Page 128 of Just This Once

I sighed patiently. “You always do all the work in chasing the girls, don’t you?”

“Uh…” He didn’t seem to know how to respond.

So I rolled my eyes. “Don’t you think you should makethemput in a little effort sometimes? Here. Come on.” I stood up, holding out my hand to him. “Let’s show them what kind of moves you have on the dance floor. Then they’ll befightingeach other over who gets you.”

Keene squinted at me suspiciously for a beat before he started to nod. “You know what? You’re exactly right. Yeah. Let’s make them come tome.”

When he popped from his chair, I cheered, “Right on,” and I grabbed his hand to pull him out to where Hudson, Faith, and Xander were dancing.

“How do you want to do this?” I asked. “Sweet and polite or down and dirty to really show them what you’re made of?”

His eyebrows lifted. “Did you just offer to…grind on me?”

I lifted my eyebrows right back. “I did. You in?”

“Oh, hell yes.”

With a chuckle, I turned my back to him and lifted my arms above my head. “Alright then.” Swiveling my hips, I slowly backed toward him. When my spine brushed up against his chest, he clutched my waist, moving with me.

Into my hair, he said, “This is so weird. Alec’s sister is starting to turn me on.”

Loving it, I threw my head back, laughing hard enough that I bumped the back of my noggin on the front of his shoulder.

He snickered along with me, and together we fell into the moment, simply enjoying the rhythm.

When a tingling spread over my skin like a rash, making my breasts prickle, and an ache form between my legs, my gaze went to the stairs without thought.

And there he stood, paused on the bottom step, watching me dance with Keene.

Parker, my mind shuddered through the name in relish.

Memories swamped me, and suddenly, the only thing I could feel on me was his mouth and hands, his intense gaze as he stretched out beside me on that massive hotel bed and stroked his fingers up my body, his breath in my ear as he told me what he was going to do to me next. Then his tongue?—

With a shuddering gasp, I whirled away, only to come face-to-face with a surprised Keene.

“Whoa. Hey, you okay?” he asked, looking honestly concerned.

Flustered and shaken, I nodded and looped my arms around his neck, shifting closer to seek protection from the overwhelming feelings that were roaring through me. “Yeah, sorry,” I rasped, slightly out of breath. But as soon as I glanced over his shoulder, I spotted the table of women we’d been trying to attract.

Distracted by them, I smiled and patted Keene’s arm. “Good news, Sneezy. Your audience has taken notice.”

“Really?” He spun us around so he could have his own look.

Captain Discreet, this one was not.

In forcing me to face the other way, however, I was able to return my attention to those stairs. And a certain broody-eyed glare was still aimed at me from the base of them.

Parker’s gaze clashed with mine, and I forgot to breathe. Forgot to think. Forgot who and where I was, until Keene exclaimed, “Holy shit. They’re watching ushard.” Turning his face to address me, he added, “What’re your thoughts on spinning and dipping?”

I blinked, trying to focus on what he’d just said. “What?”

He sighed as if I were hopeless. “Just go with it.”

Before I could prepare myself, he tightened his grip on my hand and then whirled me out away from him, only to spin me right back.

I yelped out a surprised scream and then laughed when I bumped into his chest on the return.

“Oh my God!” I gasped, clutching his arm to catch my bearings. “That was so fucking fun.”

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