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He moved fluidly, taking her along and guiding her steps in a dance she’d done hundreds of times but never felt so connected to her partner before.
“How could you possibly know if a woman is in love with someone else?”
“It’s always obvious when you don’t have someone’s undivided attention, like now. You’re either trying to make that other doctor jealous or you’re trying to avoid him, but since you can’t keep your eyes off him for long, my guess is the first.”
“Your observation skills put a girl at a strong disadvantage,” she said, not trying to deny that she had been watching Drake most of the night. She just hadn’t expected anyone to notice.
He pulled her body in closer to his now as the dance slowed before the crescendo. “I can help you forget him for a time, but something tells me you’ve already tried that. So I’ll settle for making him jealous.” He moved his mouth close to her neck and whispered in her ear, “Which I believe we’ve done.”
The song ended, and they stopped only a few feet away from where Drake stood on the edge of the dance floor, blatantly watching them. But before he could say anything to her, a donor claimed her for the next dance, and her SEAL was also whisked away into another dance. An hour later, she sipped some champagne by one of the makeshift bars and wondered how she could get out of attending the rest of the events she’d signed up for.
“Have you eaten anything yet?” Drake asked, coming up to stand next to her at the small cocktail table hidden behind a huge Christmas tree display. He set a plate of appetizers down, and she eyed the cupcake in the center.
“Not yet,” she said, stiffening her back.
“These events are worse than a Friday night in the ER,” he said.
“Seriously, I can’t believe how much people don’t understand about medicine and yet are willing to donate such large sums of money.”
“I guess it’s human nature not to ask too many questions and just believe what people show you.”
She could feel some tension rolling off him but wrote it off to their ongoing feud.
He pushed the plate over to her. “I got this for you. It’s a bad idea to drink on an empty stomach. You probably still get the giggles, and I doubt the donors want to see your air guitar.”
“Know-it-all.” Unable to resist, she plucked the cupcake off the plate and peeled the paper wrapping down. “Just because you remembered I like cake doesn’t mean you remember everything about me. And I don’t get the giggles when I drink.”
His head fell back, and his laugh sent a warmth through her from her head to her toes. She’d missed that sound.
“You must forget who you’re talking to. Just because it’s been ten years doesn’t mean I could ever forget how insanely giggly you get when you have champagne, much less on an empty stomach.”
She shoved a bite of the cupcake in her mouth to avoid the laughter that threatened to burst out of her. And then a second bite.
“Exactly, eat up gorgeous, but between that blush and you biting your lower lip, I know I’m still right. You haven’t changed that much.”
“Neither have you. Still bossy, but with a new grumpy tone.”
“If I’m bossy, it’s because you were too busy tonight flirting with the entire Navy to remember to eat, and if I’m grumpy, it’s because I was forced to watch it.”
She didn’t dare ask why he would care. There was no good reason for them to go down that road. There was too much hurt between them, and he was only back temporarily.
Once she polished off the plate of hors d’oeuvres, she dusted her hands. Standing with her at the table, Drake watched her in companionable silence, but now she was at a loss for words.
“Ready to go back into the fray?” he finally asked.
Looking up, she thought his eyes seemed sad. “Thank you.”
His hand lifted to frame her cheek, and his thumb ran along her bottom lip before he swiped at something in the crease of her mouth.
“Just a crumb,” he said, his voice a whisper.
“Why are you being nice to me?”
“I’m tired of pretending I’m still mad at you, when really I never was.” His other hand came up to cup her face, and she closed her eyes, willing herself not to bask in the desire coursing through her.
A voice inside was screaming “yes,” but was also telling her not to make a mistake she couldn’t take back. But his body heat was enticing, and his touch sent a tremble through her body, making her crave more.
“Drake,” she breathed, a warning and a request.
