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Yeah, right. I’ll admit, it was interesting to read about, though.
“Now, me?” She points to herself. “I would have scored low. I’d be hopeless out there.” She motions to the sea of dancers.
I glimpse Lexie and Ethan on the dance floor before someone moves in front of them, her hands wrapped around his shoulders, their bodies pressed tightly together, moving as one unit.
A yearning to do the same with Tessa races through me, frustration following soon after knowing it’s not like that between us.
“You’d be fine,” I tell her before taking another swallow of beer. “You got all those moves I taught you down pat. I bet you’re better than you think.”
She makes a noncommittal noise, but smiles at me all the same. “I’ve never danced in my life.”
“You didn’t go to prom?”
She shakes her head. “The foster family I lived with then wouldn’t pay for things like that.”
Well, that fucking sucks. “I’ll take you out there.”
Though the words are casual, I can’t help the desire that leaks into my voice. I want more than anything to get close to her again.
She bites at her lip, glancing out at the other dancers. “I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you enough times by now. What’s one more?”
I grin and slide out of the booth. Holding my hand out to her, my pulse picks up as she lays her hand in mine and scoots out next to me.
“Keep in mind, you’re the one that has to be seen with me.”
She acts like that’s a bad thing. But I’m anticipating it.
She stands awkwardly at the edge of the dance floor looking at the others, then up at me, a wrinkle between her brows. “Everyone else knows what they’re doing. I don’t.”
“Come here.” I position her in front of me. “Don’t worry about anyone else. It’s just you and me.”
She nods, releasing a breath.
She’s right that it’s like being in the ring, getting into the groove of the match, playing off of what your opponent does. But here, I want us moving together, not at odds. “Get comfortable with the music. Bob your head to the beat. Bounce. Get into the rhythm.”
I let the flow of the song surround me and move to it, relishing her gaze on me.
She starts to dance, then stops and covers her eyes. “I feel silly.”
I nudge her hand out of the way. “Can I help you?”
She nods, staring up at me as I step closer and place her hands on my shoulders.
“Remember us on my bike together? The way you moved when I moved? It’s like that. We need to be in sync. Watch my hips and match my tempo.”
She tilts her head down and moves after a moment, copying me. “Like this?”
I grip her waist, setting her to the right cadence. “There you go. Keep yourself loose and relaxed.”
She smiles up at me. “You sound like me giving my spiel at the Stress Lab.”
“If you can do that, you can do this, right?”
“Yeah, I—” She lets go of me and pulls her phone out of her back pocket, then shakes her head at the screen.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine.” She stuffs the phone away. “So, you’re sure you don’t go out dancing on the weekends? Because you seem experienced.”
