyes wide but glittering with possibility. “You’re out of your mind. Besides, I’ll flash half the beach in this dress.”

My gaze flicks down before I can stop it, heat sparking in my chest, and a slow grin slides into place. “Then I’ll stand in front of you and make sure no one else gets the view.”