matter what he wore.
A slow song started to play and Frank shook his head. “I’m done. If I don’t sit down now I’m going to collapse right here in the middle of the dance floor and people will just pirouette around me.”
I laughed. “Weakling.”
He grinned and then gaze d over my shoulder. “Ah, well, if you want to keep dancing I think you’re going to get your wish.”
“Why? Is Jeff coming?”
Frank’s gaze dropped to mine and he winked. “Have fun.”
A hand touched my arm, just the tips of his fingers. Goose bumps dotted my skin as his fingers trialed up my arm to my bare shoulder. And then he spoke.
And my heart stopped.
“Dance with me, Julia.” It wasn’t really a question, nor was it a demand.
I turned and looked up at him. It felt like everything in the room slowed. The sounds dulled and the sights blended together until they were just a kaleidoscope of colors gliding by.
“Rivers.”
His hand still rested on my shoulder. He looked the same—amazing, and my eyes drank him in. He wore a black tux. Combined with his black hair, it made his green eyes stand out. He’d untied his bow tie and left it hanging around his neck. The top button of his shirt was undone. It was sexy as hell.
“I’ve been watching you all evening , trying to get the nerve up to talk to you. I didn’t think it was appropriate considering you were here with someone.” He nodded at Frank who had already returned to our table.
“I’m not here with him. I mean, I am, but I’m not.”
I’m not making any sense. Dammit.
One side of Rivers’ mouth tipped up in a small grin. “That cleared it up.”
I shook my head slowly. “Frank and I are just friends.”
He nodded. “Then he won’t mind if you dance with me. Please.”
I followed him to the dance floor and he wrapped me in his arms . We moved together in time to the music, a slow love ballad. We were silent while we danced. The only sounds I heard were the music and the blood rushing behind my ears.
The song ended and I tried to step out of Rivers’ embrace. “Just one more dance?” His gaze held mine. His eyes were so soft. He bit his full bottom lip with his teeth, and all I could think was that I wish those were my teeth on his lips, my mouth on him.
I nodded that I’d dance with him again and relaxed into him. I felt safe there. Like I was custom made to fit in his arms. I snuggled closer to him and he tightened his hold on me.
“I called.” I looked at him. He studied my face. “The next day. As soon as my meeting ended I called. I must have written the number down wrong. I know it probably sounds like a lame ass excuse for a brush off, but it’s the truth. It wasn’t a one night thing for me, Julia.”
My heart raced in my chest. I was sure he could feel it. “It doesn’t sound like an excuse. The number in that phone is wrong.”
He blew out a breath. “Damn.”
“Didn’t Jesse give you my number?”
His hands squeezed my hips. “Why would Jesse have your number?”
“When I got your note and realized you had the wrong number, I went to the restaurant and left my number with Jesse to pass on to you. But he said…” I turned my face away and looked at the other dancers.
Rivers put his finger under my chin and lifted my face to his. “But what? Finish what you were going to say. Please.”
I could feel my face begin to heat and knew it was turning red with a blush. A lump grew in my throat and caused my voice to come out thick and I fought to keep the tears pooling in my eyes from falling. “He said you brought a lot of girls through the restaurant. That it was your thing. I was just another in a long line of one nighters for you. That you didn’t do relationships—you did girls.”
Rivers’ jaw was clenching and a vein throbbed in the side of his neck. He squeezed my hip so hard it began to hurt. “Bastard,” he said under his breath. He cleared his throat. “Ah, no, he didn’t give me your number. He never
A slow song started to play and Frank shook his head. “I’m done. If I don’t sit down now I’m going to collapse right here in the middle of the dance floor and people will just pirouette around me.”
I laughed. “Weakling.”
He grinned and then gaze d over my shoulder. “Ah, well, if you want to keep dancing I think you’re going to get your wish.”
“Why? Is Jeff coming?”
Frank’s gaze dropped to mine and he winked. “Have fun.”
A hand touched my arm, just the tips of his fingers. Goose bumps dotted my skin as his fingers trialed up my arm to my bare shoulder. And then he spoke.
And my heart stopped.
“Dance with me, Julia.” It wasn’t really a question, nor was it a demand.
I turned and looked up at him. It felt like everything in the room slowed. The sounds dulled and the sights blended together until they were just a kaleidoscope of colors gliding by.
“Rivers.”
His hand still rested on my shoulder. He looked the same—amazing, and my eyes drank him in. He wore a black tux. Combined with his black hair, it made his green eyes stand out. He’d untied his bow tie and left it hanging around his neck. The top button of his shirt was undone. It was sexy as hell.
“I’ve been watching you all evening , trying to get the nerve up to talk to you. I didn’t think it was appropriate considering you were here with someone.” He nodded at Frank who had already returned to our table.
“I’m not here with him. I mean, I am, but I’m not.”
I’m not making any sense. Dammit.
One side of Rivers’ mouth tipped up in a small grin. “That cleared it up.”
I shook my head slowly. “Frank and I are just friends.”
He nodded. “Then he won’t mind if you dance with me. Please.”
I followed him to the dance floor and he wrapped me in his arms . We moved together in time to the music, a slow love ballad. We were silent while we danced. The only sounds I heard were the music and the blood rushing behind my ears.
The song ended and I tried to step out of Rivers’ embrace. “Just one more dance?” His gaze held mine. His eyes were so soft. He bit his full bottom lip with his teeth, and all I could think was that I wish those were my teeth on his lips, my mouth on him.
I nodded that I’d dance with him again and relaxed into him. I felt safe there. Like I was custom made to fit in his arms. I snuggled closer to him and he tightened his hold on me.
“I called.” I looked at him. He studied my face. “The next day. As soon as my meeting ended I called. I must have written the number down wrong. I know it probably sounds like a lame ass excuse for a brush off, but it’s the truth. It wasn’t a one night thing for me, Julia.”
My heart raced in my chest. I was sure he could feel it. “It doesn’t sound like an excuse. The number in that phone is wrong.”
He blew out a breath. “Damn.”
“Didn’t Jesse give you my number?”
His hands squeezed my hips. “Why would Jesse have your number?”
“When I got your note and realized you had the wrong number, I went to the restaurant and left my number with Jesse to pass on to you. But he said…” I turned my face away and looked at the other dancers.
Rivers put his finger under my chin and lifted my face to his. “But what? Finish what you were going to say. Please.”
I could feel my face begin to heat and knew it was turning red with a blush. A lump grew in my throat and caused my voice to come out thick and I fought to keep the tears pooling in my eyes from falling. “He said you brought a lot of girls through the restaurant. That it was your thing. I was just another in a long line of one nighters for you. That you didn’t do relationships—you did girls.”
Rivers’ jaw was clenching and a vein throbbed in the side of his neck. He squeezed my hip so hard it began to hurt. “Bastard,” he said under his breath. He cleared his throat. “Ah, no, he didn’t give me your number. He never
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