Page 11 of Fire Dancer

“I guess I heard wrong.” Lucille flipped her hair, then tilted her head the other way. “Also, there’s a completely hot guy checking you out.”

I followed her eyes to Ingo and sighed.Checking outcame in welcome and unwelcome versions. Ingo’s was both, somehow.

“I Want You to Want Me” came over the speakers next, but there was no way I was dancing to that now. Instead, I blew out my cheeks, excused myself, and stomped over to Ingo.

“Oh, he’s busted,” Amy whisper-hissed.

“Twenty bucks says Pippa whips his ass,” Lauren threw in before the lyrics drowned her out.

Sensing dozens of eyes on me, I glanced around. Everyone jerked away, suddenly intent on the candles on their tables. Candles which flared suddenly.

Oops.

I marched over to Ingo, then stopped and jammed my hands on my hips.

He pointed around. “Better watch yourself. You don’t want to burn the place down.”

God, I hated men who knew me better than I knew myself.

“It would help if you weren’t staring,” I said.

“I wasn’t staring.”

His words came in a low, rumbly growl that suggested all kinds of wonderful things he could do to me if I gave him free rein.

I did my best to loom over him, which only worked when he was seated. As kids, I’d always been the taller one. Then he’d hit a growth spurt and put on a full foot of height between turning sixteen and seventeen. Not fair, but such was life.

“You were staring, and it’s ruining my night.”

He snorted. “As if those guys are worth your time.”

“Like I’m such a catch.”

His firm gaze said he disagreed, and the little smile that ghosted over his lips when the next song started — “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” — implied he agreed with Sting.

I shook my head, exasperated. We both knew we were perfect — er, no good — for each other. But that was easy to forget when we got close.

I stood there a minute longer, then slid into his booth before I caused a scene.

Ingo wrapped his lips around the beer bottle and gulped a few times. And damn, was the rippling motion of his throat mesmerizing.

I dragged my eyes away before he noticed, and neither of us spoke.

Ever since Ingo had come to town a few weeks ago, I’d been mentally composing a lecture for him. One about how this was different from the other times destiny had brought us together over the years, when we could defy that meddlesome force by heading in opposite directions as quickly as possible. Sedona was home, so I couldn’t pick up and leave. That was up to Ingo to do, and it was time to tell him that in no uncertain terms.

But now that we were face-to-face, all those clever lines vanished from my mind, and I couldn’t get out a word.

Besides, Hank was coming up just then. He’d rustled up three other men, and they approached in a nervous huddle.

“Is this guy bothering you, Pippa?”

Yes. No. Maybe?

Their concern touched my heart, though. How sweet.

“It’s fine. Thanks, guys. Ingo and I go way back.”

Still, they did their best to hold their ground under Ingo’s withering glare.

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