Page 44 of Falling for the Billionaire Best Man

When we walked into the studio, Eliza and Dorie were already there, chatting with the instructor. Dorie looked stunning. She was wearing a simple dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, and her hair was pulled back into a loose bun. My heart skipped when she smiled at me. I had to force myself to look away.

“Finally!” Eliza exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “We’ve been waiting forever. Let’s get started!”

The instructor led us through the basics, explaining the steps and demonstrating the moves. Cullen and Eliza picked it up quickly, twirling around the room like they’d been doing it their whole lives. Dorie and I, on the other hand, were a different story.

“Ow!” Dorie yelped as I stepped on her toes for the third time. “Kaisen, watch where you’re going!”

“Sorry,” I muttered, my cheeks burning. “I’m trying.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re terrible at this.”

I grinned, despite myself. “Yeah, well, I never claimed to be a dancer.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just follow my lead, okay?”

I nodded, letting her guide me through the steps. She was graceful, her movements fluid and effortless, while I felt like a clumsy oaf. But there was something about the way she smiled at me, the way her laughter filled the room, that made me forget how bad I was at it.

“Do that again,” I said as we were pressed close, my hand on her waist.

She looked up at me with confusion. “Do what?”

“Smile.”

She looked surprised before she smiled again. A real, genuine smile that lit up her entire face. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I forgot who I was and my rule. I felt myself leaning in, my heart pounding. Dorie was looking at me. Before I could do something stupid, Cullen and Eliza twirled by, laughing and exclaiming about how much fun they were having.

I pulled back. The moment was over. Dorie looked away as well. We continued dancing, both of us doing our best to ignore the tension sizzling between us. As the lesson went on, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between us. Something I wasn’t ready to name. She was clearly feeling something as well.

Now what?

How in the hell did we pretend that moment didn’t happen?

“Did you work today?” I asked, trying to find something to talk about that would make this less weird.

“I did. And I finally got Eliza to confirm what she wanted for her cake. I’ve been working on the design for a couple weeks.”

She spoke almost too quickly, as if she were trying to fill the silence with anything other than the unspoken tension hanging between us. I nodded, grateful for the distraction.

“That’s good,” I said, my voice sounding a little too forced. “She’s been changing her mind every other day, hasn’t she?”

Dorie laughed. “Every other hour, more like. One minute she wants a three-tiered vanilla cake with gold leaf accents, and the next she’s convinced she wants a naked cake with fresh berries. Honestly, I was starting to think she’d never make up her mind.”

The dance instructor clapped his hands. “Okay, let’s try a simple waltz. Partners, face each other and take your positions.”

Dorie stepped closer, her hand sliding into mine while my other hand found its place on her waist. Her free hand rested lightly on my shoulder, but it felt anything but casual. It felt like a current running between us, electric and undeniable.

“Relax,” she murmured. “You’re stiff as a board.”

“Easy for you to say,” I muttered back, though I tried to loosen up. “You’re not the one who’s about to trip over his own feet. Or yours. I’ll owe you a pair of shoes after this.”

“Just follow me. One step at a time.”