Page 55 of Never You

Not because I didn’t try, but because they threatened to make life really hard for me, and God knows they can.

She examines my face, any restraints completely gone until her eyebrows raise in recognition, looking around the room.

“I love this song!” She jumps up, grabbing my hand. “Come on,hockey boy.”

“What? Where are we going?”

“Dance with me!”

Bodi chokes on his drink while I blink at her, wondering if she’s joking.

“Err, no.” I glance at the dance floor filled with line dancing people.

“Come on,hockey boy. We’re in Texas! I got my boots on.” She raises a boot from the floor. “Wehaveto dance! Don’t tell me you don’t have a few moves?”

Cute as she is, she wiggles her hips.

“I really, really don’t.” I laugh sheepishly while my eyes take in her radiant smile.

She scrunches her nose in disbelief, creating a fuzzy feeling inside me that wants to reach out my arms and cuddle her on my lap. To kiss her hair at her silliness and hold her like she’s mine.

Fuck.

“Oh, come on. Just follow me.”

Pulling harder than expected, she jerks me off my chair and onto my feet, dragging me onto the dance floor. I look over my shoulder, a bit shocked at her sudden strength, locking eyes with Bodi, who’s waving at me with a gleaming look, enjoying this all a little too much.

Australian bastard.

“Rae, babe,” I plead. “I really can’t dance. I play hockey, for crying out loud.”

“Exactly. If you can move your feet on the ice, you can move them on the dance floor. I’ll show you.”

She leads me to the floor and places us in a line, surrounded by people who clearly know what they are doing. I awkwardly look around me, feeling like a fish on dry land before my focus is back on Rae.

“Okay, pay attention.” She starts to move her feet while glancing at me. “Step, step, step. Kick, step, slide.” She repeats the move while I soak her in, enjoying every move she makes with her slender body.

“Jensen! Pay attention.”

“Right. I’m not doing this,” I announce, rubbing my neck. Placing a hand on my side, I eye her with a bored look, hoping she’ll let it pass.

No such luck.

“Come on, handsome. Humor me.”

“Handsome?” I feel the corner of my mouth tucking at her new nickname for me.

“That’s the part you listen to?” Her eyes roll, then she brings her focus back to her feet.

“Look, it’s easy.” She shows the step one more time, and I just look at her, moving her legs and hips with ease.

Following the rhythm with the rest of the people. She keeps going, undisturbed, before her eyes find mine again.

“Jensen!” She scowls. “Come on! Don’t be such a bore.”

“Nope, not doing it.” As if the universe is working with me, the music changes to a ballad, and my brows quirk up. “I will dothis, though.”

Grabbing her hand, I gently tug her into my arms, pulling her body flush with mine.

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