Page 2 of Double Booked

He laughed and I ignored the way it did things to my insides. “That’s my type of vacation as well. Although I can’t bring work with me as easily.”

“What do you do?”

“I own a construction company with the best friend I mentioned earlier. It’s not glamorous but we stay pretty steady. What do you do?”

I hated this question. When I worked at a marketing agency, it wasn’t bad. I answered with my job title and people accepted that. But when I answered that I was an author I usually got raised eyebrows or “do you make a living off that?”

“I’m an author.” I said evenly, prepared for my flirty conversation with him to come to an end.

He grinned. “That’s so cool! What do you write?”

I barely kept my eyebrows from shooting up. It seemed this man fell into the elusive second camp of support and admiration.

“I write a variety of genres. Mainly a mystery right now.”

“Those are some of my favorites. Are you published? Oh, and I’m Colton, by the way.” He laughed. “Before I start talking your ear off, I figured I should introduce myself.”

“I’m Riley,” I reached my hand out and he took it with one of his for a quick shake. His palm was warm in mine and butterflies danced in my stomach. Sexy and a reader? I was doomed. “Do you want to move closer?”

“If it’s okay with you.” Colton checked. “I didn’t want to crowd your space.”

I appreciated him checking but I nodded. “We can use each other as a buffer against the rest of the people.” I joked.

He fake shuddered. “True. Have you seen how many people are in here?” I laughed and he grinned. “Okay, let’s talk books.”

Before I knew it, two hours had flown by as we dove into our favorite books and authors. Colton was surprisingly really well read although he admitted he did more audiobooks because of his job. The bartender had stopped by a few times and I was on my third Long Island iced tea when a song I knew came over the speakers and my foot started tapping to the beat.

Colton noticed immediately and held out his hand toward me, palm up. “Do you want to dance?”

It was probably the liquid courage running through me or the fact that over the last few hours this man had gotten even sexier to me with his knowledge of books but I flirted a little. “Just a dance?”

A slow smile spread over his face. “My momma raised a gentleman so just a dance until you say you want more.”

“Until I say I want more?” I arched an eyebrow. “That sounds awfully cocky there. What if you’re a terrible dancer?”

“I guess you’ll just have to dance with me to find out.” He flirted back. I bit my lip and the green in his eyes popped as he tracked the movement. I slipped my hand in his and let him guide me out onto the dance floor.

He pulled me up, placing his hands on my hips as he pulled me against his hard muscles. Standing up, I fit just under his chin, the perfect height in my opinion and I relaxed into him, moving to the beat. My prospects for a vacation fling were looking up and I hoped Colton would be interested. He was hot and a gentleman and through the course of the conversation I found out he would also be here for the same week I was. Now it was time to gauge his interest. I let my hands move from his shoulders down his back and up again, running my fingers down his spine. He moved with the music easily, moving a leg in between mine and rocking our hips in time with the beat. My breath hitched and he dipped his head to whisper in my ear. “How am I doing on the dancing so far?”

I laughed breathlessly. “Not too bad to start. But don’t you know it’s all about the finish?”

He laughed and it sent a tingle down my spine. “Oh. I can finish it.”

The beat picked up then and he spun me around until my back was to his chest. He pulled me closer as we rocked our hips together to the beat. I bit my lip as it felt like warm tingles spread from every part of our bodies that touched. I closed my eyes and lifted my arms to grab behind his neck. He buried his face in my neck, his hot breath hitting the sensitive spot where my neck and shoulder met. His hands stayed on my hips although they flexed and released like he wanted to move them. We danced like that for a few more songs and when I rocked back against him, he let out a quiet groan.

After another song, he pulled back slightly and motioned with his head towards the bar. I nodded. My mouth was dry and I could use some water. He must be thinking the same thing as he flagged down the bartender and ordered two waters. I studied him as he talked to the bartender. He seemed interested but now that we were off the dance floor, doubts were starting to set in. Was he just being polite? Did he just want a one night stand or a vacation fling? Or did he want one at all? He screamed relationship material but relationships didn’t really work out for me. Only one way to find out though.

“So I’ve been thinking,” I started after taking a sip of water.

“About my dance skills?” He grinned and I laughed.

“No, although those were…” I trailed off. In the past I had been accused by past boyfriends of being too much. Too forward and too direct. I tried not to let their words get to me but in the short time I’d known Colton, I really liked what I had seen. I didn’t want to come on too strong or too much and ruin this before it began.

“You’re really going to leave me hanging there?”

“I’m trying to think of the word,” I teased, as I collected my thoughts.

“I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing that you can’t think of the word as an author.”

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