Page 150 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

They hurry off to the tables.

“Time to get our dance on!” Mia says before finding an empty spot on the dance floor and doing a dorky dance. With a smile, Kade tightens his hold on my hand and leads us over there, Rylee and Mason right ahead of us.

And then the five us completely let loose and have fun. Mia ups her dorky dance moves and the rest of us try to mimic her. The key word here being “try” because those are some sick combinations.

“Kade’s getting them!” Mia says with a laugh.

“No kidding,” I say as I take his hands and dance with him. “Teach me your ways, master.”

“Being in the presence of such an amazing warrior goddess brings out my dance side,” he says as he spins me toward him, my back hitting his chest. He stares down at me with a smile that brightens his eyes. “You are the light of my life.”

I have to stretch my neck to stare up into his eyes. “You’re the light of mine, too.”

I don’t know how long we gaze into each other’s eyes like this, but it feels like forever. Until someone knocks into us. We both blink like we were once again in our own bubble. Then we continue to dance, taking breaks here and there to drink.

And then the music changes to a slow song.

“Finally!” Rylee throws her arms around Mason, pressing herself to his body. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all night.”

Mia backs away. “This is my cue to leave. Have fun, guys! I’ll join you later.”

“You’ll be okay?” I ask her.

“Of course. I’ve got lots of snacks to keep me company. Really, don’t worry about me. Make the most of your time together. Oh, Lexi’s not dancing. I’ll hang out with her.” She waves and sprints away.

Kade and I face each other. Stare at each other. Smile at each other.

“I’ve been waiting for this all night, too,” he admits.

My stomach flutters. “You have?”

He nods. “I have.”

“That makes me so happy.” I close the gap between us and lock my arms around his neck, keeping a bit of distance between our bodies because…I’ve never done this before. Kade’s a little hesitant as he wraps his arms around me, but the second we make contact, a zap jolts through me. I think he feels it, too, because he tightens his arms around me and gently hauls me toward himself, leaving barely any space between our bodies.

“Is this okay?” he asks me.

My heart races so fast it makes my head spin. I don’t know how, but I manage to say, “It’s perfect.”

Every part of me feels on fire as Kade and I sway to the beat of the slow song. Our eyes are pasted on each other, not blinking or looking away once. Kade has so many emotions shining in his eyes, but the one that stands out most? Joy. Pure joy. As though this moment right here is one of the best he’s ever had in his life.

He caresses my cheek. “What are you thinking?”

“How happy I am that you’re happy.”

His eyes shine even more. “I think I’m the happiest person in the world right now.” He shakes his head with a smile. “If you told me two months ago that I’d meet a special girl who would change my life, I would have laughed in your face. I never imagined anything like this could ever happen to me. You and your family have welcomed me into your lives, into your home, into your hearts. Sometimes I want to pinch myself to see if it’s real.”

I rest my head on his chest. “No need to pinch yourself, Kade. Your dreams have come true.”

“In more ways than you think,” he murmurs against my ear.

I play with the hair at the nape of his neck. “My dreams have also come true. Dreams I didn’t even know I wanted.” Slowly, I raise my head to meet his eyes. “You’ve changed my life, too.”

His eyes grow intense as he gazes at me, his hand rubbing circles on my back. His eyes drop to my lips. Mine lift to his. But then we quickly pin our eyes back on each other.

All I want to do right now is kiss him, and it’s obvious he wants to kiss me, too. Maybe we’ve both wanted it ever since our almost-kiss. But the chaperones would definitely yell at us.

Stepping back, I ask, “Want to get out of here?”

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