Page 16 of Claiming Their Omega

“I feel like I’ve been drafted into the army,” Hendrix jokes, but he gets up.

I push my way over Easton’s lap to get out. He’s stiff but I try to ignore it. I get that these four still haven’t exactly warmed to me even if they’re trying to be kind in the face of my heartbreak. Hendrix politely offers his hand to me and helps me.

“Come on.” I tug him out onto the space that’s unofficially the dance floor to join the others.

There really isn’t a ton of space in here, although there’s more than you’d think looking at it from the outside. Hendrix keeps me close, twirling me and spinning me around. I stumble over his feet a little, but he doesn’t seem to mind at all.

I haven’t laughed this long in ages.

“Easton!” I call when the song ends, sticking my hand out. “My hero! Come on!”

Easton looks alarmed. Jesse laughs and Hendrix lets go of me to grab him. “Come on, you saved her honor by beating up the car, you earned a dance.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Easton says, but he’s smiling as he takes my hand and lets me tug him out onto the dance floor.

“I never kid about something as serious as tipsy dancing,” I inform him.

“Clearly.” Easton spins me around. “All right, let’s find out if this princess still knows her proper dance moves.”

“Princess?” I scoff. “I’ve only been away from home for a few years.”

“You were a princess before then too.”

“Oh, you’re so on.” I grab him and tug hard, causing both of us to stumble, but then we’re off.

Hendrix and Easton are both good dancers. I have fun keeping up with Easton. He knows his moves, not something I would’ve really expected from him. It’s a pleasant surprise. I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be passed back and forth between them, to be spun from Hendrix to Easton and back again, dancing with them both in turn.

It’s a silly thought, and I immediately feel bad for thinking it. The song ends and I pull away.

Easton doesn’t seem fazed or to even notice my weird moment. He just looks over at Jesse. “All right, man, I need to finish my beer. Your turn.”

“What?” Jesse shakes his head. “Absolutely not.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” I splutter. I’m not going to make him spend more time with me than he has to. It’s kind of him to stick around and put up with me because Hendrix and Easton are feeling gentlemanly but I don’t want to push it.

“Oh, absolutely not,” Hendrix insists. “Come on, Jesse, don’t be a coward.”

“Coward?” Jesse growls at him.

“You’re worried that you won’t be able to dance like we do, we get it, you’ve always had two left feet—”

“For fuck’s sake.” Jesse cuts him off and gets onto his feet. He holds his hand out to me. “All right, let’s show ’em how it’s done, shall we?”

I have the feeling I’m in for it, but I take his hand anyway.

Boy, was I right.

Jesse whirls me across the dance floor, so fast that I’m dizzy, but I don’t care. I whoop delightedly, determined to keep up with him and show him just how well I can follow along. I’m not going to be bested by Jesse Stone of all people.

“Damn, okay,” Jesse says with a laugh as the song ends. “You can keep up better than most.”

“I think that’s the first nice thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“I say nice things to you when you deserve them.”

“Wow, with lines like that, I’m shocked you’re still single.”

Jesse raises his eyebrows and I feel my face heat up. I’m talking a big game for someone who just had to break up with her boyfriend for cheating on her. It’s the low-hanging fruit, but it’s also the cruel fruit, and I’m both surprised and not when Jesse doesn’t take it.

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