Page 28 of Time To Live Again

His eyebrows soar. “No shit. Well, that fills in the blanks.” The bartender slides his beer to him. He doesn’t drink it right away.

I lift my glass to my lips again to hide behind it. “What do you mean?”

“Ellie and I were pretty shocked to see him enter the room holding hands with you. He told Ellie he wasn’t bringing a date. I’m pretty sure we would’ve known if he had a girlfriend.”

“Nope, just fast friends.”Maybe one day we could be more. “How did you meet Leo?” Time to switch the focus to him.

“Funny story,” he mocks me. I raise an eyebrow. He smirks and takes a pull of his beer. “Ellie and I were celebrating our anniversary in the Cayman Islands. Leo was there to review the resort. We met at the hotel bar and have been friends ever since. He’s one of the best men I know.” Funny how that’s the second time I’ve heard that today.

“He lures you in with that incredible smile and those amazing eyes.” I look over at Leo, and my heart thumps. “And then when he speaks, there’s no going back.” I turn back to Sam and shrug. “At least that’s what happened to me today.”

He eyes his glass while he traces circles on the rim with his index finger. “I get it. Ellie and I joke that if she weren’t married to me, she’d be married to him.” He chuckles, then looks back at me. “She loves him to death. He could put a smile on anybody’s face, and he’s a blast to be around. Ellie hates that he’s always on his own. Of course she wants to play matchmaker.”

I want to say,someone like Bethany, but I refrain. I’m suddenly feeling quite possessive and my claws are ready to pop out. This is a side of me I didn’t know I had.

Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud”comes on, and some guests whistle and clap, then filter out toward the dance floor. I itch to dance too.

“Having fun?” Leo surprises me from behind.

I turn around and notice Sam is gone. “Hell yes.” I shimmy my hips, then drink some more. At this rate I’ll be drunk soon, since I ate hours ago. “I had a nice chat with Sam. He asked about us.”

“Ellie asked too. I was honest and told her what happened with Bethany. And about the fake girlfriend thing to keep Bethany away. She asked me how we met, but I couldn’t answer because her cousin interrupted us.”

“Phew. I didn’t want to lie to Sam, but I didn’t mention the fake girlfriend thing. What did she say? Is she mad?”

“Opposite. She said she’ll go along with it. And that she’ll talk to Bethany. Ellie’s cool.”

“I Gotta Feeling” from the Black Eyed Peas comes on next, and I turn to face the dance floor in the other room. Perfect song for how my night is going.

“Want to dance?” Leo says next to my ear, his chest skimming my back. I fight the urge to lean against him, hoping he’ll wrap his arms around me.

I glance over my shoulder. His face is close enough to kiss. “I do, but I haven’t danced in years.”

“Who cares? It’s like riding a bike, right? I’m a little rusty too. Let’s go.”

I down the rest of my drink and put the empty glass on the bar. He grabs my hand and leads me to the other room.

We weave between people until Leo stops us in the middle of the dance floor.Must we be in the center of everyone?When I used to go clubbing, I thought I danced pretty well and confidently. I dig deep to find that piece of me again, hoping I won’t make a fool out of myself.

Leo and I start off slow, and then it’s as if someone flipped a switch on him. He unleashes a dance that electrifies the room. I’m frozen in place because I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Rusty, my ass! Maybe I shouldn’t be that surprised after he showed off some moves when we were at his cottage. Now I’m out of rhythm because my focus is on him. He’s awesome, and it’s like he’s a totally different person. His eyes are closed and the look on his face is different—almost distant but elated. Other guests are watching him too. I’m waiting for the crowd to split like the Red Sea and for a big spotlight to shine down on him.

His golden eyes flutter open and zone in on me. He shimmies over with a wicked grin, grabs my hand, and spins me around twice. I squeal with surprise and try to keep my balance.

“Come on, FG. Let your hair down,” he murmurs in my ear. He pulls off the hair band he was wearing and shakes his head, making his hair wild and untamed.

He’s the most captivating man I’ve ever met. I can’t take my eyes off him. The top four buttons are open on his snug black shirt, and I can see smooth skin, shiny with sweat. He’s rolled up his sleeves, revealing his toned forearms again. His dark jeans sit low on his hips, and accentuate his muscular ass. The constant buzz of arousal pumping through me since I met him roars.

Leo points to my bun. I hesitate, then unravel my hair, letting it cascade over my shoulder. He motions for me to keep going. With a burst of confidence, I bend over, shake my hair out with my hands, then stand up again. Not the best idea because my head’s spinning. I push my hair to the side, hoping to look as wild as he does. His heated eyes trace the curves of my body, and I think my pants will melt off.

Leo stalks up and pulls me into his arms. “You’re so fucking sexy, Olive.Own it. Now dance.” His voice has a deep commanding rumble to it that turns me on even more. Maybe I like to be told what to do too. The dance music changes to a Rihanna song that I don’t know the name of, and he performs like aMagic Mikedancer. What other surprises is he hiding?

He takes my hand again, and we dance like our lives depend on it, disregarding those around us. I surrender myself to the addictive rhythm as the music seizes control of my body. The pulsating bass propels my heart into a faster cadence, and, exhilarated, I release all inhibitions. My stomach hurts from laughing, and I’m sweating profusely. It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time. Free of worry. Free of negative thoughts. Free of guilt. I hope it doesn’t end.

After a while, I know I need to stop and drink some water before I pass out from dehydration. On the other hand, if I don’t go to the bathroom soon, I’m going to have an accident. I grab Leo’s arm and yell into his ear that I need a break. He nods and keeps dancing like he’s the Energizer Bunny.

I drag myself away and find the ladies’ room. I open the stall door when I’m done and almost trip over Tonya, who watches me with glassy eyes. Is she drunk or—wait! Is shecrying? I look around to see if anyone else is with her, but we’re alone.

When I look at her again, a tear rolls down her face. I reach for her. “Tonya, are you okay? Did something happen? Are you sick or did you hurt yourself? Should I get Leo?”

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