armed.
“Nothing. Just pretend like we’re talking.”
“We are talking, princess.” He grinned. I think he enjoyed any opportunity to call me that.
“Talk more, smart-alec.” I laughed a little louder. He looked to the side, seeing the guy almost to our table, and he shook his head at me.
“What’s the matter, princess? Don’t want to dance with two-left-feet-McGee?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Why not?”
I looked at him, meeting him stare for stare. “Fine.”
“Hey, there,” I heard to my right. I turned and gave him a small smile. “Would you like to dance to the cheesiest song known to man?”
I laughed. “Uh…Yeah. Sure.”
I slid out, but before I could take two-left-feet-McGee’s hand, a warm, familiar hand took it instead. “Sorry, buddy. This cheesy song is spoken for,” Enoch’s gruff voice said near my ear.
He lifted his hand s in good-natured back down and walked back to his seat.
I thought Enoch was just going to sit back down and say I owed him or something, but he towed me to the dance floor, pulling me under his arm before yanking me to his chest, forcing the air right out of my lungs. I gasped a little when our chests connected, our faces so close. “You’re pretty good at that.”
“Over three hundred years of living will make you good at anything,” he said, almost bitterly, but he smiled a little.
“Three hundred years…” I mused, but said nothing more.
“You’re welcome, by the way. I promise I won’t step on your cute little feet.” He twirled me out and back in before dipping me back just a little and lifting me back up. I fought for breath for more than one reason.
“I can’t make the same promise, sadly.”
“All you need is a good leader,” he said low against my temple. “Males have changed so much over the decades. When I was born, men led the dances and woman didn’t have to worry about being stepped on. It was a show of pride and honor to know how to lead a lady on the dance floor.”
He moved with more open moves, more swift. He pressed a hand to my back and began leading me through a dance I’d never done before or seen, but it was fun and beautiful. He had his eyes closed, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he led me through the moves with surety and security. A few of the other couples watched with impressed smiles on their faces at Enoch’s skill.
His face was s o open and smooth as he focused; he looked relaxed and young. He was the most handsome he’d ever been. He was so close in that moment, I could have stolen a kiss and he couldn’t have stopped me. His dark hair brushed my hand on his neck every time he turned. It sent chills down my entire being. Not goose bumps. No—these were something else entirely. He was so honest. He may be mean at times, but you couldn’t say the guy wasn’t honest. And he was real and could be so…caring sometimes, seemingly out of nowhere.
All I could do was hang on and try not to kiss him.
He sucked in a breath, his eyes still closed, and slowly licked his bottom lip. He let his eyes open slowly, and the song ended just as another song began. We stood there in the middle of the crowd not moving, not dancing, and me barely breathing.
His hooded eyes watched me and he seemed so surprised. His eyes searched my face as the faster dancers moved around us. I should have been embarrassed, knowing that he was tasting my want for him, but I just couldn’t be. Was he really that surprised?
Someone tapped my shoulder. I expected the same guy, but I turned my face to find a new guy there. “My turn.” He grinned.
“Beat it,” Enoch growled.
“Hey, pal. Share the wealth, man.”
I squinted. Really? I had no idea what that term meant, but it was a pretty dumb thing to say. I opened my mouth to diffuse the situation when the waitress passed by us. “Food’s ready, hun!”
Enoch grabbed my hand and pushed me in front of him. He told the guy, “You’re saved by the waitress.”
I dug in
“Nothing. Just pretend like we’re talking.”
“We are talking, princess.” He grinned. I think he enjoyed any opportunity to call me that.
“Talk more, smart-alec.” I laughed a little louder. He looked to the side, seeing the guy almost to our table, and he shook his head at me.
“What’s the matter, princess? Don’t want to dance with two-left-feet-McGee?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Why not?”
I looked at him, meeting him stare for stare. “Fine.”
“Hey, there,” I heard to my right. I turned and gave him a small smile. “Would you like to dance to the cheesiest song known to man?”
I laughed. “Uh…Yeah. Sure.”
I slid out, but before I could take two-left-feet-McGee’s hand, a warm, familiar hand took it instead. “Sorry, buddy. This cheesy song is spoken for,” Enoch’s gruff voice said near my ear.
He lifted his hand s in good-natured back down and walked back to his seat.
I thought Enoch was just going to sit back down and say I owed him or something, but he towed me to the dance floor, pulling me under his arm before yanking me to his chest, forcing the air right out of my lungs. I gasped a little when our chests connected, our faces so close. “You’re pretty good at that.”
“Over three hundred years of living will make you good at anything,” he said, almost bitterly, but he smiled a little.
“Three hundred years…” I mused, but said nothing more.
“You’re welcome, by the way. I promise I won’t step on your cute little feet.” He twirled me out and back in before dipping me back just a little and lifting me back up. I fought for breath for more than one reason.
“I can’t make the same promise, sadly.”
“All you need is a good leader,” he said low against my temple. “Males have changed so much over the decades. When I was born, men led the dances and woman didn’t have to worry about being stepped on. It was a show of pride and honor to know how to lead a lady on the dance floor.”
He moved with more open moves, more swift. He pressed a hand to my back and began leading me through a dance I’d never done before or seen, but it was fun and beautiful. He had his eyes closed, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he led me through the moves with surety and security. A few of the other couples watched with impressed smiles on their faces at Enoch’s skill.
His face was s o open and smooth as he focused; he looked relaxed and young. He was the most handsome he’d ever been. He was so close in that moment, I could have stolen a kiss and he couldn’t have stopped me. His dark hair brushed my hand on his neck every time he turned. It sent chills down my entire being. Not goose bumps. No—these were something else entirely. He was so honest. He may be mean at times, but you couldn’t say the guy wasn’t honest. And he was real and could be so…caring sometimes, seemingly out of nowhere.
All I could do was hang on and try not to kiss him.
He sucked in a breath, his eyes still closed, and slowly licked his bottom lip. He let his eyes open slowly, and the song ended just as another song began. We stood there in the middle of the crowd not moving, not dancing, and me barely breathing.
His hooded eyes watched me and he seemed so surprised. His eyes searched my face as the faster dancers moved around us. I should have been embarrassed, knowing that he was tasting my want for him, but I just couldn’t be. Was he really that surprised?
Someone tapped my shoulder. I expected the same guy, but I turned my face to find a new guy there. “My turn.” He grinned.
“Beat it,” Enoch growled.
“Hey, pal. Share the wealth, man.”
I squinted. Really? I had no idea what that term meant, but it was a pretty dumb thing to say. I opened my mouth to diffuse the situation when the waitress passed by us. “Food’s ready, hun!”
Enoch grabbed my hand and pushed me in front of him. He told the guy, “You’re saved by the waitress.”
I dug in
Similar Books
