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It turned out Cloe had danced with her sisters. Either that or she was just a natural. It only took one lap around the dance floor for her steps to fall into synch with his. On the fourth lap, he tried twirling her under his arm. She missed a step but then quickly got it back. By the time the song ended, she had the two-step down cold. When the next song started, she didn’t offer any resistance when he continued to dance her around the floor.
He knew she was enjoying herself. He knew from the twinkle in her green eyes and the flush of her cheeks and the continual appearance of her dimples. And surprisingly, he was enjoying himself too. They two-stepped for three songs straight before the band switched to a slow waltz. Cloe mastered that as easily as she’d mastered the two-step. He was the one who struggled when her breasts pressed against his chest.
He tried to keep his thoughts from the tempting pillows melting into his pecs. “So you lied. You did dance around in your underwear.”
A teeth-flashing, dimple-popping smile broke over her face. Rome felt like he’d been sucker punched hard in the chest. The brilliance of her smile knocked the wind right out of him.
“Okay, so I danced with my sisters. But not in my underwear. In pajamas.”
He liked the image of her dancing and laughing with her sisters. He wanted to hear her laugh. But for now, he just wanted to keep the breathtaking smile on her face.
He twirled her under his arm and then dipped her.
“Rome!” she squealed.
“Don’t worry. I got you.” He lifted her back to her feet and continued to dance her around the floor until her cellphone pinged.
She stopped dancing and pulled it from her back pocket to read the text. “I need to go. My mama’s worried. I completely blindsided her when I told her I was coming to the Hellhole tonight. I’m not a bar person.”
“You didn’t tell her you were meeting me?”
“I didn’t want Mimi getting too excited if things didn’t work out. She’s going to be overjoyed that her plan succeeded.”
As he looked into Cloe’s green eyes, Rome felt pretty overjoyed himself. “I’ll walk you out.”
He hadn’t realized he’d parked right next to Cloe’s car until she stopped at the Honda Civic. The sight of the small white car sitting next to his big black truck made him smile. “Darth Vader and Princess Leia.” He thought he would have to explain, but she came right back.
“Voldemort and Hermione.”
He sent her a wounded look. “Voldemort? At least, Darth had a good heart underneath his villainous exterior. How about Daffy Duck and Snoopy?”
Her eyes crinkled behind the lenses of her glasses. “But they don’t go together.”
“Yes, they do. They’re both beloved cartoon friends.”
“They aren’t friends. They don’t even know each other.”
“I bet if they met, they’d hit it off.”
“A duck and a beagle?”
“Why not?” He grinned. “A Remington and a Holiday are becoming friends.”
“And soon-to-be husband and wife.” She shook her head. “This is crazy.”
“Maybe. But maybe it’s time we were the wild and crazy ones of the family.”
She must have liked the thought because the breathtaking smile came back. He didn’t know what happened. One second, he was standing there looking at those smiling lips and the next second he was taking her chin in his hand and brushing his lips over hers. It was just a simple kiss, just something to seal their deal. But there was nothing simple about his reaction. Just the touch of her soft lips had desire washing over him like slow-rolling waves.
She tasted like he thought clouds would taste—soft and sweet—and he couldn’t resist deepening the kiss. His hand dropped from her chin and settled on her waist, drawing her closer. Her hands lifted to his shoulders and her lips slid open, offering him the wet heat of her mouth. When he hesitantly dipped his tongue inside, her tongue was there to greet it, making him lose all thoughts of soft and sweet.
He stepped her back against her car and fed on her lips like a starving man—sucking, nipping, stroking—as his hands slipped beneath her loose sweater and wandered over the warm, naked skin of her back. When his fingertips brushed the hooks of her bra, all he could think about was unfastening those hooks and filling his hands with her lush breasts.
But before he could, Cloe pushed him away. Her eyes were wide and confused. “Why did you do that?”
He didn’t have an answer. He felt as stunned as she looked. Why had he kissed her? And why did he feel like he’d just been struck by lightning? While he was struggling to get his emotions under control, Cloe glanced over his shoulder.
“Oh. I get it. Melba Wadley is standing over there watching us.”
