Page 5 of The Last Dance You Saved
You weren’t at that age, the devil inside me taunted. And I hadn’t been. I’d been a year away from opening my first club when I was twenty-three.
But I also wasn’t the norm.
Maybe she isn’t either.
Who knew? Not me. What I did know was Sadie was a distraction I couldn’t afford and certainly didn’t want.
If I wanted sex, I knew where to get it. All it took was a drink, a hotel room, and breakfast on the house that didn’t include me remaining behind to share it. The woman in front of me may scream lust and desire, but it wasn’t the kind I could slip in and out of. No, every shake of her body, every smile and laugh, screamed something more. She’d get her hooks into whoever took her to bed. They’d be unable to forget those mesmerizing eyes and the dare that seemed to reside permanently in them.
Sadie’s hand landed on the arm of the man to her left, and I recognized him and his friend as the naked-chested fans who’d been shouting her nickname at the tournament. Something bitter filled my mouth at the idea of her dancing with them here. In my hotel. In my bar.
I told myself it was simply because it was in a space that wasnotintended for dancing, and my devil scoffed.
I finally freed my feet from where they’d taken root and stalked through the tables. I reached the threesome just as the song ended and laughter filled the air.
“What the hell is this?” I demanded in the silence that settled down.
From off to the side, I heard Mattie, the bar’s manager, holler something I didn’t quite register. Her voice simply faded away once Sadie turned eyes on me littered with pure mischief. Impish promises flew between us—ones I absolutely wouldn’t be taking her up on.
“Line dance lessons,” Sadie responded, and the lightness in her voice matched the curve of her lips. Upward. Joy-filled.
God, she was beautiful. And so damn alive at the moment that it burst through her like rays from the sun. What would it feel like to be that full of life for even a few seconds?
I was full of purpose and resolve, but she radiated with a vibrancy that was all about eking out enjoyment from every second.
“This is a piano bar,” I barked, feeling immediately like an idiot for stating the obvious. “This is not the time or place for any kind of dance lessons.”
Her lips quirked higher. “Don’t get your panties in a wad, Slick. We’ll put everything back to rights.”
My annoyance grew at the half-assed insult.
Mattie joined us. “They were just settling a quick bet, Rafe.”
My gaze narrowed on the dark-haired enchantress in front of me, and I growled, “Take the betting to the casino. It’s just out the doors.”
Sadie laughed. “You want me to teach line dancing in the middle of the black jack tables?”
Her eyes actually twinkled. Who knew eyes could really do that? Her face was deliciously flushed, and the soft sweep of pink covering her high cheeks emphasized the sharp jut of her chin almost as much as the nearly black hair swirling around it did. I wanted to yank back those silky strands and expose the long column of her neck. I wanted to see if those vibrant blues would turn dark and mystical with the touch of my mouth and hands.
My annoyance at those provocative thoughts was displayed in every syllable as I said, “I don’t want you teaching line dancing anywhere in the hotel or casino.”
Her smile widened instead of lowering at my snarl. “I paid for twenty minutes, party pooper. In exchange for interrupting their quiet, I bought everyone here a round and promised to be done by the time they’d finished.”
“Spending your prize money on alcohol isn’t any better than spending it at the tables,” I barked.
She laughed again, and the sound lodged itself deep inside me. I wanted to hear it again. I wanted to rip it away and make it permanently mine. The overwhelming strength of those notions and the unwanted feelings that came with them were what helped ease me back from the edge I felt myself slipping over. I despised all the strong emotions she’d yanked out of me today. I’d learned the hard way to keep them wrapped tight.
Sadie turned to the two men on either side of her. “Sorry, Leo and Deke. I guess our lessons are over. But I promise, if you go to any country bar and slide up on the dance floor with these moves, you’ll have more dates than you can shake a stick at.”
Both men leaned in at the same time, kissing her on opposite cheeks. She blushed, and I had to fist my hands to keep myself from ripping them away from her. From a woman I didn’t know. Didn’t want to know. A woman I needed to get out of my bar, my hotel, and my life before something terrible happened. Before I lost control completely. Lost everything all over again. And these days, I had way more to lose than I once had. I had billions spread across the globe rather than a few acres of hills and valleys.
The men thanked her, gave me another glance, and then scurried out of the bar.
Sadie shook her head and turned to Mattie. “Let me help you put things back.”
My bar manager fought off a smirk as she said, “Dan and I got it. Go get that drink you paid for and never received.”
Sadie seemed to hesitate for a brief second before she ran a hand down the beaded fringe of her sexy-as-sin dress and stepped away from the makeshift dance floor toward the bar.
