Page 15 of This Is Why

“And I promise you, you can dance well enough for this.” I lift my eyebrows as the lead singer massacres a drawn-out highnote.

“Fine,” she says with a little laugh. “But if I see anyone making fun of me, I will hold you personally responsible.”

“Oh, ye of little faith. No one is going to laugh at you. In fact, I predict that you and I will have so much fun, we won’t be the only ones dancing for long.” I pull her away from the safety of the blankets and into myarms.

“Yeah?” She puts her arms around my shoulders. “Feel like putting your money where your mouthis?”

“Always.” I lead her through a series of steps, spinning her out away from me and then pulling her right back into my body. “I bet we will have fifteen more couples out here by the time these guys finish theirset.”

“Fifteen! That’s awfully ambitious.” She gasps as I wrap an arm around her waist and push her body againstmine.

“And if I’m right, you have to go out to dinner with me.” I lower my face tohers.

“And if you’re wrong?”

I pull back and cock my head to the side. “Then I have to go to dinner withyou.”

Lexi laughs. “So, no matter what, we’re going to dinner.”

“Exactly. It’s a win win situation.”

“Forwho?”

I spin her again and then pull her close. “Forus.”

She doesn’t agree, but she doesn’t disagree either. When I try to claim my victory, she’ll use her silence as a way to avoid coming to dinner with me, but the mere fact that she didn’t come right out and say no tells me I’ve already won. She’s scared of me. Scared of whatever this is between us. All I need is time with her to prove that she has nothing to be scared of when it comes to the two of us. A couple joins us on the field.

“There’s one.” I spin her so she can see the laughingduo.

“Fourteen more to go.” She smiles and I’m lost toher.

Another couple joins us. Then another. Then three more at once. I stop counting because all I care about is the way she feels in my arms, the spots where we’re touching and the spaces where we’re not. I want to close the gaps, to bring her closer to me until there is nothing between us, the entire length of her body pressed againstmine.

Gabe and Claire take to the field, hopping and skipping merrily and Lexi shakes her head. “That might be the most adorable thing I’ve seen in a longtime.”

“Normally I’d agree with you, but I’ve got something that might change your mind.” I spin her around so she can see Michelle and David, dancing with baby Thomas held between them. Michelle sees us watching and holds up a hand in a little wave before giving her attention back to her husband. David lowers his forehead to hers and they shuffle slowly, out of rhythm with the upbeat tempo of the song, but beautiful nonetheless.

“Okay. You win. That is officially the most adorable thing I’ve everseen.”

“It’s also number fifteen.” I smile down at her. My God, she’s stunning.

“What? No way.” She cranes her neck, trying to count all fifteen couples.

I lead her through a slow spin and we count them all together. By the time we’re finished with one rotation, the number has grown to twenty. The band finishes their third song, smiling as if they were just nominated for a Grammy, and eases into a slow song. Lexi tries to pull away, but I hold her tight.

“One more,” Isay.

She stares up at me, considering, before she wraps her arms around my shoulders and lets me take the lead. We rock and sway and I slowly pull her closer to me until she rests her head on my shoulder, her breasts pressing against my chest and my dick stirring in my pants. She turns her face towards mine and it’s everything I can do not to kiss her. I want to taste her lips so badly, but now is not the time. Not with Gabe watching. Not here in the middle of a crowd of people who have no right to share the moment with us. And definitely not when she’s still trying to fight me on everything. When I finally kiss her, I want her to want it as much as Ido.

The song ends and I hold her for as long as possible before letting her go. We make our way back to the blankets. I hold her hand for a few steps and then drop it before she has a chance to take it away from me herself. I don’t want to let go, but since she runs every time I chase her, I’d be a fool to keep pushing. Instead, I’ll stay right where I am and let her come tome.

Michelle gives Lexi a huge grin as we take a seat. “The two of you look good together.”

A blush flares across Lexi’s face. “Please don’t encouragehim.”

I wrap an arm around Lexi’s shoulders and pull her close. She smells so good and feels so right in my arms. “I need very little encouragement. I’m very good at self-motivation.” I give a little shrug and let Lexi go. “It’s a Marine thing.”

David scoops up Thomas and plops him in his lap. “I think the self-motivation stuff existed well before the Marines.”

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