Page 126 of Sunrise & Serenity

I grip my beer bottle a little too tightly, transfixed by the way she moves. The flash of her bright smile as she spins and claps along with Taryn, occasionally throwing her head back in laughter, sets my heart slamming so hard in my chest I swear I get lightheaded.

This right here. This is it. The feeling of finally having something I never even knew I wanted. My family around me. My girl on the dance floor, having fun. The knowledge that later tonight, I’ll bury myself in her and make her cry out my name.

It’s all so damn real I can taste it.

The music changes again, the song slower this time. Not full country-ballad slow, but sedate enough to entice more couples to drift toward the dance floor.

Taryn glowers in the direction of the jukebox, then rolls her eyes and moves toward the edge of the dance floor. Before Sage can follow her, a man I recognize as one of the Ashlands’ ranch hands steps into her path, grinning as he nods toward the couples gathering. Taryn smiles and shrugs at Sage, as if encouraging her to stay and dance.

There’s only so much a man can take.

I’m out of my seat and striding toward them, past caring how it might look.

Behind me, Chance calls out, “About time.” But I ignore him.

The ranch hand doesn’t miss my approach; his brows shoot up as I close the distance. Sage follows his gaze over her shoulder, her lips parting and her eyes widening. “This dance is already taken,” I growl at the man.

He releases her, raising both hands. “All good, McBride.”

As he disappears into the crowd, my entire focus narrows on the woman in front of me. Her head is tilted, her hands on her hips, and she’s regarding me with arched brows.

“Don’t say anything.” My hands come to rest at her waist as I tug her to me.

She wets her lips, then nods, draping her arms over my shoulders, fingers curling lightly against the back of my neck as we start moving with the music. With her face tipped up to mine, she smiles. “I didn’t know you danced.”

“I don’t.”

“Oh.” Her teeth press into her bottom lip, even as the corners of her mouth curl up.

We’re too close for public, nowhere near close enough for me. But she’s letting me hold her like this, surrounded by the whole town. And fuck if I haven’t moved from not wanting to hide what we’re doing to wanting everyone here to know she’s mine.

“Sage…” But I can’t find the words.

For a heartbeat, her smile falters, the way it did before. “There it is again,” I mutter.

She tilts her head. “What?”

“That thing you keep doing.”

Her brows knit. “You’re going to need to be more specific.”

“You keep… going somewhere.”

She gives her head a slight shake. I wait for her to brush it off again, but she tightens her hold on my neck, and her throat bobs as she swallows.

“I’m fine, I promise.”

I study her, my hands sliding higher against her ribs. Protective, possessive. “You can tell me.”

Her eyes soften, and this time her smile doesn’t waver. “I know. But I’m okay.”

The knots in my muscles ease, though I don’t know whether I believe her or I’ve just accepted she doesn’t want to tell me. I tug her closer, and she lets out a soft sigh. And because I apparently have no self-control left when it comes to her, I lean in, my mouth brushing her ear.

“You know how badly I want to throw you over my shoulder and take you home right now?”

Her breath catches. “That’s not helping.”

“Wasn’t trying to help.”